Podcasts about challenger sale

Matt Dixon: The Activator Advantage Matt Dixon is Founding Partner of DCM Insights, a global training and advisory firm, and a leading expert in business development and client experience. His first book The Challenger Sale was a #1 Amazon and Wall Street Journal bestseller, and translated in a dozen languages. His newest book with colleagues Rory Channer, Karen Freeman, and Ted McKenna is The Activator Advantage: What Today's Rainmakers Do Differently*. At lot of us know the traits of the kind of person who's successful at attracting new business. What many of us don't know, is that what's working today is actually different than what we traditionally think. In this conversation, Matt and I a take a detailed look at the professionals who are landing the most new business – and what they're doing that works. Key Points The loyalty that once existed between professionals and their clients has changed substantially in recent years. A type of professional called an activator represents the highest performance in business development. Activators assume their best clients will leave at some point and are consistently working to build a pipeline of opportunities. Many professionals tend to protect client relationships. In contrast, activators actively bring colleagues into these relationships. Activators don't wait for inquiries. They meet opportunities happen by building relationships before paid work begins. Activators go way past birthdays and factual knowledge about others. They discover what's important to their clients as individuals. Activators go way past “as is” content and work hard to thoughtfully connect it to a prospect or client's situation. Resources Mentioned The Activator Advantage: What Today's Rainmakers Do Differently* by Matt Dixon, Rory Channer, Karen Freeman, and Ted McKenna Interview Notes Download my interview notes in PDF format (free membership required). Related Episodes The Surprising Truth About Influencing Others, with Daniel Pink (episode 84) How to Become the Person You Want to Be, with James Clear (episode 376) The Way to Earn Attention, with Raja Rajamannar (episode 521) Expert Partner Finding it hard to make an impression in a noisy marketplace? Many listeners have reached out to David Hutchens to help their organizations get traction through the power of story. If you're planning an offsite or training to get better, get in touch with us to start the conversation with David or any of our other expert partners. Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic. To accelerate your learning, uncover more inside Coaching for Leaders Plus.

Discover all of the podcasts in our network, search for specific episodes, get the Optimal Living Daily workbook, and learn more at: OLDPodcast.com. Episode 1695: Christine Comaford outlines how to craft a financing pitch that captivates investors by tapping into both logic and emotion. Learn how to engage the brain's decision-making triggers, build trust fast, and differentiate your offer in a crowded market. Read along with the original article(s) here: https://smarttribesinstitute.com/make-your-financing-pitch-sizzle/ Quotes to ponder: "To connect with your audience and compel them to act, you must speak to all three parts of their brain: the reptilian, the mammalian, and the neocortex." "Investors are bombarded with pitches, so yours must be clear, concise, and compelling." "Show your humanity, tell the story of why you're doing this venture and why it matters to you." Episode references: The Challenger Sale: https://www.amazon.com/Challenger-Sale-Control-Customer-Conversation/dp/1591844355 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of The Rainmaking Podcast, host Scott Love speaks with Matt Dixon—bestselling author of The Challenger Sale and The Jolt Effect—about his latest research and book, The Activator Advantage: What Today's Rainmakers Do Differently. Based on data from the Rainmaker Genome Project, Matt introduces five rainmaker profiles, highlighting the “Activator” as the most effective. Activators stand out by committing consistently to business development, building broad and deep networks, and proactively delivering value to clients before they even ask for it. Rather than relying on personality, Activators succeed through behavior—habits, systems, and deliberate outreach. Matt explains that Activators aren't just connectors; they transform insights and introductions into meaningful client engagements. They develop daily routines, use platforms like LinkedIn strategically, and focus on helping others as a way of building trust and generating future opportunities. This episode also breaks down three action steps for aspiring rainmakers: plan business development time weekly, expand and engage your network, and proactively share insights that clients didn't know they needed. With data-driven insights and real-world examples, this conversation offers a powerful blueprint for professionals who want to become indispensable advisors. Visit: https://therainmakingpodcast.com/ YouTube: https://youtu.be/jxIFBnWxZYU ---------------------------------------- This show is sponsored by Leopard Solutions Legal Intelligence Suite of products, Firmscape, and Leopard BI. Push ahead of the pack with the power of Leopard. For a free demo, visit this link: https://www.leopardsolutions.com/index.php/request-a-demo/ ---------------------------------------- Matt Dixon is a Founding Partner of DCM Insights—a boutique consulting and training firm that uses research-backed methods to help organizations to better attract, retain and grow their client relationships. A noted business researcher and writer, Matt is a sought-after advisor to leadership teams around the world. He is best known as the co-author of several of the most important business books of the past twenty years, including The Challenger Sale, which has sold more than a million copies worldwide and was a #1 Amazon and Wall Street Journal bestseller. His most recent book is The JOLT Effect: How High Performers Overcome Customer Indecision, which was released in September 2022. His next book, The Activator Advantage: What Today's Rainmakers Do Differently, will be released by Harvard Business Review Press in the spring of 2025. In addition to his books, Matt is a frequent contributor to Harvard BusinessReview on topics ranging from business development effectiveness to client experience. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of Pittsburgh and currently resides in the Washington, DC area with his family. Links: https://www.dcminsights.com/activator-advantage https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewxdixon/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Discover all of the podcasts in our network, search for specific episodes, get the Optimal Living Daily workbook, and learn more at: OLDPodcast.com. Episode 1695: Christine Comaford outlines how to craft a financing pitch that captivates investors by tapping into both logic and emotion. Learn how to engage the brain's decision-making triggers, build trust fast, and differentiate your offer in a crowded market. Read along with the original article(s) here: https://smarttribesinstitute.com/make-your-financing-pitch-sizzle/ Quotes to ponder: "To connect with your audience and compel them to act, you must speak to all three parts of their brain: the reptilian, the mammalian, and the neocortex." "Investors are bombarded with pitches, so yours must be clear, concise, and compelling." "Show your humanity, tell the story of why you're doing this venture and why it matters to you." Episode references: The Challenger Sale: https://www.amazon.com/Challenger-Sale-Control-Customer-Conversation/dp/1591844355 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Matthew Dixon, co-founder of DCM Insights, is a researcher who's spent much of his career studying the shared characteristics and behaviors of successful B2B salespeople. In 2011, he released a study called “The Challenger Sale.” While giving a keynote on his findings at an annual partner retreat, an audience member stood up and challenged him. “He said, ‘Dr. Dixon, you've been talking for 45 minutes about sales effectiveness and salespeople and selling and sales process, and it's all very fascinating and I'm sure our clients would be very interested in this,'” Dixon recounts to the ABA Journal's Lee Rawles in this episode of The Modern Law Library. “‘And after all, we do a lot of consulting around go-to-market strategy. But what maybe you don't recognize is that we are partners at our firm. We are not salespeople. In fact, there's not a single salesperson in this audience. I might go so far as to say we don't sell anything here.'” Dixon was taken aback. “What I realized was this world of partnerships, of professional services, of doer-sellers is actually quite a bit different from the world of sales and what we had written and all this research we'd done over the years.” In 2022, he tackled this population with the Rainmaker Genome Project, a study that became the basis for The Activator Advantage: What Today's Rainmakers Do Differently, co-written by Dixon, Rory Channer, Karen Freeman and Ted McKenna. The Rainmaker Genome Project surveyed 3,000 partner-level professionals in 41 firms across law, public relations, accounting and investment banking. About 39% of respondents were lawyers. Each received a score for effectiveness in business development and were analyzed for how they provided client services. And it turns out that partner was correct: What makes a lawyer an effective rainmaker is not necessarily what makes a salesperson effective. After doing a vector analysis on the data, “what we found was that every one of those 3,000 professionals could be placed into one of five business development profiles,” says Dixon. The five profiles were the expert, the confidant, the debater, the challenger and the activator. Dixon stresses that the five categories are not about personality. While personalities are immutable, behaviors can be changed. “These are about the things we can all learn to be better at,” says Dixon. “It's about how we spend our time, how we engage clients, how we use resources, how we collaborate with colleagues—and those are things we can all get better at with the right training, coaching and support from our firms.” In this episode, Dixon expands on each type, but the most effective performers in business development were the activators. “The reason we chose the term ‘activator' instead of ‘connector'—people have asked—is that they're not about collecting business cards and letting them collect dust or just hoarding LinkedIn connections,” Dixon tells Rawles. “What these folks do is try to turn these relationships into paying client relationships. They activate those relationships by proactively bringing new ideas—ways to mitigate risk, make money, save money—to clients.” Dixon offers practical advice on how to behave like an activator, including the most effective ways to use LinkedIn. Lawyers and other client-servicing professionals can't just sit back and wait for business to find them, he warns. “Whether we like to admit it or not, clients are less loyal today than they once were,” he says. “They're less likely to come back automatically to their incumbent provider. No matter how great the relationship or the value you've delivered, they're forcing us to compete in ways we didn't have to in the past. So activators want a backup plan. They know today's great client might not be a client tomorrow, no matter what you've done. So you need a backup plan.”

