Podcasts about transparency sale

We start off our 2024 wrap-up with our #5 most downloaded episode of the year with... Todd Caponi! Todd Caponi is the author of the Transparency Sale. He is a self-described sales history nerd, and in this episode he explains the value of candid, transparent selling.    Get a copy of the Transparency Sale: https://www.amazon.com/Transparency-Sale-Unexpected-Understanding-Transform/dp/1940858801     This episode is sponsored by Equity Business Solutions. Do you want to make sense of the numbers for your business? From equity, to liabilities and assets, to understanding cash flow... sometimes you need an expert.    Go to EquityBusinessSolutionsLLC.com and get value beyond the numbers.   If you like the episode, feel free to subscribe or follow the podcast for more content. We also have a Patreon where you can support the podcast at Patreon.com/GoodAdvice.   Interested in advertising on the show? Reach out via blake@goodadvicecoaching.com. 

Send us a textIn today's episode, we welcome Todd Caponi, a celebrated author and sales leader, who joins us to unravel the profound intersection of professional success and family life.   Thanks to Keith Weightman for introducing us to Todd to make today's episode happen.  Also, we should give some love to last week's guest (Matt Green), a sales nerd like Todd and me.Todd's personal anecdotes reveal the unique challenges and rewards of homeschooling his children alongside his wife, while maintaining an influential career in sales leadership. Todd's reflections on his father's charismatic influence in sales and his mother's recent passing bring a personal depth to our exploration of how family shapes one's approach to life and leadership.Todd does a fantastic job in our conversation as he elaborates on the intrinsic link between transparency in sales and authenticity at home. Learn how embracing vulnerability and setting clear expectations can transform both customer relationships and parenting. In a candid chat, Todd highlights the quirky, enduring skills he picked up from his parents and how these have informed his transparent approach in both his personal life and career. Discover Todd's passionate advocacy for transparency, a theme that not only permeates his bestselling books, "The Transparency Sale" and "The Transparent Sales Leader," but also guides his interactions with his children.This episode promises inspiration for anyone striving to balance leadership roles at work with equally demanding roles at home. Todd's insights on the decision science of sales, coupled with the life lessons from a parent's perspective, offer a roadmap for fostering genuine connections whether in a business deal or a family setting. With a dash of humor, Todd also shares lighter moments—from humorous sales anecdotes to his culinary adventures—adding a relatable dimension to his expertise. Tune in to discover how Todd Caponi turns the art of transparency into a life philosophy that resonates with sales professionals, parents, and leaders everywhere.Please don't forget to leave us a review wherever you consume your podcasts! Please help us get more dads to listen weekly and become the ultimate leader of their homes!

“True salesmanship is the science of service. Grasp that thought firmly and never lose grip.” Arthur Sheldon 1903 Todd Caponi is the author of the 3x best-book-award-winning and international best-seller, The Transparency Sale, and his new bestselling book, The Transparent Sales Leader. Todd is a multi-time C-Level sales leader, a behavioural science and sales history nerd, and has guided two companies to successful exits. He now speaks and teaches revenue organizations and their leaders on leveraging transparency and decision science to maximize their revenue capacity as President of Sales Melon. We talk about what the importance of honesty and transparency in sales and what we can learn from sales historians. We also talk about the demise of the sales profession and what history got right and we've got wrong. Todd is now an avid sales historian and collects and buys early 1900s sales magazines and catalogues that drive his poor wife and space in his home crazy. I'll leave the last words to Arthur Dunn in 1919 (Scientific Selling & Advertising) who Todd refers to: “If the truth won't sell it, don't sell it.” Wise words indeed. Enjoy this one, especially if you're a history buff and love great quotes. It's a goodie and packed with them! To connect with Todd and buy his brilliant books: ⁠https://toddcaponi.com/⁠ To follow Todd on Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/saleshistorian/ To subscribe to his podcast: ⁠ Apple⁠: https://shorturl.at/OiBWu Spotify: https://shorturl.at/Elh1I +++ Want to make more rural sales? Get your FREE copy of “How To Succeed In Rural Sales” Ebook here: www.ruralsalessuccess1.com/ebook Connect with or Follow me on LinkedIn: nz.linkedin.com/in/stjohncraner Subscribe to my weekly rural sales email (which goes out to 3500+ rural sales professionals worldwide) here: bit.ly/3voaPS7 To join our private Facebook Group where we share a ton of free rural sales and lead generation tools almost daily join here: www.facebook.com/groups/285326399207141/ For details on our training programmes you can check out what we do for sales teams with our Rural Sales Success™ programme here (www.ruralsalessuccess1.com/programme-invitation) or for managers with our Rural Sales Manager Mastery™ programme here (www.ruralsalessuccess1.com/programme-invitation) For more on us, what we do and who we work with: www.ruralsalessuccess.com / www.agrarian.co.nz

Todd Caponi is one of the most downloaded guests in the history of this podcast. Todd first joined the show to share the power of transparency in sales. He rejoined a couple of years later to share his insights around the power of transparency in sales leadership. And today Todd shines the power of transparency in a crucial element of any sales process: Negotiations. Todd shares how we DON'T have to act like a hostage negotiator to get a deal done and why it is important to remember that the negotiation process shouldn't turn a partnering relationship into an adversarial one. Todd provides every leader with a framework you can use to transform how you negotiate so a completed deal leaves your clients inspired rather than relieved that it is over in an episode you will want to share with every member of your team. You can connect with Todd on LinkedIn here (https://www.linkedin.com/in/toddcaponi/). You can check out Todd's first book, the Transparency Sale here (https://amzn.to/2BxenrF). You can check out Todd's second book, the Transparent Sales Leader here (https://www.amzn.com/1646870646). You can subscribe to Todd's newsletter here (http://transparentnewsletter.com/). You can check out Todd's Podcast, the Sales History Podcast here. (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-sales-history-podcast/id1571354113) You can learn more about Todd and what he does for Sales Teams here. (http://www.toddcaponi.com/) For video excerpts of this and other episodes of the Sales Leadership Podcast, check out Sales Leadership United Here. (https://www.salesleadershipunited.com)

In this episode, host Jay Schwedelson interviews Todd Caponi, the founder of Sales Melon, best-selling author, and sales expert. They discuss the importance of transparency in sales, how to guide customers through the buying process, and how to negotiate effectively.===================================Best Moments:(01:39) Todd Caponi's background and how he became interested in sales and behavioral science(03:35) The importance of negative reviews and how they can actually increase sales(08:36) Advice on how to approach the sales process and guide customers through the buying journey(11:37) The importance of giving salespeople leeway in negotiating and providing a "toolbox" for closing deals(15:54) Todd's favorite movies and books about sales===================================Guest Bio:Todd Caponi is the founder of Sales Melon, a best-selling author of The Transparency Sale, and the host of the "Sales History Nerd" podcast. He has held seven different sales leadership roles, including a $3 billion exit to Salesforce in 2013. Caponi is an expert in sales and behavioral science, and he is passionate about helping businesses sell more effectively by embracing transparency and guiding customers through the buying process.===================================Try Thryv For $1?!?Click HERE to get this $1 offer for 1 month using Thryv's Business Center!

Send us a Text Message.In the January 1918 edition of Business Philosopher Magazine, a story by William W. Woodbridge was printed. It's the story of a down-and-out salesperson, John Bradford, who essentially fired himself! It's a story of getting right with yourself. I fell in love with it, and wanted to share it with you."Bradford, you're fired!"@saleshistorian on Instagram - daily quotes, pics & comics from the past@saleshistorian on X - daily quotes, pics & comics from the pastThe Transparent Sales Leader - The book on revenue leadership includes several quotes and lessons from past sales.The Transparency Sale - the first book, (ironically) named one of the top 100 sales books of all time.Support the Show.

Todd Caponi—renowned sales historian, keynote speaker, sales & leadership trainer, and author of "The Transparency Sale" and "The Transparent Sales Leader" joins John Barrows as they dive deep into sales history, transparency, and problem-solving. They discuss the importance of authenticity, the impact of historical sales philosophies, and actionable strategies for modern selling.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 Todd on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/toddcaponi/Check out Todd's Website: toddcaponi.com

Send us a Text Message.The beginnings of the modern sales profession (1890-1920) were associated with trust, respect, and even admiration. 100 years later, the sales profession sits at the bottom of Gallup's annual listings of ethical professions...along with politicians. What happened? Where did it all go wrong?I put my finger on it. In this episode, I diagnose the specific period where it all went bad, explore the many justifications and debates around high-pressure versus low-pressure selling, and why we may still have hope to return to those trusted roots.@saleshistorian on Instagram - daily quotes, pics & comics from the past@saleshistorian on X - daily quotes, pics & comics from the pastThe Transparent Sales Leader - The book on revenue leadership includes several quotes and lessons from past sales.The Transparency Sale - the first book, (ironically) named one of the top 100 sales books of all time.Support the Show.