Matthew Dixon, co-founder of DCM Insights, is a researcher who's spent much of his career studying the shared characteristics and behaviors of successful B2B salespeople. In 2011, he released a study called “The Challenger Sale.” While giving a keynote on his findings at an annual partner retreat, an audience member stood up and challenged him. “He said, ‘Dr. Dixon, you've been talking for 45 minutes about sales effectiveness and salespeople and selling and sales process, and it's all very fascinating and I'm sure our clients would be very interested in this,'” Dixon recounts to the ABA Journal's Lee Rawles in this episode of The Modern Law Library. “‘And after all, we do a lot of consulting around go-to-market strategy. But what maybe you don't recognize is that we are partners at our firm. We are not salespeople. In fact, there's not a single salesperson in this audience. I might go so far as to say we don't sell anything here.'” Dixon was taken aback. “What I realized was this world of partnerships, of professional services, of doer-sellers is actually quite a bit different from the world of sales and what we had written and all this research we'd done over the years.” In 2022, he tackled this population with the Rainmaker Genome Project, a study that became the basis for The Activator Advantage: What Today's Rainmakers Do Differently, co-written by Dixon, Rory Channer, Karen Freeman and Ted McKenna. The Rainmaker Genome Project surveyed 3,000 partner-level professionals in 41 firms across law, public relations, accounting and investment banking. About 39% of respondents were lawyers. Each received a score for effectiveness in business development and were analyzed for how they provided client services. And it turns out that partner was correct: What makes a lawyer an effective rainmaker is not necessarily what makes a salesperson effective. After doing a vector analysis on the data, “what we found was that every one of those 3,000 professionals could be placed into one of five business development profiles,” says Dixon. The five profiles were the expert, the confidant, the debater, the challenger and the activator. Dixon stresses that the five categories are not about personality. While personalities are immutable, behaviors can be changed. “These are about the things we can all learn to be better at,” says Dixon. “It's about how we spend our time, how we engage clients, how we use resources, how we collaborate with colleagues—and those are things we can all get better at with the right training, coaching and support from our firms.” In this episode, Dixon expands on each type, but the most effective performers in business development were the activators. “The reason we chose the term ‘activator' instead of ‘connector'—people have asked—is that they're not about collecting business cards and letting them collect dust or just hoarding LinkedIn connections,” Dixon tells Rawles. “What these folks do is try to turn these relationships into paying client relationships. They activate those relationships by proactively bringing new ideas—ways to mitigate risk, make money, save money—to clients.” Dixon offers practical advice on how to behave like an activator, including the most effective ways to use LinkedIn. Lawyers and other client-servicing professionals can't just sit back and wait for business to find them, he warns. “Whether we like to admit it or not, clients are less loyal today than they once were,” he says. “They're less likely to come back automatically to their incumbent provider. No matter how great the relationship or the value you've delivered, they're forcing us to compete in ways we didn't have to in the past. So activators want a backup plan. They know today's great client might not be a client tomorrow, no matter what you've done. So you need a backup plan.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Matthew Dixon, co-founder of DCM Insights, is a researcher who's spent much of his career studying the shared characteristics and behaviors of successful B2B salespeople. In 2011, he released a study called “The Challenger Sale.” While giving a keynote on his findings at an annual partner retreat, an audience member stood up and challenged him. “He said, ‘Dr. Dixon, you've been talking for 45 minutes about sales effectiveness and salespeople and selling and sales process, and it's all very fascinating and I'm sure our clients would be very interested in this,'” Dixon recounts to the ABA Journal's Lee Rawles in this episode of The Modern Law Library. “‘And after all, we do a lot of consulting around go-to-market strategy. But what maybe you don't recognize is that we are partners at our firm. We are not salespeople. In fact, there's not a single salesperson in this audience. I might go so far as to say we don't sell anything here.'” Dixon was taken aback. “What I realized was this world of partnerships, of professional services, of doer-sellers is actually quite a bit different from the world of sales and what we had written and all this research we'd done over the years.” In 2022, he tackled this population with the Rainmaker Genome Project, a study that became the basis for The Activator Advantage: What Today's Rainmakers Do Differently, co-written by Dixon, Rory Channer, Karen Freeman and Ted McKenna. The Rainmaker Genome Project surveyed 3,000 partner-level professionals in 41 firms across law, public relations, accounting and investment banking. About 39% of respondents were lawyers. Each received a score for effectiveness in business development and were analyzed for how they provided client services. And it turns out that partner was correct: What makes a lawyer an effective rainmaker is not necessarily what makes a salesperson effective. After doing a vector analysis on the data, “what we found was that every one of those 3,000 professionals could be placed into one of five business development profiles,” says Dixon. The five profiles were the expert, the confidant, the debater, the challenger and the activator. Dixon stresses that the five categories are not about personality. While personalities are immutable, behaviors can be changed. “These are about the things we can all learn to be better at,” says Dixon. “It's about how we spend our time, how we engage clients, how we use resources, how we collaborate with colleagues—and those are things we can all get better at with the right training, coaching and support from our firms.” In this episode, Dixon expands on each type, but the most effective performers in business development were the activators. “The reason we chose the term ‘activator' instead of ‘connector'—people have asked—is that they're not about collecting business cards and letting them collect dust or just hoarding LinkedIn connections,” Dixon tells Rawles. “What these folks do is try to turn these relationships into paying client relationships. They activate those relationships by proactively bringing new ideas—ways to mitigate risk, make money, save money—to clients.” Dixon offers practical advice on how to behave like an activator, including the most effective ways to use LinkedIn. Lawyers and other client-servicing professionals can't just sit back and wait for business to find them, he warns. “Whether we like to admit it or not, clients are less loyal today than they once were,” he says. “They're less likely to come back automatically to their incumbent provider. No matter how great the relationship or the value you've delivered, they're forcing us to compete in ways we didn't have to in the past. So activators want a backup plan. They know today's great client might not be a client tomorrow, no matter what you've done. So you need a backup plan.”

In this episode of Brainfluence, host Roger Dooley welcomes back Matt Dixon, founding partner of DCM Insights and co-author of the bestselling "The Challenger Sale." Dixon shares insights from his latest book, The Activator Advantage: What Today's Rainmakers Do Differently, which is rooted in groundbreaking research on how top professionals win and grow client relationships in the increasingly competitive world of professional services. Dixon unpacks the five distinct profiles that partners in fields like law, accounting, and consulting tend to fall into, with a particular focus on the "Activator"—a proactive, well-networked rainmaker who brings new ideas to clients and promotes deep collaboration within firms. Dixon explains that while only about 15–20% of partners naturally exhibit strong activator traits, everyone can learn to adopt key behaviors that set activators apart: maintaining a regular business development cadence, building broad and deep networks, and proactively creating value for clients. He reveals that the biggest client complaint isn't over-contact; instead, it's wishing they heard more from their trusted advisors with fresh insights and opportunities. The conversation offers practical takeaways for both leaders and individuals in professional services who want to move beyond waiting for the phone to ring and instead, become indispensable partners in their clients' success. The Activator Advantage on Amazon - https://amzn.to/3FjUSED Connect with Matt: Website - https://www.dcminsights.com/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewxdixon/ Show notes, audio, text, links - https://www.rogerdooley.com/activator-advantage-matt-dixon/ Connect with Roger: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dooley/ https://twitter.com/rogerdooley https://www.threads.net/@rogerdooley https://www.facebook.com/roger.dooley https://www.instagram.com/rogerdooley/ Roger's Stuff: Website: https://www.rogerdooley.com Neuromarketing: https://www.neurosciencemarketing.com/blog Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/rogerdooley/ About Matt Dixon: Matt Dixon is an acclaimed business researcher and author best known for co-writing "The Challenger Sale," published in 2011. After the book's release, he spent years traveling internationally to share its groundbreaking B2B sales insights with teams across the globe. Early in his journey—around 2012 or 2013—Dixon was invited to present his research to one of the world's top strategy consulting firms, marking the start of his influential role in shaping sales practices for leading professional organizations.

Welcome to today's Legally Speaking Podcast LinkedIn Live, sponsored by Clio. Today I'm joined by someone who truly needs no introduction in the world of business development and client experience — Matt Dixon.Matt's work has changed how organizations think about selling and serving. His previous books, like The Challenger Sale and The Effortless Experience, have sold millions worldwide. Now, Matt's back with a new blueprint for professional services success: The Activator Advantage — based on groundbreaking research into what today's top rainmakers do differently. If you're serious about winning, retaining, and growing client relationships in today's ultra competitive environment — you're in the right place.

In this episode of The Art of Charm, we sit down with Matt Dixon, co-author of The Challenger Sale and The Activator Advantage. In today's conversation, Matt Dixon reveals why the professionals dominating in today's market aren't necessarily the most credentialed, but the most proactive. We explore Matt's research across 3,000 professionals and break down the five business development personas, highlighting the unique traits and habits that make the “Activator” profile the highest performer of them all. Whether you're in sales, consulting, law, or simply trying to future-proof your career, adopting the activator mindset can radically shift how you're perceived and what doors open next. This episode will show you how to stop waiting for opportunity—and start creating it. What to Listen For [00:00:00] Why clients forget about you—and how activators stay top of mind [00:01:14] The 5 business development personas and why activators win [00:09:56] Data shows activators are the top performers—and least likely to fail [00:17:52] How activators manage their network like a pipeline—not a popularity contest [00:24:13] The myth of being annoying: why clients want more outreach, not less [00:33:08] “No” isn't the end: how activators turn rejection into opportunity [00:39:24] The 4-part insight framework for opening doors with ideas [00:45:57] Why you must prune stale relationships to stay high-impact [00:54:49] The activator approach to events: plan, target, and follow through [01:01:53] Don't just post on LinkedIn—why DMs and engagement matter more Episode Takeaways: Activators don't rely on being top of mind—they engineer it by adding value consistently. Smart professionals build leverage by helping others long before there's anything to gain. Great client relationships aren't the result of great work—they're often the cause of it. Build trust early, not just after the sale. No doesn't mean never. Activators stay present, learn why they lost, and often get the callback when things go sideways. Learn to prune. Keep your “inner circle” warm. Everyone else? Let them go. A Word From Our Sponsors Tired of awkward handshakes and collecting business cards without building real connections? Dive into our Free Social Capital Networking Masterclass. Learn practical strategies to make your interactions meaningful and boost your confidence in any social situation. Sign up for free at theartofcharm.com/sc and elevate your networking from awkward to awesome. Don't miss out on a network of opportunities! Unleash the power of covert networking to infiltrate high-value circles and build a 7-figure network in just 90 days. Ready to start? Check out our CIA-proven guide to networking like a spy! Indulge in affordable luxury with Quince—where high-end essentials meet unbeatable prices. Upgrade your wardrobe today at quince.com/charm for free shipping and hassle-free returns. Ready to turn your business idea into reality? Shopify makes it easy to start, scale, and succeed—whether you're launching a side hustle or building the next big brand. Sign up for your $1/month trial at shopify.com/charm. Need to hire top talent—fast? Skip the waiting game and get more qualified applicants with Indeed. Claim your $75 Sponsored Job Credit now at Indeed.com/charm. Curious about your influence level?  Get your Influence Index Score today! Take this 60-second quiz to find out how your influence stacks up against top performers at theartofcharm.com/influence. DCM Insights The Activator Advantage: What Today's Rainmakers Do Differently The Challenger Sale: Taking Control of the Customer Conversation HBR: What Today's Rainmakers Do Differently AJ on LinkedIn Johnny on LinkedIn AJ on Instagram Johnny on Instagram The Art of Charm on Instagram The Art of Charm on YouTube The Art of Charm on TikTok Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode Overview: In this must-listen episode of the John Kitchens Coach Podcast, John sits down with Eric Post, Co-Founder and Chief Visionary Officer of Huzi.AI, to unpack the seismic shifts AI is driving across the real estate industry and why traditional agents must evolve—or risk becoming obsolete. Together, they dissect the evolution of leverage in real estate—from hiring human assistants to virtual teams and now, AI-driven assistants that operate 24/7, enabling agents to scale, optimize, and dominate their markets. Eric reveals why the most dangerous disruption in real estate isn't AI-powered competitors—it's the AI-powered consumer. With access to sophisticated knowledge tools, today's buyers and sellers are better informed and have higher expectations than ever before. Agents who continue to rely solely on old-school tactics and ignore the power of AI will quickly fall behind. Key Takeaways & Insights: AI-Powered Consumers Will Outpace Agents Who Refuse to Adapt: The modern homebuyer and seller now have AI in their pockets. If real estate agents aren't using AI tools like Huzi.AI to match or exceed their clients' knowledge and responsiveness, they risk being bypassed altogether. Shift from Broadcasting to Deep Personalization: The AI revolution is not about more content—it's about more meaningful, personalized communication. Agents must stop focusing on volume and start focusing on delivering relevant, valuable conversations that resonate at a personal level. Reimagine Leverage with AI-Powered Assistants: The agent of the future will use AI tools as intelligent business partners—handling research, data aggregation, follow-ups, negotiations, and even task management—allowing the agent to focus on human-to-human connection and high-value activities. Focus on Wisdom, Not Just Knowledge: While AI can deliver data, it cannot replace the human wisdom that top agents bring to the table. Agents must use tools like Huzi.AI to augment their decision-making and empower themselves to be more strategic and insightful. The Future of Real Estate Is Hyper-Personalization and Conversation-Centric: Agents who lean into the conversational revolution and use AI to create highly personalized, interactive experiences will own the future of real estate. Collapse Time, Increase Productivity, and Eliminate Busywork: With tools like Huzi.AI, agents can dramatically compress tasks that used to take hours into minutes, freeing them to focus on nurturing client relationships, negotiating deals, and scaling their businesses. The Death of Mediocrity in Real Estate: The era of "doing enough" is over. Agents must commit to excellence, embrace AI-powered efficiency, and deliver a remarkable client experience—or face extinction in an industry evolving at breakneck speed. Bonus Insights: The dangers of agents using AI solely for vanity marketing and content pumping—and how that plays into the hands of companies like Zillow. How Huzi.AI can integrate with your CRM, calendar, and communications to become your always-on AI-powered Chief of Staff. The power of community, coaching, and collaboration in navigating the AI revolution. The parallels between business and endurance sports—why pushing your limits is the key to leadership and legacy in this AI-powered era. Featured Resources: Huzi.AI – The most powerful AI business assistant designed for real estate professionals: https://huzi.ai Join the Huzi.AI + John Kitchens: https://coachkitchens.ai(Limited beta spots now open—be the first to future-proof your real estate business.) Books Mentioned: The Goal by Eliyahu Goldratt (Theory of Constraints in business) The Challenger Sale by Matthew Dixon & Brent Adamson Outwitting the Devil by Napoleon Hill (On avoiding drift & finding accurate thought) The Future Is Faster Than You Think by Peter Diamandis & Steven Kotler (Technological acceleration and its impact on industries) About Eric Post: Eric Post is the Co-Founder and Chief Visionary Officer of Huzi.AI, a cutting-edge AI-powered business assistant built specifically for real estate professionals. With a background in real estate, endurance sports, and tech entrepreneurship, Eric is on a mission to empower agents, teams, and brokerages to thrive in the AI-powered economy by focusing on what truly matters—people, relationships, and wisdom.   ""Real estate agents don't get paid more to automate their business. They get paid more when they improve the experience for the consumer."" — Eric Post   Connect with Us: Instagram: @johnkitchenscoach LinkedIn: @johnkitchenscoach Facebook: @johnkitchenscoach   If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe and leave a review. Stay tuned for more insights and strategies from the top minds. See you next time!