Send us a Text Message.Some individuals from sales history moved mountains - and nobody knows about them today! This time, I wanted to highlight one from the 1970s & 1980s - Barbara Pletcher. She noticed a void in the development of women for the boardroom, and it started with sales skills. I found her story really compelling. The way she thought about raising the bar for all is brilliant. Here's her story...@saleshistorian on Instagram - daily quotes, pics & comics from the past@saleshistorian on X - daily quotes, pics & comics from the pastThe Transparent Sales Leader - The book on revenue leadership includes several quotes and lessons from past sales.The Transparency Sale - the first book, (ironically) named one of the top 100 sales books of all time.Support the Show.

We are joined by Todd Caponi, a sales leader and the mind behind The Transparency Sale and The Transparent Sales Leader. Todd dives deep into his unique strategies for building successful sales teams through transparent methodologies and data-driven strategy.Discover the power of embracing losses as learning opportunities, leveraging structured frameworks to maximize revenue, and the importance of understanding customer behaviors. Todd also highlights the need for effective CRM tools and a data-driven approach to ensure long-term success in sales leadership.Episode Highlights:00:21 Meet Todd Caponi01:37 The Power of Transparency in Sales02:46 Implementing a Sales Framework04:25 Understanding and Leveraging Reviews09:40 Qualifying Opportunities and Pipeline Management20:52 The Five F's of Maximizing Revenue24:18 Building a Predictable Sales Culture25:00 The Importance of CRM in Sales28:34 Overcoming CRM Challenges43:15 Leveraging Customer InsightsAbout our guest:Todd Caponi is a celebrated sales leader, speaker, and author of the award-winning bestseller The Transparency Sale. His latest book, The Transparent Sales Leader, delves into how transparency and decision science can enhance sales performance. Having led two companies to successful exits, Todd now leads Sales Melon LLC, where he teaches revenue organizations how to maximize capacity. Additionally, he hosts "The Sales History Podcast," where he shares insights on the evolution of the sales profession.Connect with Todd on LinkedIn and visit toddcaponi.com for more!Level-up your field sales strategy at mapmycustomers.com

Send us a Text Message.The way we live today wasn't defined just via the invention itself. Things like the steam engine, telegraph, reaper, highways, the telephone, the automobile...and just about every other revolutionary advancement was met with extreme skepticism. They all HAD TO BE SOLD.  The incredible inventors had to be ingenious salespeople, too. Here are their stories. In this episode, which I really enjoyed researching, I take you through the stories of so many things we just assume have always been around - and must have sold themselves...but didn't. @saleshistorian on Instagram - daily quotes, pics & comics from the past@saleshistorian on X - daily quotes, pics & comics from the pastThe Transparent Sales Leader - The book on revenue leadership includes several quotes and lessons from past sales.The Transparency Sale - the first book, (ironically) named one of the top 100 sales books of all time.Support the Show.

Send us a Text Message.The early 1900s were made up of the foundation layers for our great profession. Incredible ideas. Great Writing. Things we all use still today. However, there were a few odd ideas out there, too. Here's a collection of ten of those odd quotes on everything from bowel movements, your thyroid, and your ability to fight that made up these fine individuals' thoughts around what led to success in sales.@saleshistorian on Instagram - daily quotes, pics & comics from the past@saleshistorian on X - daily quotes, pics & comics from the pastThe Transparent Sales Leader - The book on revenue leadership, which includes several quotes and lessons from sales' past.The Transparency Sale - the first book, (ironically) named one of the top 100 sales books of all time.Support the Show.

This episode dissects prospecting from 50 to 120 years ago...discussing five key elements:1) The origins of the word "prospecting" as it relates to sales2) The mindset - quality prospecting over simply focusing on metrics and scale3) Metrics and prospecting quotes - the counterpoint of above in terms of working backwards to determine how many prospects you have to reach out to to hit your numbers4) The use of the telephone in prospecting - some initial thoughts on multi-channel versus a reliance on the tool5) Data around the number of touches it takes to develop a prospectThere's nothing new in the world of sales, except for the history you do not know. @saleshistorian on Instagram - daily quotes, pics & comics from the past@saleshistorian on X - daily quotes, pics & comics from the pastThe Transparent Sales Leader - The book on revenue leadership, which includes several quotes and lessons from sales' past.The Transparency Sale - the first book, (ironically) named one of the top 100 sales books of all time.Support the Show.