In this episode, John Barrows is joined with with Alyssa Merwin, Global VP of LinkedIn Sales Solutions, to unpack the findings from LinkedIn's brand-new ROI of AI Report—a first-of-its-kind look at how AI is truly impacting sales outcomes, not just activity metrics.With over $1 billion in revenue under her leadership and a rich career path shaped by EQ, adaptability, and grit, Alyssa shares how she's guiding one of the most innovative sales organizations in tech. The conversation dives into her journey from a liberal arts background to sales leadership, her time at Corporate Executive Board (home of The Challenger Sale), and what she's seeing as the biggest shifts in modern selling.The takeaway? If you're not using AI in your sales process every day, you're falling behind. This episode is a wake-up call—packed with insights, data, and leadership wisdom from one of the top voices in the industry.Are you interested in leveling up your sales skills and staying relevant in today's AI-driven landscape? Visit www.jbarrows.com and let's Make It Happen together!Connect with John on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnbarrows/Connect with John on IG: https://www.instagram.com/johnmbarrows/Check out John's Membership: https://go.jbarrows.com/pages/individual-membership?ref=3edab1 Join John's Newsletter: https://www.jbarrows.com/newsletterConnect with Alyssa on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alyssa1/

In this short segment of the Revenue Builders Podcast, we revisit the discussion with Patrick Ball, CRO of Crux Informatics, to explore the power of a well-defined sales process. Patrick shares how aligning with the buyer's journey improves win rates, eliminates wasted efforts, and sets the foundation for a strong business case. He also discusses key red flags to look for, the role of stakeholder engagement, and how to structure a sales motion that drives real value. If you're in B2B sales, you won't want to miss this deep dive into sales execution.KEY TAKEAWAYS[00:01:37] 53% of buyers select a vendor based on the buying process, making structured engagement essential.[00:02:05] How a clearly defined sales process builds trust and credibility with prospects.[00:02:53] The importance of “go/no-go” checkpoints to prevent wasted time and stalled deals.[00:04:15] Red flags that indicate you're dealing with the wrong person in the buying process.[00:05:09] Why business value assessments (BVA) are critical to securing executive buy-in.[00:06:10] Understanding the complexity of selling a managed service vs. traditional SaaS.QUOTES[00:01:37] “53% of buyers choose a vendor based on the buying process. So why wouldn't we want to control that in the best possible way?”[00:02:53] “A well-structured sales process keeps both the vendor and the prospect in lockstep, ensuring we're not wasting time on deals that won't close.”[00:04:15] “If a prospect resists engaging in a business value assessment, it's often a sign you're talking to the wrong person.”[00:05:40] “Sales isn't just about a single point of contact—it's about engaging all the necessary stakeholders to drive a deal forward.”Listen to the full conversation through the link below.https://revenue-builders.simplecast.com/episodes/complex-sales-critical-stages-in-a-customers-buying-processEnjoying the podcast? Sign up to receive new episodes straight to your inbox:https://hubs.li/Q02R10xN0Check out John McMahon's book here:Amazon Link: https://a.co/d/1K7DDC4Check out Force Management's Ascender platform here: https://my.ascender.co/Ascender/Force Management is hiring for a Sales Director. Apply here: https://hubs.li/Q02Zb8WG0Read Force Management's eBook: https://www.forcemanagement.com/roi-of-sales-messaging

Vill du vara med på Closers Only Event 3 april och få tillgång till erbjudandet på 50% rabatt under en begränsad tid? Läs mer och boka dina biljetter här! I veckans avsnitt pratar jag om The Challenger Sale, som skrevs av Matthew Dixon och Brent Adamson och gavs ut 2011. Boken bygger på en omfattande studie av CEB med över 6 000 B2B-säljare, där Challenger-säljarna visade sig prestera bäst. Jag går igenom varför just denna säljstil är så framgångsrik och hur du kan använda samma teknik för att öka din försäljning. In och lyssna nu kör vi!   

Take the time to listen to this hugely popular, classic episode packed with sage sales advice. Joining Andy for the roundtable discussion today are Richard Harris, Founder of the Harris Consulting Group, Mark Cox, Founder of In the Funnel Sales Coaching and host of The Selling Well Podcast, and Matt Dixon, Wall Street Journal best selling co author of The Challenger Sale, The Effortless Experience, The Challenger Customer, and his new book, The Jolt Effect. They begin by discussing some of the best ways to offer value to clients, the role of technology in enhancing sales, the challenge of being constantly pitched by vendors and the lack of interest in product details, and they propose a "common sense revolution in sales," where the focus is on improving clients' businesses. They challenge both traditional sales training methods, and current compensation structures, and argue that ROI is more crucial than simply offering a cheaper price. The group turns its focus to the essential skill of asking open-ended questions, which can separate the best sellers from the rest, the significance of listening and truly understanding the client's pain points in their specific context, how to earn the right to ask questions, and being one step ahead and adaptable to shifting buyer behavior.Connect with Richard, Matt, and MarkHost Andy Paul is the expert on modern B2B selling and author of three best-selling, award-winning sales books, including his latest Sell Without Selling Out. Visit andypaul.com to subscribe to his newsletter for even more strategies and tips to accelerate your win rate!

Back by popular demand, Brent Adamson, the mind behind The Challenger Sale and The Challenger Customer, returns to our podcast for another encore. In this episode, sponsored by Physician Growth Accelerator, Brent continues to unravel the complexities of modern sales dynamics specifically tailored to the unique challenges faced by surgeons and medical practitioners. As physicians focus on patient care, the need for clear and concise information from sales reps becomes crucial. Brent delves into effective strategies that sales professionals can employ to not only enhance the decision-making process for surgeons but also to secure their trust and confidence in an increasingly competitive market. Join us for more on: Tailoring sales approaches to meet the sophisticated needs of medical professionals The critical role of transparency and simplicity in medical sales Strategies for aligning with buying groups to streamline purchasing decisions Overcoming common obstacles that healthcare providers face during the buying process Empowering sales reps with deeper knowledge of their customers' operations and challenges Resources from this episode:  Get the free MedTech Talk Tracks for Action Physician Growth Accelerator Brent's Breakdown Customer Value Community Challenger Sale Challenger Customer Social Media:  Connect with Brent on LinkedIn Connect with Zed on LinkedIn Connect with Clark on LinkedIn

"Don't lead with the solution. This is my number one tip for agency operators. And it's my number one tip for traditional sellers, SaaS sellers—anybody who is trying to get someone to work with them."Are your sales suffering? Are you finding it harder to get calls and close deals? Are you looking for ways to run cold outreach or follow-up after an event that actually gets responses?If so, this episode of Agency Journey is for you.Jen Allen-Knuth is the founder of DemandJen, where she helps B2B sales and marketing teams build more pipeline when it might seem harder than ever before. With over 18 years of experience in sales, Jen now works with mid-market and enterprise organizations to help train their sales teams.In this episode of Agency Journey, Jen shares her insights on effective sales strategies, particularly in challenging economic times. She emphasizes the importance of focusing on the problem rather than the solution, slowing down the sales process to build trust, and using data-driven analysis to improve your approach.Whether you're looking to refine your agency's sales process, improve your cold outreach, or build stronger relationships with prospects, this episode is packed with actionable advice and real-world examples.Episode Insights:

Join us for the second of a two-part conversation with world-renowned sales expert Brent Adamson, the co-author of The Challenger Sale and a Gartner alum, as we discuss what it means to sell on Customer Value Creation and how to win over "rational buyers". Follow the Host on LinkedIn: Howard Brown (CEO, Revenue.io) And our Special Guest: Brent Adamson (Global Head of Research & Communities, Ecosystems) Sponsored by: Revenue.io | Powering high-performing revenue teams with real-time guidance Explore the Revenue.io Podcast Universe: Sales Enablement Podcast Selling with Purpose Podcast RevOps Podcast