We've heard it all before - the "death of" this, and the "demise of" that as it relates to the sales profession. Everything is dead, right? Well, like so many other sales-related things, this concept isn't new, either. Experts have been casting the profession and its elements to the grave since the early 1900s. In today's episode, I share multiple times when the sales profession was theoretically on its deathbed - and why it not only survived but thrived. I also take you through why things that work, specifically the "service mindset", disappear and then reappear to help us through troubled times.@saleshistorian on Instagram - daily quotes, pics & comics from the past@saleshistorian on Twitter - daily quotes, pics & comics from the pastThe Transparent Sales Leader - my newest book which includes several quotes and lessons from sales' past.The Transparency Sale - the first book, (ironically) named one of the top 100 sales books of all time.Support the Show.

Let's explore sales discounting…it's history, commentary, and why we haven't been able to break this terrible habit. It's a problem that's as prominent and as recognized today as it was in the early 1900s. @saleshistorian on Instagram - daily quotes, pics & comics from the past@saleshistorian on Twitter - daily quotes, pics & comics from the pastThe Transparent Sales Leader - my newest book which includes several quotes and lessons from sales' past.The Transparency Sale - the first book, (ironically) named one of the top 100 sales books of all time.Support the Show.

Revolutionizing sales with authenticity and historical wisdom w/ Sales Historian, Todd Caponi.  Is transparency in sales really that counterintuitive? In this episode Mark and Todd seek to bridge the gap between the time-tested tenets of honest salesmanship and practical application in today's high-pressure sales environments. Mark and Todd discuss the pitfalls of "stuffing the pipeline" and advocate for a  shift in management that celebrates authenticity and prioritizes customer service over mere numbers. In addition to fascinating historical tidbits, Todd shares personal experiences on incorporating transparency into sales strategies emphasizing the superiority of the long game over quick wins.  ◩ About the Guest ◩ Todd Caponi is the founder of Sales Melon and has succeeded in multiple sales leadership roles, including CRO. Todd authored The Transparent Sales Leader and The Transparency Sale. He also hosts The Sales History Podcast.

In 1937, Paul W. Ivey released a second edition of his book, Salesmanship Applied. Chapter 6 is one of my favorites from my collection of books from 75+ years ago. Want to be the best version of you? Instead of recreating the wheel on these ideas, let's turn the clock back 87 years. We spend so much time on sales methodologies and techniques to be better - but how about building up the value in ourselves?  Ivey nails it with these ten...@saleshistorian on Instagram - daily quotes, pics & comics from the past@saleshistorian on Twitter - daily quotes, pics & comics from the pastThe Transparent Sales Leader - my newest book which includes a number of quotes and lessons from sales' past.The Transparency Sale - the first book, (ironically) named one of the top 100 sales books of all time.Support the show

Sales - the most brilliant minds in the profession view our responsibility as "selling ideas'. Those brilliant minds date back to the 1600s and Sir Francis Bacon, the late 1700s and Benjamin Franklin, and many more throughout the 1900s. In today's episode, we'll explore the advice from Bacon, Franklin, and a couple of amazing thought leaders on selling from the 1950s - how logic polarizes an audience, along with how to think differently about your approach. @saleshistorian on Instagram - daily quotes, pics & comics from the past@saleshistorian on Twitter - daily quotes, pics & comics from the pastThe Transparent Sales Leader - my newest book which includes a number of quotes and lessons from sales' past.The Transparency Sale - the first book, (ironically) named one of the top 100 sales books of all time.Support the show

Our version of sales recruiting, sales training, dedicated territories, quotas, salary + variable compensation plans, even sales kickoffs all began between 1890-1920.  The process designs, compensation strategies, and almost all of the selling methodologies are based on this foundational approach - which, for the most part, I'd argue has been correct. Sure, people argued for change, but the core has been the core.In today's episode, I take you through the "why", inject some wisdom from the great Arthur Sheldon, and take you to an exploration of why we may need to shift going forward. Those cores have changed, in ways you maybe haven't thought about.  @saleshistorian on Instagram - daily quotes, pics & comics from the past@saleshistorian on Twitter - daily quotes, pics & comics from the pastThe Transparent Sales Leader - my newest book which includes a number of quotes and lessons from sales' past.The Transparency Sale - the first book, (ironically) named one of the top 100 sales books of all time.Support the show