Sign Up For The Newsletter: https://jonathanraymond.com/#newsletter In today's episode of Good Authority, Jonathan sits down with Matt Dixon, a renowned sales researcher and author, for a deep dive into modern sales strategies. They explore how sales is not just a profession but a way of showing up authentically in life, whether you're a business leader, coach, or parent. Matt shares insights from his extensive research, debunking outdated sales tactics and emphasizing the importance of authenticity, trust, and empathy in today's sales environment. This episode is a masterclass in how to approach sales conversations with integrity and make meaningful connections. Whether you're in sales or simply interested in improving your communication skills, this conversation is packed with valuable lessons. About Matt Dixon: Known for his ground-breaking research, he is a frequent contributor to Harvard Business Review and is the author of some of the most important business books of the past decade.  He is a founding partner of DCM Insights, a boutique consultancy focused on using data and research-backed frameworks to help companies attract, retain and grow their customers. His first book, The Challenger Sale: Taking Control of the Customer Conversation (Portfolio/Penguin 2011), was a #1 Amazon and Wall Street Journal bestseller and has sold nearly a million copies worldwide and has been translated into a dozen languages.  The Challenger Sale has won acclaim as “the most important advance in selling for many years” (SPIN Selling author Neil Rackham) and “the beginning of a wave that will take over a lot of selling organizations in the next decade.” (Business Insider).  He is also the author of The Effortless Experience: Conquering the New Battleground for Customer Loyalty (Portfolio/Penguin 2013), which introduced the concept of customer effort reduction and the Customer Effort Score to companies around the world, as well as The Challenger Customer: Selling to the Hidden Influencer Who Can Multiply Your Results (Portfolio/Penguin  2015), the celebrated sequel to The Challenger Sale.  His newest book, The JOLT Effect: How High Performers Overcome Customer Indecision, was released by Penguin in September 2022.  Matt's work has been published in the print and online editions of Harvard Business Review on more than twenty occasions.  Among his noteworthy HBR articles are “Dismantling the Sales Machine” (November 2013) and “The End of Solution Sales” (July-August 2012), both of which appear in HBR's 10 Must-Reads on Sales.  He is also the author of some of the most widely cited HBR articles on customer experience and customer service, including “Reinventing Customer Service” (November-December 2018), “Kick-Ass Customer Service” (January-February 2017), and “Stop Trying to Delight Your Customers” (July-August 2010).  In addition to his research and writing, Matt is a seasoned practitioner having held executive leadership roles in strategy, new product development, product management, research and innovation for companies like Tethr, Korn Ferry Hay Group and CEB (now Gartner). He is a sought-after speaker and advisor to management teams around world, having presented his findings at a wide range of industry conferences as well as to hundreds of senior executive teams around the world, including those of many Fortune 500 companies.  Matt holds a Ph.D. from the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Pittsburgh as well as a B.A. in International Studies from Mount Saint Mary's University in Emmitsburg, Maryland.  He currently resides in the Washington, D.C. area with his wife and four children.  Connect with Matt: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewxdixon/   Try Ren, the AI Leadership Coach: https://rencoach.com/

Join us for the first of a two-part conversation with world-renowned sales expert Brent Adamson, the co-author of The Challenger Sale and a Gartner alum, as we discuss what it means to sell on Customer Value Creation and how to win over "rational buyers". Follow the Host on LinkedIn: Howard Brown (CEO, Revenue.io) And our Special Guest: Brent Adamson (Global Head of Research & Communities, Ecosystems) Sponsored by: Revenue.io | Powering high-performing revenue teams with real-time guidance Explore the Revenue.io Podcast Universe: Sales Enablement Podcast Selling with Purpose Podcast RevOps Podcast

A full detailed episode, of me reacting to an audio book that I was listening to. Named the "Challenger Sale," by Mathew Dixon & Brent Adamson. MakeYaMove.com AswandC.com D1transfer.com

This is the interview all you entrepreneurs and sales professionals have been waiting for! Are you wondering how to master the art of sales in the age of AI and influence educated modern buyers like a pro? I sat down with the sales genius himself, Brent Adamson, coauthor of “The Challenger Sale” and “The Challenger Customer,” and a frequent contributor to the Harvard Business Review. Get ready to gain valuable insights from his extensive sales knowledge, expertise, tips, and tricks. Brent is a thought leader who has reshaped the sales landscape. His work initiated the Insight Selling movement and has sold over 1,000,000 copies worldwide. In this episode, you'll learn about: -Turning prospects into loyal customers

In this episode, Dr. Simon Schillebeeckx, Chief Vision Officer of an innovative company Handprint, shares insights on the challenges of growing a small business. He emphasises the importance of identifying the Ideal Customer Persona and making information accessible within the team. Dr. Schillebeeckx also reflects on his journey, offering valuable lessons on sales strategies and the role of thought leadership. Why would you wait any longer to start living the lifestyle you signed up for? Balance your health, wealth, relationships and business growth. And focus your time and energy and make the most of this year. Let's get into it by clicking here. Troy delves into our guest's startup journey, their perception of success, industry reconsideration, and the pivotal stress point during business expansion. They discuss the joys of small business growth, vital entrepreneurial habits, and strategies for team building, encompassing wins, blunders, and invaluable advice. Also, he shares two insightful articles on growing a small business: "Get a Return from an Effective Chairperson of a Board" and "When Should a Growing Small Business Have a Board of Directors or Advisors?" Both articles emphasise key factors crucial for small business growth. And a snapshot of the final five Grow A Small Business Questions:   What do you think is the hardest thing in growing a small business? Dr. Simon Schillebeeckx identifies the hardest part of growing a small business as defining the Ideal Customer Persona (ICP) and scaling effectively, especially when the ICP lacks a specific role or title. He also highlights the challenge of ensuring accessible information within the team for collective alignment and learning. What's your favourite business book that has helped you the most? Dr. Simon Schillebeeckx mentioned "The Challenger Sale" as a favourite business book that has been particularly helpful. The book focuses on the importance of educating clients and challenging their assumptions rather than simply listening to their needs, which is especially relevant for complex technology sales like the ones his company engages in. Are there any great podcasts or online learning resources you'd recommend to help grow a small business? Dr. Simon Schillebeeckx mentioned that he mainly listens to podcasts for relaxation but occasionally tunes into entrepreneurship podcasts. He relies on LinkedIn and advice from others for professional development, particularly in regeneration and sustainability standards. What tool or resource would you recommend to grow a small business? Dr. Simon Schillebeeckx recommends having an internal knowledge management system, highlighting the importance of platforms like Notion and Google Drive for organising information and facilitating team collaboration. What advice would you give yourself on day one of starting out in business? Dr. Simon Schillebeeckx would advise his past self to refrain from building anything until securing five or ten letters of intent (LOIs) to ensure a more successful and focused start. He also emphasises the importance of establishing oneself as a thought leader from day one in the industry through platforms like LinkedIn, Slack, or podcasts. Book a 20-minute Growth Chat with Troy Trewin to see if you qualify for our upcoming course. Don't miss out on this opportunity to take your small business to new heights! Enjoyed the podcast? Please leave a review on iTunes or your preferred platform. Your feedback helps more small business owners discover our podcast and embark on their business growth journey.     Quotable quotes from our special Grow A Small Business podcast guest: Invest in coaching to grow your small business; mentors can be invaluable – Dr. Simon Schillebeeckx Success lies in understanding your ideal customer persona and effectively reaching them – Dr. Simon Schillebeeckx Become the voice of authority in your industry from day one – Dr. Simon Schillebeeckx      

Brent Adamson and Matt Dixon changed the way B2B companies think about selling their products and services 13 years ago with their groundbreaking book, “The Challenger Sale," which was a bestselling sales book from the Corporate Executive Board on how to win over customers -- by challenging them to think differently about their problem and how to solve it. Today on Everything Thought Leadership, Brent and Bob Buday talk about lessons learned from that research. The accomplished author and researcher goes over how to navigate the often-messy process of thought leadership research, and he discusses his career post at CEB and Gartner, along with what comes next for him. “Blueprint” by Jahzzar is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Music set to dialogue. https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Jahzzar/Ashes_1206/blueprint/ https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Jahzzar/ https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

Matt Dixon is one of the world's foremost experts in sales and the author of The Challenger Sale, which sold over a million copies worldwide and was a #1 Amazon and Wall Street Journal bestseller. His most recent book, The JOLT Effect, focuses on overcoming customer indecision—one of the biggest challenges to closing deals. Outside of writing, Matt co-founded DCM Insights, a boutique consultancy helping organizations understand customer behavior, and is a frequent contributor to the Harvard Business Review, with more than 20 print and online articles to his credit. In our conversation, we discuss:• Why 40% to 60% of qualified sales opportunities are lost due to customer indecision• Why dialing up FOMO doesn't work, and what to do instead• The “pings and echoes” technique to catch issues early• The JOLT method for overcoming indecision• Key lessons from The Challenger Sale• Practical examples of how to apply these principles to close more deals—Brought to you by:• Enterpret—Transform customer feedback into product growth• Webflow—The web experience platform• Heap—Cross-platform product analytics that converts, engages, and retains customers—Find the transcript at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/close-more-deals-matt-dixon—Where to find Matt Dixon:• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewxdixon• Website: https://www.jolteffect.com/—Where to find Lenny:• Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com• X: https://twitter.com/lennysan• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/—In this episode, we cover:(00:00) Matt's background(01:57) The research behind Matt's books(06:08) Insights from The JOLT Effect(10:15) FOMO vs. FOMU(18:18) An example of selling software(26:04) The JOLT method Step 1: Judge their level of indecision(29:41) The “pings and echoes” technique(34:49) Step 2: Offer a recommendation(38:36) Step 3: Limit the exploration(41:43) Step 4: Take risk off the table(45:58) When to hit the pause button with a customer(47:27) Insights from The Challenger Sale(49:07) An example of a challenger sale(55:23) Where to find Matt—Referenced:• A step-by-step guide to crafting a sales pitch that wins | April Dunford (author of Obviously Awesome and Sales Pitch): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/a-step-by-step-guide-to-crafting• The Challenger Sale: Taking Control of the Customer Conversation: https://www.amazon.com/Challenger-Sale-Control-Customer-Conversation/dp/0670922854• The JOLT Effect: How High Performers Overcome Customer Indecision: https://www.amazon.com/JOLT-Effect-Performers-Overcome-Indecision/dp/0593538102• Gartner acquires CEB: https://www.gartner.com/en/about/acquisitions/history/ceb-acquisition• Tiger King on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/81115994• Why sourdough went viral: https://www.economist.com/1843/2020/08/04/why-sourdough-went-viral• Neil Rackham: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neil_Rackham• Status quo bias in decision-making: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Status_quo_bias• Omission bias: https://thedecisionlab.com/biases/omission-bias• Gartner Magic Quadrant & Critical Capabilities: https://www.gartner.com/en/research/magic-quadrant• Dunning-Kruger effect: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect• Stop Losing Sales to Customer Indecision: https://hbr.org/2022/06/stop-losing-sales-to-customer-indecision• Dentsply Sirona: https://www.dentsplysirona.com/• “We happy?” Briefcase scene from Tarantino's Pulp Fiction: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FGchDuOpbhE• Nupro Freedom Cordless Prophy System: https://www.dentsplysirona.com/en-us/discover/discover-by-category/preventive/hygiene-handpieces.html—Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email podcast@lennyrachitsky.com.—Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed. Get full access to Lenny's Newsletter at www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe

Robert Scarperi, Bob has been a leader in professional services, SaaS, financial services, ad tech mar tech, and management consulting for 32 years. His company, Revenue Vision Partners is the industry's leading data-driven revenue growth consulting firm. Questions · Could you share with our listeners, just a little bit about how you got from where you were to where you are today? · You wrote a book called Data and Diagnosis-Driven Selling with three other gentlemen. So, could you take a minute to kind of just go through maybe three overarching themes that the book focuses on? And just how do you believe this can really help an organization to deliver a great customer experience? · Now, I'd like for you to share with us what's the one online tool, resource, website or application that you absolutely can't live without in your business? · Can you also share with us maybe one or two books that you have read, it could be a book that you read a very long time ago, or even one that you've read recently, but it has had a great impact on your development and even your continued growth. · Now, Bob, could you also share with our listeners, what's the one thing that's going on in your life right now that you're really excited about, either something you're working on to develop yourself or your people. · Where can listeners find you online? · Now, Bob, before we wrap up, we always like to give our guests an opportunity to share. I'm not sure if you have one of these but a quote that you would tend to revert to if for any reason you are faced with some form of adversity, or challenge, but that quote will help to get you refocused, get you back on track, and just help you if for any reason you got the real or you got off track. Highlights Bob's Journey  Me: Now, we always like to give our listeners an opportunity to hear from the guest, in their own words, a little bit about your journey. And it has been quite a long journey, 32 years is a good amount of time to have under your belt in all of these wonderful areas. So, could you share with our listeners, just a little bit about how you got from where you were to where you are today?   Bob shared that right around the time he was finishing college, he had a really strong pull to get into sales, he was extremely lucky to have had a best friend's father was the top sales guy at Automatic Data Processing, ADP, which is sort of known to be one of the best and strongest sales driven cultures in the Fortune 100.  And right from the very beginning, all of their structure, rigor, process, intensity really meshed with his personality and his sort of competitive nature. And so, he was lucky enough to have some early success, he's very, very grateful for how much faith they had in him from an early age, giving him opportunities to run sales teams and move and get to experience new geographies and have really great experiences in such a phenomenally well-run company.  And then without going into too much detail, of course, his journey took him through a number of different industries, early days of ad tech, he worked for a long time as an equity sales and trading person at AllianceBernstein. He was lucky enough also to have some leadership positions, run sales teams internationally.  And then toward the last 10 years of his career, he had three Chief Revenue Officer roles in high growth technology companies where he really started to embrace being a leader who prided himself on installing a systematic data driven approach.  And toward the end of that decade, he decided he really wanted to do that as a consultant for a portfolio of companies so that he could be really working through various kind of company challenges in different industries with private equity firms as their partner. So, that's what brought him to where he is now.   About Bob's Book – Data and Diagnosis-Driven Selling and Three Overarching Themes That Can Help Organizations Enhance Customer Experience Me: Now, Bob, you wrote a book called Data and Diagnosis-Driven Selling: Leveraging insights, intelligence and the power of AI to deliver efficient, durable revenue growth with three other gentlemen, Mark Petruzzi, Ray Rike and Paul Melchiorre. So, could you take a minute to kind of just go through maybe three overarching themes that the book focuses on? And just how do you believe this can really help an organization to deliver a great customer experience? And I'd love for you to maybe segment it for us, because selling covers so many different areas. If you're selling to a business versus if you're selling to a customer….an individual, so maybe you could take one of those areas and kind of just break it down for us. And just give examples of what you wrote about in the book can really help teams that are in sales because sales is critical, it's a lifeline of any business. But how can the sales team really drive a quality customer experience that can drive to a high customer retention rate, because at the end of the day, that's really what all businesses are aiming for, as you're going to be able to keep your customers for life.   Bob shared that regarding who it's written for, it would really be for anyone selling to or trying to persuade a group of decision makers, so, usually an organization where a number of people contribute to a decision that is primarily in B2B sales. But if you find yourself in a position where you are trying to convince a town council to vote your way on a specific issue that's been a problem for the community or anything else where there are a group of people who need to kind of come together to make a decision, their book will help you.  And the way that it helps you is it lays out an approach that is not only proven by some of the most successful people in B2B sales, but it's also modern, utilizing the most high quality available B2B data. And they also talk about systems support, and AI as a tool that can help the modern salesperson navigate this very complex selling environment with multiple decisions in a tough time in the market, the macro environment is currently as complex as it's ever been. And being successful in sales at the moment is also as challenging and complex as it's ever been.   Me: So, I kind of wanted you also to maybe just go into, I would say, as I said, three overarching themes that the book focuses on. So, you mentioned AI and it's a very hot topic right across, I think, across the world, really, since it was introduced, especially since it's so accessible to everyone currently. But what does that really mean when you are selling to someone? Because at the end of the day, you're still dealing with human beings, so, what is the data really going to tell you? Or how is it going to help you to navigate that conversation? Because there has to be some human interaction, right? So, I kind of want you to walk us through that process.   Bob shared that the book talks about two different types of AI and it's really exciting because he doesn't think there is a sales book currently that, again, not only combines improving elements with AI and data approaches, but the two types of AI are generative AI, those would be systems like Chat GPT, who can help you create content in order to be compelling in a sales process. And predictive AI, technologies like and he'll use an example, Clari, which is a tool that helps sales teams understand which of their open sales opportunities have the highest probability of closing, based on a myriad of factors. So, they do get into really solid detail and they also have contributors in the book who are experts in various topics and tell stories about how they've used these tools successfully.   Me: So, that's excellent, very good explanation on the generative and predictive AI. Because I do believe that we throw toward around so much in different industries, especially in the customer experience industry, many people believe that artificial intelligence is going to replace human beings and we're all going to be obsolete and not worth any value anymore. But I'm not there yet. And I live in Kingston, Jamaica, where we use technology here a lot, but we are not going to get to that point anytime soon, definitely not in my lifetime where you're not going to need people because we are still a society that is heavily dependent on people interaction. For example, in our banks here, and I compare it to the United States all the time. The banks are still full, 50….40 people standing in the banks. I travelled to the US quite often and I go to different financial institutions, and they are empty, there's nobody physically standing in there, there are no lines lined up outside or people lined up inside. So, just in terms of the culture and the behaviour of people just don't believe that we're going to eliminate the people component in customer experience, because people still like to deal with people, right?   Bob agreed yes, absolutely. And it's funny because he does feel like and the way that they lay it out in the book, AI can put you in a position to have more and better live human interactions with the right audience, if used properly. It doesn't replace humans; it sets humans up to be the best version of themselves and optimize their approach every day.   Me: I love it. So, it's really supposed to help us to interact better, to get to decisions faster, to understand people's behaviours quicker, to find solutions that are more need based, because a lot of times salespeople sell you stuff, they're driven by the quotas that they need to meet, they're driven by the pressures that their organizations put on them. But when you match value to the experience that the person is having and are they really getting the right solution, a lot of times down the road when there is like let's say a survey that's being done, or some form of focus group, especially if they're losing customers over a period of time, you realize that it wasn't even the right solution that was given to the client, or it wasn't being managed the proper way. And I guess, if they had the right data from day one, and it was being provided in the right way, they wouldn't have lost the customer in the first place.   Bob stated yes, he couldn't agree more. The third theme of the book is utilizing simple data science in order to ensure that your sales approach is driven by your Ideal Customer Profile (IDP). And he'll just briefly state that as a sales leader, he had gotten frustrated by knowing that focusing on the ideal customer profile was the right thing and then defining that and making that approach data driven was impossible. It was a very distant and vague concept. But he believes that they own the very best definition now of what the ideal customer profile is and how to take that definition and identify score and rank specific prospects and clients that are the best match to that ideal customer profile and create an entire commercial approach with that as the foundation.   Me: All right, and what is the definition that you have identified in the book as your ideal customer profile?   Bob shared that it's basically utilizing firmographic traits to know what industry, what sub sector, what size of the company, how much it's growing, what web scraping tells you about a company, when you can build a model that identifies those common traits in your best customers, and utilize expert panels to ensure that the model has picked up on the right signals, that is the best way to create an ideal customer profile, and again, score and rank accounts. That's quite technical, but it's all in the book.   Me: Yes, agreed. And our listeners would have tapped into this episode, and they'd like to put their hands on your book, where can they find it?   Bob shared that the book, it's available in all the major outlets, but he will tell you, he's a huge fan of Amazon and is readily available on Amazon in softcover, hardcover, and they'll have an audio version available within three weeks of today (May 09. 2024).   Me: Oh, okay, that was actually going to be my next question. Do you have it available on Audible? And you better get used to this voice because it's 80% of the narration is done by him (Bob).    App, Website or Tool that Bob Absolutely Can't Live Without in His Business When asked about online resource that he cannot live without in his business, Bob shared ZoomInfo. ZoomInfo provides a backbone to a lot of the data work that they do at Revenue Vision Partners. And when they were in the marketplace to procure data assets, they did a thorough evaluation, they were convinced at the time and four plus years later, he continued to be convinced that ZoomInfo has the best B2B data available in the market.   Books that Have Had the Biggest Impact on Bob When asked about books that have had a great impact, Bob shared that he would say that far and away, Strategic Selling: The Unique Sales System Proven Successful by America's Best Companies by Robert B. Miller and Stephen Heiman is the number one book that has contributed to the way that he has approached sales since the early 90s. He feels it lays out the most logical and powerful and consistent approach or methodology for B2B sales.  What they tried to do with the new book is take methodologies like Strategic Selling, SPIN Selling, The Challenger Sale, and modernize the approach again with Data and Diagnosis and AI and build upon those methodologies.   What Bob is Really Excited About Now! When asked about something that he's excited about, Bob shared that in their firm right now, they're doing one of these ideal customer profile-based data projects for a very large, diversified industrial company who services about a dozen different end markets. They're a multi-billion-dollar organization, they've run a pilot in one of their key divisions and it's been a phenomenally successful data model.  And he's convinced that their are hundreds of salespeople are going to utilize their time better, they're going to sell bigger and better fit accounts, they're going to be more gratified in their jobs, the company's going to gain market share in a more consistent and repeatable way.  And it's thrilling to do that, because this was the promise that they built their company on, and this couldn't be a better group of humans to work with who he just wants to see them succeed for all the right reasons. So, he's so excited about this journey, they're just far enough along where there's proof that it's working and there's so much ahead of them in terms of their ability to empower them to succeed.   Me: All right, I'm excited too, just hearing all of the great opportunities that lie ahead.   Bob shared that in his tennis game, he feels like his backhand is really ready for summer.   Me: Do you play competitively, or do you just play for fun?   Bob stated that he plays intermediate competitively. So, he can be pretty terrible. He has a couple of great shots and feel really good about himself, but it's a blast.   Where Can We Find Bob Online LinkedIn – Bob Scarperi Company LinkedIn – Revenue Vision Partners Instagram – @bobbyscarp Website - www.revenuevisionpartners.com Facebook – Bob Scarperi   Quote or Saying that During Times of Adversity Bob Uses  When asked about a quote or saying that he tends to revert to, Bob shared that it's quite a long one, so, he's not going to quote the whole thing, but unless he takes up the rest of the time, but it is, The Man in the Arena, quote by Teddy Roosevelt.  And starting a business in one's middle age with lots of financial obligations, including three kids, two step-kids, etc…etc…has been a really bold decision and quite terrifying at times. And every time he wonders if he's done the right thing, he grounds himself in that amazing speech and always feel like he comes back to believing that he was born to do something bold and that living through terrifying entrepreneurial moments are part of that and the victories that one is lucky enough to experience when they make that brave and bold decision are that much sweeter than then any other career related victories in his life. Of course, his highest highs have to do with his kids, but that whole man in the arena concept keeps him going every day. “It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”    Me: So, we will have that full quote in the Show Notes of our episode, the Teddy Roosevelt quote, along with what you shared just now as it relates to kind of getting you back refocused on why you do what you do.   Bob shared that and if you saw the Tom Brady roast on Netflix, Matt Damon does a great job of narrating the entire thing.   Me: All right, Bob, thank you so much for jumping on our podcast today and sharing all these great insights as it relates to Diagnostic Selling and Data Driven Selling, as well as Artificial Intelligence and the ICP, it's all great information. I've started consuming a part of the content of the book, but I just believe I'd get so much more from the audible. So, I'm actually going to wait until it's released in the next three weeks to continue, I just believe I get so much more listening to it rather than reading it. But I would recommend for anyone that is a listener to our podcast to tap into this awesome resource that Bob and his team have so graciously given to us in the world, it's a great resource. And I believe that if we continue to try to find ways to add value to people's lives, create opportunities that you're really providing the solutions that your customers want, that will allow them to be your customer for life, through the techniques that you use to ensure that you are selling the right way, making the decisions the right way, your customer experience will take care of itself. So, thank you so much.   Please connect with us on X @navigatingcx and also join our Private Facebook Community – Navigating the Customer Experience and listen to our FB Lives weekly with a new guest   Links •     Data and Diagnosis-Driven Selling: Leveraging insights, intelligence and the power of AI to deliver efficient, durable revenue growth by Bob Scarperi •     Strategic Selling: The Unique Sales System Proven Successful by America's Best Companies by Robert B. Miller and Stephen Heiman    The ABC's of a Fantastic Customer Experience Grab the Freebie on Our Website – TOP 10 Online Business Resources for Small Business Owners  Do you want to pivot your online customer experience and build loyalty - get a copy of “The ABC's of a Fantastic Customer Experience.” The ABC's of a Fantastic Customer Experience provides 26 easy to follow steps and techniques that helps your business to achieve success and build brand loyalty. This Guide to Limitless, Happy and Loyal Customers will help you to strengthen your service delivery, enhance your knowledge and appreciation of the customer experience and provide tips and practical strategies that you can start implementing immediately! This book will develop your customer service skills and sharpen your attention to detail when serving others. Master your customer experience and develop those knock your socks off techniques that will lead to lifetime customers. Your customers will only want to work with your business and it will be your brand differentiator. It will lead to recruiters to seek you out by providing practical examples on how to deliver a winning customer service experience!

Buyer's are tired, frustrated and want to make a purchase decision, but they need help making sense of all the information and processes internally and externally.Guiding them, being a sherpa, helping them confidently make a decision is our role. Being empathetic to their situation of overwhelm and validating their feelings goes a long way.Connect with them to build trust, show your true desire to help over your desire to pitch and close the deal.Tune in where world renowned researcher, co-author of The Challenger Sale and The Challenger Customer and now Global Head of Research at Ecosystems Brent Adamson shares his knowledge and experience. He dives in  to what we should be doing as sales professionals to create a memorable experience for our buyers and the various dimensions to understand to align our solutionBrent's bio:"Brent Adamson is a world-renowned researcher, author, presenter, trainer, and advisor to B2B commercial executives around the world. Known as having the “biggest crystal ball in B2B sales,” Brent is the co-author of the best-selling, industry-changing The Challenger Sale and The Challenger Customer. He is also a frequent contributor to the Harvard Business Review, featuring his recent articles, “Sensemaking for Sales” and “Traditional B2B Sales and Marketing Are Becoming Obsolete.” Passionate about “productive disruption,” Brent served as the “chief storyteller” for CEB, now Gartner's, sales, marketing, and customer service practices, from 2003 to 2022, where he introduced industry-leading concepts such as Buyer Enablement, Sense-Making, and Customer Decision Confidence." (https://ecosystems.io/leadership/)Brent Adamson Shownotes00:49 Introducing Brent Adamson04:35 Welcome Brent!05:29 The Big picture: Buyer's Journey08:03 Navigating Systems10:10 "Socratic Guidance"11:48 Co-Creation, Intent, and Buy-In13:16 "As Diversity Increases, So Does Dysfunction"13:56 Brent's Breakdown15:11 Acknowledging Problems and Prioritizing Needs18:40 Adding Complexity and 5 Dimensons24:02 Leading with Understanding: Where are Buyers At?26:00 Empathy30:40 Guiding the Buyer 33:01 Expedient36:15 Reciprocity39:02 Leading with Ourselves: Acceptance and Insecurity42:36 Connecting to Your Purpose & Aligning Incentives46:30 Disarming and "Others-focused"47:22 Setting Yourself Apart: Show Up As A Human Being50:15 The Human Element: Showing Up with Your True Authentic Self52:45 Get In Touch with BrentGet In Touch with Brent AdamsonBrent's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brentadamson/ Ecosystems.io:https://ecosystems.io/Email Brent: badamson@ecosystems.ioFor more content like this, join hundreds of other subscribers to The K2 Sales Academy. Our subscription based on line sales training platform. $495/year unlocks the Fundamentals of Sales program with built in knowledge checks, resource folder with scripts, templates and checklists as well as regular webinars. 1:1 and group coaching packages available as well. To access our free one week Trial visit The K2 Sales Academy

This episode of Built to Sell Radio features Matt Dixon, author of the global bestseller, The Challenger Sale. Dixon became the de facto leader of the sales training world when Neil Rackham, author of "SPIN Selling," praised The Challenger Sale as "the most important advance in selling for many years.” If you're wondering how to get your people to sell as well as you do, this is your master class.

In today's episode, Brent Adamson and I explore what works and what doesn't work on sales teams, and Brent's ideas for how we should arm sales teams to go out and win in the market. My guest today is Brent Adamson, a researcher, author, presenter, and thinker with a passion for “productive disruption.”You will learn: * The origins of the Challenger Sale concept and how the term "challenger" refers to salespeople who teach customers about their industries and challenge their assumptions, rather than simply telling them what to do.* Challenging customers to think differently.* Customer context has changed radically in the last 10 years, making large-scale decisions more complex.* Why some customers are overwhelmed by internal complexity, information, inability to align on goals, marketing, conflicting messages, etc. * Why many marketers misunderstand the customer journey. * The supplier selection is a critical problem to solve, but often occurs after the sales side has already been solved for.* Helping customers feel more confident in their decision-making abilities, rather than simply presenting them with new information.* How the Challenger Sales approach involves both frame breaking and frame making, with the goal of helping customers navigate their own internal complexity and alignment with colleagues.* Understanding the buyer's journey. * Using value to demonstrate customer confidence, not the other way around.—If you want to skip ahead: (3:22) Sales research findings, including the Challenger Sale study. (6:12) Sales profiling, with a focus on the Challenger Sale approach. (11:31) Challenging customers to think differently. (14:27) Sales strategies. (18:05) How buying decisions have become more complex and involve more stakeholders, creating challenges for sellers. (23:04) Marketing strategies. (28:10) Navigating complex decision-making in business. (38:17) Customer confidence and alignment in B2B sales. —Connect with Brent Adamson on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brentadamson/ Get Brent's books from Amazon: https://amzn.to/3wlHOu4 —Connect with April Dunford and learn about practical positioning that accelerates marketing and sales: Work with April: https://www.aprildunford.com/contact April's newsletter: https://aprildunford.substack.com/ April's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aprildunford/ April's Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/aprildunford —Mentioned in this episode: * Brent Adamson and Matthew Dixon's book, The Challenger Sale: Taking Control of the Customer Conversation: https://amzn.to/3UsTcfG * Brent Adamson, Matthew Dixon, Pat Spenner, and Nick Toman's book, The Challenger Customer: Selling to the Hidden Influencer Who Can Multiply Your Results: https://amzn.to/3Ut41y2 * “Sensemaking for Sales,” Brent Adamson's article in The Harvard Business Review:

Jen Allen-Knuth is the Founder at DemandJen and is well renowned for her expertise in transforming sales strategies. Starting her career in account management, Jen pivoted to embrace the "challenger" sale approach, finding success in stirring constructive client conversations. Jen shares insights into reducing buyer effort, the importance of authenticity in sales, and strategic decision-making which will empowere and revolutionize your sales tactics and client interactions.Are you interested in leveling up your sales skills and staying relevant in today's AI-driven landscape? Visit www.jbarrows.com and let's Make It Happen together!Connect with John on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnbarrows/Connect with John on IG: https://www.instagram.com/johnmbarrows/Check out John's Membership: https://go.jbarrows.com/pages/individual-membership?ref=3edab1 Join John's Newsletter: https://www.jbarrows.com/newsletter-jbsalesConnect with Jen LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/demandjen1/Check out Jen's Website: https://linktr.ee/demandjen

تخلص من العرض الترويجي الممل وكن شريكًا لعميلك: كيف يمكن لنهج بيع تشالنجر أن يزيد مبيعاتك بشكل كبيرهل تشعر بأنك عالق في دائرة العروض العامة والتوقعات المترددة؟ هناك طريقة أفضل! تتعمق هذه الحلقة في إطار عمل Challenger Sale الثوري، والذي سيغير قواعد اللعبة بالنسبة لرواد الأعمال ومحترفي المبيعات.تعرف على كيفية التخلص من الأساليب المتعبة والتحول إلى مستشار موثوق به يقوم بتعليم المحادثة وتصميمها والتحكم فيها. اكتشف الخطوات القابلة للتنفيذ والأدوات القوية والأمثلة الملهمة لتنفيذ نهج Challenger Sale وتعزيز نجاح مبيعاتك.تابع واكتشف الأسرار لتصبح نجمًا في المبيعات!وصلات مهمةارسل استفسارك و تواصل معنا اليومسجل اليوم مجانا في برنامج من الفكرة الى الربحية 

In this episode, Troy sits down with Alyona Medelyan, the founder of Thematic, a thriving business with $5 million in revenue. Alyona shares her entrepreneurial journey and offers invaluable advice for small business owners aiming to scale their ventures. Tune in for actionable insights and inspiration from Alyona's remarkable success story. Why would you wait any longer to start living the lifestyle you signed up for? Balance your health, wealth, relationships and business growth. And focus your time and energy and make the most of this year. Let's get into it by clicking here. Troy delves into our guest's startup journey, their perception of success, industry reconsideration, and the pivotal stress point during business expansion. They discuss the joys of small business growth, vital entrepreneurial habits, and strategies for team building, encompassing wins, blunders, and invaluable advice. And a snapshot of the final five Grow A Small Business Questions: 1 .What do you think is the hardest thing in growing a small business? According to Alyona Medelyan, the hardest thing in growing a small business is prioritisation. She emphasises the importance of working on the right things and saying no to the wrong things, as there are many distractions that can divert focus from revenue and growth. 2. What's your favourite business book that has helped you the most? Alyona Medelyan's favourite business book that has helped her the most is "Challenger Sale." This book emphasises the importance of creating value for customers during the sales process and highlights the significance of teaching customers something new rather than just selling to them. 3. Are there any great podcasts or online learning resources you'd recommend to help grow a small business? Alyona Medelyan recommends several podcasts and online resources to help grow a small business. She suggests listening to "Y Combinator Podcasts," particularly "How to Start a Startup," which emphasises customer-centric approaches. Additionally, "Startups for the Rest of Us" offers insights into bootstrapping. For broader entrepreneurial journeys, she enjoys "How I Built This" with Guy Raz. 4. What tool or resource would you recommend to grow a small business? Alyona Medelyan recommends using a CRM (Customer Relationship Management) tool to grow a small business. Specifically, she suggests Pipedrive for its simplicity, affordability, and effectiveness in managing sales processes and customer relationships. 5. What advice would you give yourself on day one of starting out in business? On day one of starting out in business, Alyona Medelyan would advise herself to hire the best people for the job - the smartest and most knowledgeable individuals available. This emphasises the importance of assembling a talented team to drive the business forward from the outset. Book a 20-minute Growth Chat with Troy Trewin to see if you qualify for our upcoming course. Don't miss out on this opportunity to take your small business to new heights! Enjoyed the podcast? Please leave a review on iTunes or your preferred platform. Your feedback helps more small business owners discover our podcast and embark on their business growth journey. Quotable quotes from our special Grow A Small Business podcast guest: Listen to your customers, build, and everything else is a distraction – Alyona Medelyan   Building a kickass culture starts with spending time together, fostering empathy – Alyona Medelyan Learn by doing, test things out, and double down on what works – Alyona Medelyan  

This week on the Revenue Insights Podcast we are joined by Fractional CRO John Hammond. In this episode, Lee and John explore the 2024 B2B Sales Benchmark Report findings and discuss their own experiences of top performers, the current state of sales coaching, and how to effectively lead high performance teams. As a fractional Chief Revenue Officer, John works with a number of companies to maximize and drive their revenue growth. Currently he acts as Non Executive Director at Routefusion, Commercial & GTM Business Advisor at Duel Tech, and CEO of JHKL.