Salesman's "Creeds" - There was a concept that started popping up around 1905, spreading to individual companies, industries, and eventually to entire cities by the 1910s. Established to change the perception of the sales profession. these "creeds" defined a core set of beliefs every salesperson should have in taking goods to market.In this episode, we'll talk through what these creeds were, why they were developed, how they were used, and how the concept is suddenly springing up again today. @saleshistorian on Instagram - daily quotes, pics & comics from the past@saleshistorian on Twitter - daily quotes, pics & comics from the pastThe Transparent Sales Leader - my newest book which includes a number of quotes and lessons from sales' past.The Transparency Sale - the first book, (ironically) named one of the top 100 sales books of all time.Support the showSupport the show

Sales is a game most business owners would rather not play. Lead with value. Don't give away too much. Don't say the price first. Handle objections. The list goes on and on and at the end of the day... the sales game ends up being so exhausting!  So what's the secret to great sales? Maybe it's less about smoke and mirrors and all the more about transparency -- transparency about what you're good at, what you can deliver on, and shockingly, even transparency around price.  Todd Caponi joins the show as the author of The Transparency Sale, an international best selling book on how transparency is key to effective sales.  Check out more from Todd at: https://toddcaponi.com/ where you can buy a copy of his book.  Want to connect with Todd? Go to: https://www.linkedin.com/in/toddcaponi This episode is sponsored by Equity Business Solutions, LLC. Go to EquityBusinessSolutionsLLC.com and get value beyond the numbers. If you like the episode, feel free to subscribe or follow the podcast for more content. We also have a Patreon where you can support the podcast at Patreon.com/GoodAdvice. Interested in advertising on the show? Reach out via blake@goodadvicecoaching.com.     

Our guest for Episode 11 is Todd Caponi, an award-winning author of The Transparency Sale and The Transparent Sales Leader. Todd's motto is ‘transparency sells better than perfection,' and when he isn't writing you can find him speaking and leading workshops for revenue leaders and teams.  In this episode, Ross talks to Todd about his coaching and leadership journey, the five F's to follow, and why you should rethink what you measure and ask for. 

Todd Caponi is the author of the award-winning best-seller, The Transparency Sale, and the new award-winning book, The Transparent Sales Leader.Todd is a multi-time C-Level sales leader, a behavioral science and sales history nerd, and has guided two companies to successful exits.He now speaks and teaches revenue organizations and their leaders on leveraging transparency and decision science to maximize their revenue capacity as Principal of Sales Melon LLC.SHOW SUMMARYTodd Caponi joins the Selling from the Heart Podcast to discuss the importance of transparency in sales and leadership. He emphasizes that sales is a service profession and that the role of sales professionals is to help customers achieve optimal outcomes. Todd shares insights from sales history, highlighting the similarities between the current economic climate and that of the early 1900s. He also introduces his framework for building revenue capacity, which focuses on transparency and decision science. Todd explains the concept of intrinsic motivation and the six core elements that drive human beings. He encourages leaders to provide praise and recognition to their teams to inspire and influence them. The episode concludes with a discussion on the value of transparency in building trust and credibility in sales.KEY TAKEAWAYSSales is a service profession, and the role of sales professionals is to help customers achieve optimal outcomes.The current economic climate mirrors that of the early 1900s, and history can provide valuable insights for navigating challenging times.Transparency is crucial in sales and leadership, as it helps teams predict and understand what is expected of them.Intrinsic motivation is driven by predictability, recognition, aim, independence, security, and equitability.Providing praise and recognition to teams inspires and influences them to achieve their best work.QUOTES"True salesmanship is the science of service.""We are not thinking machines that feel, we are feeling machines that think."Learn more about Todd Caponi: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/toddcaponi/Learn more about Darrell and Larry: Darrell's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/darrellamy/Larry's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/larrylevine1992/Website: https://www.sellingfromtheheart.net/ Got a video about how you sell from the heart? Share it by texting VIDEO to 21000.Please visit BarnesandNobles to order your copy of the rerelease of the Selling from the Heart book. SUBSCRIBE to our YOUTUBE CHANNEL! https://www.youtube.com/c/sellingfromtheheartPlease visit WHY INSTITUTE:https://whyinstitute.com/Please go to WORK BETTER NOW:https://www.workbetternow.com/Click for your Daily Dose of Inspiration:https://www.sellingfromtheheart.net/dailyCheck out the 2023 Authentic Selling Challenge:https://authenticsellingchallenge.com/Get your Insiders Group FREE PASS here:https://www.sellingfromtheheart.net/free-pass