The sales profession has evolved, but one thing has remained the same: the power and importance of mentorship. Where sales leaders once learned in person from each other in unstructured meetings — office banter, going to lunch, connecting at conferences or networking events — many of today's professionals now work primarily from home. So how can we foster growth and success in today's sales leaders? The answer remains the same, but the execution looks a little different. Dan Dal Degan, operating executive at Marlin Equity Partners, is a skilled mentor with a strong commitment to returning the energy and input he received as an up-and-coming professional. In the last episode of Winning the Challenger Sale podcast before a hiatus, Andee and Dan reflect on how mentorship has evolved, where sales professionals should look for growth today, and the current (and future) state of the field. Join us as we discuss: Raising awareness of the sales professionThe new abundance of opportunities for mentorship and individual developmentThe direct roadmap of sales roles to leadership positions

Today, we are joined by Ted McKenna. Ted is co-author of the bestselling book The JOLT Effect: How High Performers Overcome Customer Indecision, and a founding partner of DCM Insights. He is an accomplished sales and customer experience researcher whose work has appeared in the pages of Harvard Business Review and a sought-after speaker and advisor to sales, business development, and customer experience teams around the world.  Prior to co-founding DCMi, Ted held numerous executive leadership positions in product, strategy, research, advisory, and enablement for Tethr, Russell Reynolds Associates, and CEB (now, a part of Gartner).  Ted is an expert in analyzing behaviours—of customers, doer-sellers, frontline sales & service agents, leaders, and board members—and applying analytics in various forms of content, products, and services. At Tethr, Ted worked on mining unstructured conversational data using advanced data science and leading AI/ML tools to build models, scores, and behavioural frameworks (the most well-known model is the Tethr Effort Index). Previous roles called for deploying syndicated research methods to mine more structured sources such as surveys, diagnostics, demographics, and jobs data (including research contained within the bestselling book, The Challenger Sale).  Ted holds a B.A. in Economics from the University of Iowa and resides with his family in the Chicago, Illinois area. 

In this episode, Lee and Jennie explore sales kickoffs, discussing how to make them engaging and effective as well as how to communicate business impact during them. They further dig into why sellers need to slow down during discussions with clients.

Today's guest is an influential thought leader, researcher, author, and advisor. Brent Adamson is the Co-Author of the best-selling book, The Challenger Sale along with The Challenger Customer. Brent and Host Matt Benelli discuss how to commit to coaching by making the time, what coaching really means, and why being supplier-agnostic is more important than being customer-centric.Takeaways:Although time is often cited as a reason for not coaching, this is reflexive. Coaching is a necessity for improved sales performance and higher engagement, especially among the core performers. The impact of coaching varies with the performance level of the individuals being coached. Core performers show the most significant performance improvement as a result of effective coaching, while top performers evidence greater engagement. Care should be taken to further coach low performers on possible performance obstacles. The most effective way to boost sales lies not in changing buyers' opinions about the company, but in enhancing their confidence in their decision-making process. Empathy and humility are imperative to effective leadership and coaching. This human-centered approach to management allows for more effective coaching and an increased level of trust between managers and their team members.The concept of "Frame Making" helps customers make sense of all the information coming at them. Instead of just providing more insights or content, the focus should be on helping the customers fit all the information into a clear, holistic view that can guide their decisions.The most effective sales approach is not to focus on how customers see the suppliers but lets the customer make decisions that work best for them. It's about leading to the supplier, not with the supplier.Quote of the Show:“We're all just humans” - Brent AdamsonLinks:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brentadamson/ Website: https://www.brentadamson.net/ The Challenger Sale: https://a.co/d/fPv2tlF The Challenger Customer: https://a.co/d/5fflIvQ Shoutouts: Linda RichardsonMatt DixonTed McKennaThe Jolt EffectHank BarnesWays to Tune In:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0Yb1wPzUxyrfR0Dx35ym1A Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/coach2scale-how-modern-leaders-build-a-coaching-culture/id1699901434 Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy50cmFuc2lzdG9yLmZtL2NvYWNoMnNjYWxlLWhvdy1tb2Rlcm4tbGVhZGVycy1idWlsZC1hLWNvYWNoaW5nLWN1bHR1cmU Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/fd188af6-7c17-4b2e-a0b2-196ecd6fdf77 Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/coach2scale-how-modern-leaders-5419703 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Coach2Scale CoachEm™ is the first Coaching Execution Platform that integrates deep learning technology to proactively analyze patterns, highlight the "why" behind the data with root causes, and identify the actions that will ultimately improve business results going forward.  These practical coaching recommendations for managers will help their teams drive more deals, bigger deals, faster deals and loyal customers. Built with decades of go-to-market experience, world-renowned data scientists and advanced causal AI/ML technology, CoachEm™ leverages your existing tech stack to increase rep productivity, increase retention, and replicate best practices across your team.Learn more at coachem.io

In this episode of Tech Sales Insights, Randy Seidl is joined by Matt Dixon, the founding partner at DCM Insights, to delve into the captivating world of Challenger sales and explore the profound insights from Matt's latest book, "The Jolt Effect: How High Performers Overcome Customer Indecision." They discuss the evolution of sales strategies, the impact of the pandemic on decision-making, and the crucial moments that define successful sales interactions.KEY TAKEAWAYSChallenger Sales Evolution: Understand the genesis of Challenger sales during the global financial crisis and its continued relevance in transforming sales approaches.The Jolt Effect: Explore the story behind Matt's latest research, which unravels the challenges of customer indecision, particularly after initial interest, and how high performers navigate this critical phase.Sales in the Virtual World: Examine the shift to virtual sales environments, accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, and the unique opportunities and challenges it presents.The Two Acts of Sales: Recognize that sales is a two-act play — first, sparking customer interest and then addressing the indecision that arises after the initial commitment.Overcoming Overloads: Dive into the three major sources of indecision - too many options, information overload, and expectations overload - and learn how top performers navigate these challenges.Decision-Making in a Downturn: Explore how the current business landscape, including economic uncertainties and the aftermath of the SaaS reckoning, contributes to heightened indecision among customers.Startup Challenges: Discuss the difficulties faced by startups in breaking into the market due to a lack of track record, customer references, and airtight ROI guarantees.QUOTES"Sales is really a two-act play. The first act is getting the customer interested, answering the 'why change' question. The second act is dealing with the cold feet moment in the sale, navigating indecision after initial interest.""The best salespeople excel at putting their figurative arm around the customer's shoulders, instilling confidence, and saying, 'You're making a great decision. We've got your back.'""We're doing this to ourselves - offering more options, information overload, and ambitious promises. These amplify customer indecision, making even normally decisive people behave indecisively."Find out more about Matt Dixon through the links below:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewxdixon/This episode of Tech Sales Insights is brought to you by: Sales Community: https://www.salescommunity.com/Sandler: https://www.sandler.com/

Join us for one of our most exciting episodes yet, as we welcome Brent Adamson to the Sales Code Leadership Podcast. Brent is a globally recognized researcher, author, presenter, trainer, and advisor to B2B commercial executives worldwide, is celebrated for possessing the "biggest crystal ball in B2B sales."Co-author of the groundbreaking The Challenger Sale and The Challenger Customer, Brent is a frequent contributor to reputable business publications like the Harvard Business Review. His recent articles, "Sensemaking for Sales" and "Traditional B2B Sales and Marketing Are Becoming Obsolete," showcase his expertise.Over the past 19 years, Brent has had the honor of collaborating with leading thought leaders in both B2B and B2C sales and marketing. He has adeptly built and led exclusive communities of highly progressive commercial executives.Recognized as a world-class facilitator and speaker, Brent has addressed tens of thousands of commercial leaders globally, presenting to diverse audiences, from executive leadership teams to large keynote gatherings, both in-person and virtually.The podcast is brought to you by Sales Code, a MEDDICC MEDIA production, helping revenue leaders unlock added value in B2B SaaS sales teams. Your views on our podcast are always welcome, as well as any questions you might have for our podcast guests.Connect with the show host Kevin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinthiele/

Is your sales team performing at their best? Do your sales managers have the right skills for the role? Are you following the best approach when hiring new salespeople? If your answer to any if these questions is no, or even hesitation, this episode of The Melting Pot should be a compulsory listen for you today. This week we have the immense pleasure of listening to and learning from Matt Dixon, one of the world's leading experts on sales, customer service and customer experience. Matt is also the founding partner of DCM Insights. With a background in research, he brings a distinctive approach to understanding customer buying behaviours and the strategies top salespeople employ to meet evolving needs. Matt's extensive tenure at corporate executive board and his bestselling book The Challenger Sale firmly establish him as a leading figure in sales expertise. His unique persona as a "sales anthropologist" offers valuable insights into the scientific and psychological aspects of successful selling, making him a highly sought-after thought leader in the industry. In this episode, Matt dives into the best approaches to getting top talent in your sales team and the difference between a great salesperson and a great sales manager. He also shares why coaching is for him the most important trait of a sales manager. Then, he gives his own view on paying your salespeople commission, how to help your buyer overcome their ‘fear of messing out', challenging the status quo and making the right decision. If you are running a business, or you are in sales – even if you're not in sales and you run a company – or if you're frustrated and you want things in your business to run differently, this episode is for you. Download and listen to learn more. On today's podcast: Mastering sales strategies to engage customers effectively.How to attract the right talent to your sales team. Why the obsession with paying commissions to sales teams?Dealing with customer indecision during the sales processEffective sales techniques to address emotional factors and drive sales. Follow Matt Dixon:LinkedInDCM InsightsThe Challenger SaleThe Effortless ExperienceThe Challenger CustomerThe Jolt EffectBook recommendations:SPIN selling

"Taking Control of the Customer Conversation"

Physicians can't be expected to know everything while they're tirelessly doing what they trained their whole lives to do – save lives. That's where world-renowned researcher Brent Adamson, co-author of bestselling books The Challenger Sale and The Challenger Customer, comes in. In this encore episode, sponsored by Alpha Sophia, Brent shares how the role of salespeople continues to change. In the interview, we discuss how salespeople can close more deals simply by making it easier for the customers to understand all available options more clearly, the layers behind decision-making that impacts sales, and the dimensions of struggle that every customer struggles with. Join us for more on: How sales reps can differentiate themselves by providing more clarity How to provide customers with the confidence to make decisions Buying group alignment and how it impacts sales The dimensions of struggle for customers and how to overcome them Knowing a customer's business better than they do Resources from this episode:  Get the free MedTech Talk Tracks for Action  Alpha Sophia Brent's Breakdown Customer Value Community Challenger Sale Challenger Customer Social Media:  Connect with Brent on LinkedIn Connect with Zed on LinkedIn Connect with Clark on LinkedIn  