001 | How Transparency Helps Account Executives Sell More with Todd Caponi In this episode of The Work Before the Work Podcast, Paul M. Caffrey is thrilled to welcome Todd Caponi to discuss how transparency helps Account Executives sell more. Todd Caponi is a 7x Sales Leader, 2x Best selling author of "The Transparency Sale" and "The Transparent Sales Leader", a keynote speaker & esteemed member of the National Speakers Association. Tune in as we dive deep into: How transparency sells better than perfection How to make cold outreach standout Pricing framework & presenting pricing Achieving forecast accuracy How to put yourself in the driving seat for promotion Looking to build 5x Pipeline? Account Executives live and die by their ability to generate pipeline, want a bespoke plan to hit 5x Pipeline? Then let's have a 1:1 brainstorming call to achieve this for you! Book a 1:1 Brainstorming call here Resources Mentioned: Todd Caponi's Website The Transparency Sale (Book) The Transparent Sales Leader (Book) The Work Before the Work (Book) Connect with Todd Caponi: Todd Caponi's LinkedIn Profile Rate and Review: If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a rating and review on your preferred podcast platform. It helps us get better guests for you!! Subscribe: Don't forget to subscribe to The Work Before the Work Podcast to receive automatic updates when new episodes are released. Newsletter: Be the first to find out when new episodes are published and get extra Account Executive Sales tips direct to you inbox now: Subscribe (it's free)

Booze, Babe, and the Little Black Dress: How Innovators of the Roaring 20s Created the Consumer Revolution by Jason Voiovich https://amzn.to/45Ljpui Epic stories from the decade that taught Americans how to vote with their wallets. "The more you read, the less you feel like a sheep in the thrall of Madison Avenue, and more like a tiny, private tycoon bending the market to your whims." What did Al Capone, Babe Ruth, and Coco Chanel all have in common? Al Capone understood that working men just wanted to enjoy a beer after a long day at work…and that working women wanted exactly the same thing. Babe Ruth understood that people wanted a show, not just a game…even if they would never see him play. Coco Chanel understood that women wanted freedom from tight corsets, flowing gowns, and complex updos…even if (especially if) that meant showing some skin. Each one understood what their customer wanted and found a way to give it to them. We've heard amazing stories like these so often over the past 100 years that they've become…well, normal. But that's only because no one alive today remembers what life was like before the so-called “Roaring 20s” – the most misunderstood decade in American history. Capone, Ruth, and Chanel were indeed unique, but they were not alone. Dozens of innovators used the same approach to systematically change every aspect of our daily lives in a 10-year orgy of societal transformation unknown before or since. The 1920s ushered in nothing short of a Consumer Revolution – one just as transformative as the Industrial Revolution that preceded it or the Information Revolution that followed. Consumer culture not only changed what we buy and how we buy it, but more important than that, it changed how we see ourselves and our role in society. We're more than healthcare patients, college students, social advocates, and citizens. We're consumers…and we demand to be treated as such. Our world – for good and for ill – would never be the same. What you can expect in this book: Fun, fast-paced, and fascinating stories about colorful characters of the 1920s. Learn the origins of everything from frozen food to diaphragms. Empower yourself to make better consumer choices...starting today. This book will help you rediscover your power to change the world! What others are saying... He's done it again. Fresh and unique insights often grow out of the intersection of two interesting topics. As with Marketer in Chief, Jason Voiovich demonstrates his mastery of U.S. History and marketing with the deeply researched but fun-to-read Booze, Babe & the Little Black Dress. Voiovich captures, with imagination and great story-telling, the impact of how the “Choice Era,” born in the Roaring Twenties, revolutionized American culture. — Steve Wehrenberg, retired advertising executive and professor of strategic communication Jason brings 1920s marketing back to life through stories told so compellingly that you want to marinate on each one. History has so much to teach us, and this book nails such a core period - while also being such a fun one to read. — Todd Caponi, Author of The Transparency Sale and The Transparent Sales Leader In “Booze, Babe, and the Little Black Dress,” Jason Voiovich glibly reveals the bones and origins of consumer culture. The colorful characters and funny anecdotes he uses to explain the tectonic plates of modern America isn't merely fascinating—it's also strangely empowering. The more you read, the less you feel like a sheep in the thrall of Madison Avenue, and more like a tiny, private tycoon bending the market to your whims. – Andrew Heaton, comedian and podcaster "He's like if Will Rogers and Mr. Spock had a baby." About the Author In a career that spans more than 25 years, Jason Voiovich has launched hundreds of new products – everything from medical devices, to virtual healthcare systems, to non-dairy consumer cheese,