Matt Dixon is the Founding Partner of DCM Insights, and co-author of four of the most important sales and customer experience books of the past twenty years, including The Challenger Sale and his latest book, The JOLT Effect: How High Performers Overcome Customer Indecision. He's also the guest on one of our most popular episodes! In this encore episode, sponsored by Alpha Sophia, Matt breaks down concepts from his books, reveals how fear of failure is a sidekick to status quo bias, and how FOMO is a valuable sales tactic for some and a scare tactic for others. We also discuss the overwhelming number of sales lost to no decision and attempt to understand the reasons behind it. In this episode, we also discuss: The 3 ways to revisit the status quo objection The Pain of Same vs The Pain of Change Error of Omission vs Error of Co-mission How FOMO tactics actually backfire in certain cases The two drivers of no-decision losses Shifting from a salesperson to a buyer's agent Resources from this episode:  Get the free MedTech Talk Tracks for Action  Alpha Sophia The Jolt Effect: How High Performers Overcome Customer Indecision The Challenger Sale Social Media:  Connect with Matt on LinkedIn Connect with Zed on LinkedIn Connect with Clark on LinkedIn

Get ready for some serious sales wisdom as Tom, Brandon and Carson sit down with Matt Dixon, the brilliant mind behind "The Challenger Sale" and "The Jolt Effect," to dissect the seismic shifts in B2B sales and the rise of social selling. This episode is a masterclass in overcoming the silent sales-killer: customer indecision. It's not just another pitch; it's the unveiling of a groundbreaking approach that moves past fear, uncertainty, and doubt, to instead embrace strategies that challenge the norm. Have you ever faced the frustration of a deal slipping through your fingers, not due to a competitor's edge, but because of your client's sudden cold feet? Our conversation with Matt dives into the psychological maze that traps customers in indecision, as we dissect the tactics that top sales performers use to guide clients through their inertia. We're pulling back the curtain on the sales process, sharing proven strategies to engage and lead clients from a standstill to the satisfaction of a sealed deal.  As we explore the varying landscapes of sales environments, Matt equip syou with the tools to cut through indecision, echoing back client concerns to illuminate their true needs. This conversation is more than just a discussion; it's a strategic playbook designed to empower you to transform indecision into action across any sales terrain. Join us for an episode that could redefine your sales approach and help you chart a course to success with the confidence of a seasoned navigator.

Throughout 2023, businesses experienced tightening budgets, layoffs, increasing numbers of stakeholders, longer deal cycles — yet expectations remain as high as ever. Nader Pishdad, principal executive advisor at Challenger, joins Challenger CEO Andee Harris to dive into trendand hypotheses for the coming year from both buyers and sellers — and what to expect as the sales world continues to evolve.As we close out with Winning the Challenger Sale podcast's final episode of the year, we take a look back at lessons learned and how we can use those lessons to shape 2024. We discuss:What sellers can expect in the coming months regarding buyer preference, economic navigation, and technological innovationThe effect of AI on sales trends, efficiency, and account retention and growthThe importance of post-sale structure (and how it can make your business stronger)

How does AI redefine customer success and sales strategies? Tune in as Matt Dixon, author of ‘The Challenger Sale', unveils the transformative journey of customer feedback and experience.Matt Dixon is the founding partner of DCM Insights and author of The Challenger Sale and The Effortless Experience.Matt kicks things off by sharing with us his journey as a “customer experience anthropologist.” We delve into his books, with a specific focus on their key themes and the importance of comprehending customer preferences.We explore the impact of technology, specifically AI, on reshaping sales strategies. Matt explains how AI has transformed sales data analysis, enabling predictive customer insights and real-time feedback.The discussion shifts to the significance of real-time data in predicting customer satisfaction and the challenges traditional survey methods pose. Matt advocates for a new approach, emphasizing the importance of using unstructured data.To wrap things up we explore the correlation between employee experience and customer satisfaction, emphasizing the need for companies to focus on both. Matt provides valuable advice on tools that can improve the employee experience so make sure to watch till the end!If you enjoyed this episode, please be sure to rate our show on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Subscribe Now: https://www.youtube.com/@ExpertsofExperience?sub_confirmation=1 Imagine running your business with a trusted advisor who has your success top of mind. That's what it's like when you have a Salesforce Success Plan. With the right plan, Salesforce is with you through every stage of your journey — from onboarding, to realizing business outcomes, to driving efficient growth.Learn more about what's possible on the Salesforce success plan website: sfdc.co/SalesforceCustomerSuccess (00:00) Preview and Introduction(00:32) Unpacking Matt Dixon's Career & Books(03:52) From Traditional Research to AI-Driven Analysis(07:15) The Future of AI in Sales and Customer Insights(11:47) Four Major Roles of AI in Sales(16:07) Unstructured Data & Predictive Survey Scores(24:15) The Impact of Real-Time Coaching(26:26) Evolving Sales Methods & Customer Metrics(34:58) Exploring Customer & Employee Experience(41:50) CX Tools For Better Customer Experience

Recently, Mark was a guest on Andy Paul's The Win Rate Podcast. Joining Andy for the roundtable discussion today are Richard Harris, Founder of the Harris Consulting Group, Mark Cox, Founder of In the Funnel Sales Coaching and host of The Selling Well Podcast, and Matt Dixon, Wall Street Journal best selling co author of The Challenger Sale, The Effortless Experience, The Challenger Customer, and his new book, The Jolt Effect. They begin by discussing some of the best ways to offer value to clients, the role of technology in enhancing sales, the challenge of being constantly pitched by vendors and the lack of interest in product details, and they propose a "common sense revolution in sales," where the focus is on improving clients' businesses. They challenge both traditional sales training methods, and current compensation structures, and argue that ROI is more crucial than simply offering a cheaper price. The group turns its focus to the essential skill of asking open-ended questions, which can separate the best sellers from the rest, the significance of listening and truly understanding the client's pain points in their specific context, how to earn the right to ask questions, and being one step ahead and adaptable to shifting buyer behavior.Connect with Richard, Matt, and Mark.  Connect with Mark Cox https://www.inthefunnel.com/ https://ca.linkedin.com/in/markandrewcox https://www.facebook.com/inthefunnel markcox@inthefunnel.com SPECIAL OFFER for our Listeners! Check out the In The Funnel Sales Academy for B2B salespeople, sales leaders and entrepreneurs and recieve 50% off your first month on any of our subscriptions. Go to https://www.sellingwell.com/podcast and use the promo code: PODCAST Call to Action In the Funnel Sales Workshop Free Sales Tools How to Listen: Subscribe on Apple Podcasts Listen on Spotify

Joining Andy for the roundtable discussion today are Richard Harris, Founder of the Harris Consulting Group, Mark Cox, Founder of In the Funnel Sales Coaching and host of The Selling Well Podcast, and Matt Dixon, Wall Street Journal best selling co author of The Challenger Sale, The Effortless Experience, The Challenger Customer, and his new book, The Jolt Effect. They begin by discussing some of the best ways to offer value to clients, the role of technology in enhancing sales, the challenge of being constantly pitched by vendors and the lack of interest in product details, and they propose a "common sense revolution in sales," where the focus is on improving clients' businesses. They challenge both traditional sales training methods, and current compensation structures, and argue that ROI is more crucial than simply offering a cheaper price. The group turns its focus to the essential skill of asking open-ended questions, which can separate the best sellers from the rest, the significance of listening and truly understanding the client's pain points in their specific context, how to earn the right to ask questions, and being one step ahead and adaptable to shifting buyer behavior.Connect with Richard, Matt, and MarkHost Andy Paul is the expert on modern B2B selling and author of three best-selling, award-winning sales books, including his latest Sell Without Selling Out. Visit andypaul.com to subscribe to his newsletter for even more strategies and tips to accelerate your win rate!Thank you to our sponsors:AllegoClozdCognism

Sponsored by TrackableMed How often do we hear people say the customer is always right? While the idea behind the phrase goes a long way, do your customers really know what's best for their practice? It seems like there's a new product or solution every day. Physicians can't be expected to know everything while they're tirelessly doing what they trained their whole lives to do – save lives. That's where world-renowned researcher Brent Adamson comes in. He's the co-author of bestselling books The Challenger Sale and The Challenger Customer, and joins us on this episode, sponsored by TrackableMed, to share how the role of salespeople continues to change. In the interview, we discuss how salespeople can close more deals simply by making it easier for the customers to understand all available options more clearly, the layers behind decision-making that impacts sales, and the dimensions of struggle that every customer struggles with. Join us for more on: How sales reps can differentiate themselves by providing more clarity How to provide customers with the confidence to make decisions Buying group alignment and how it impacts sales The dimensions of struggle for customers and how to overcome them Knowing a customer's business better than they do Resources from this episode:  Get the free MedTech Talk Tracks for Action Brent's Breakdown Customer Value Community Challenger Sale Challenger Customer Social Media:  Connect with Brent on LinkedIn Connect with Zed on LinkedIn Connect with Clark on LinkedIn

Jennifer Allen is formerly Chief Evangelist of Challenger and now Head of Community Growth at Lavender. She's joining me today, along with my occasional co-host, Howard Brown, founder and CEO of Revenue.io. Jennifer discusses the psychology of no-decision and why buyers who choose the status quo are actually making a decision, just not the one you want. She also gives an introduction to the Challenger Sale and the 5 sales mindsets they discovered, as well as gives tips on what sellers can do to ensure a buyer actually makes a buying decision. Jennifer also talks about The Challenger Loop to get quick feedback from the customer about what went right and wrong in the deal. HIGHLIGHT QUOTES A better product does NOT convince a buyer to make a decision- Jennifer: "[Better] is my least favorite word in sales now because I think it's the number one word that led to a lot of my status quo, no decision deals because what I failed to realize is people don't always want better. Like, good, in most cases, especially in markets like this, is damn good enough." Show the buyer the cost of action - Jennifer: "One of the most eye-opening experiences is my job as a seller is not to show why it's better. My job is to show the cost of an action. What is the cost of the status quo before I ever start going off about what I have to offer and what that looks like." ROI is not compelling enough to move away from the status quo - Jennifer: "I would talk about here's the ROI of changing; it's 15 times ROI. Guess who else is saying that? Every other vendor competing for that dollar. It means almost nothing. And I'm not saying there's not a time and place for ROI, but compelling a business to exit the status quo is incredibly difficult. And just like the doctor's example, they need to feel that the risk of staying the same is actually far greater than the risk of change." Find out more about Jennifer in the link(s) below: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferallen1121/ More on Andy: Connect on LinkedIn Get Andy's new book "Sell Without Selling Out" on Amazon Learn more at AndyPaul.com Sponsored by: Revenue.io | Unlock exponential growth with an AI-powered RevOps platform | Revenue.io Scratchpad | The fastest way to update Salesforce, take sales notes, and stay on top of to-dos | Scratchpad.com Blueboard | World's leading experiential rewards & recognition platform | Blueboard.com Explore the Revenue.io Podcast Universe: Sales Enablement Podcast Selling with Purpose Podcast RevOps Podcast