It's the story for so many - great at selling, promoted into leadership without training or a holistic understanding of what the role actually is. In today's episode, I share a parable written by Worthington C. Holman in 1909 about a medieval military leader named Dunderblitzen Von Shoosh. I loved this story so much, I had to share it...along with lessons for today.@saleshistorian on Instagram - daily quotes, pics & comics from the past@saleshistorian on Twitter - daily quotes, pics & comics from the pastThe Transparent Sales Leader - my newest book which includes a number of quotes and lessons from sales' past.The Transparency Sale - the first book, (ironically) named one of the top 100 sales books of all time.Support the show

I went digging...into the origins of email as a communication medium. Along the way, I found a ton of really interesting timeline milestones that are amazing, interesting, and in some cases pretty funny.So, in this episode, we explore those milestones - from invention to the CAN-SPAM act, and how we really haven't fixed a whole lot along the way.Here's the article I reference - with a full timeline with resources, links & pictures: https://toddcaponi.com/history-of-email-in-sales-and-marketing/@saleshistorian on Instagram - daily quotes, pics & comics from the past@saleshistorian on Twitter - daily quotes, pics & comics from the pastThe Transparent Sales Leader - my newest book which includes a number of quotes and lessons from sales' past.The Transparency Sale - the first book, (ironically) named one of the top 100 sales books of all time.Support the show

Sales compensation plans - where did they come from? How did they evolve to where they are today? Are there lessons we can learn from their origins we can apply today to make our plans more of what they are meant to be?In today's episode, I take you back as far as 1914 to learn about the types of quotas, the mistakes they acknowledged in 1918, and the lessons from the 1920s about compensation plan design that are possible things to consider even today.@saleshistorian on Instagram - daily quotes, pics & comics from the past@saleshistorian on Twitter - daily quotes, pics & comics from the pastThe Transparent Sales Leader - my newest book which includes a number of quotes and lessons from sales' past.The Transparency Sale - the first book, (ironically) named one of the top 100 sales books of all time.Support the show

Todd Caponi, the author of The Transparency Sale, joins KD in this throwback episode of the Live Better Sell Better podcast. Living through economic cycles can be scary because of the uncertainty it brings. Todd shares how bubbles look like great opportunities before they burst and why leaders must see economic patterns to create a sense of certainty during uncertain times.HIGHLIGHT QUOTESLeaders must have empathy for the uncertain brain - Todd: "Uncertainty is like kryptonite for our brain. Like literally, when we're uncertain, we don't sleep, we don't perform well, we're less creative, and at its core, our IQ literally goes down in those situations where there's uncertainty.""Now, I want, as a leader, for you to think about your team, your sales team, and they're looking around, they're talking to their buddies, and seeing layoffs happen. And you're sitting there not saying anything."You can find out more about Todd in the links below:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/toddcaponi/Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Transparency-Sale-Unexpected-Understanding-Transform/dp/1940858801Live Better. Sell Better. is sponsored by our proud partner:Rocket Reach | rocketreach.com

Can you imagine - a profession so deplorable that those in it were rounded up and murdered? As crazy as it sounds, I found that it actually happened during the Roman Empire B.C. In an incredible find, I uncovered a sales history well over 2,000 years old where money was prioritized over virtue - in a way we still see today. In today's episode, I tell the story, with quotes from the great philosophers and poets from the final two centuries B.C.@saleshistorian on Instagram - daily quotes, pics & comics from the past@saleshistorian on Twitter - daily quotes, pics & comics from the pastThe Transparent Sales Leader - my newest book which includes a number of quotes and lessons from sales' past.The Transparency Sale - the first book, (ironically) named one of the top 100 sales books of all time.Support the showSupport the show

Todd Caponi is the author of The Transparency Sale and The Transparent Sales Leader. He's speaker, a sales trainer, and someone I wholeheartedly refer to as a sibling in sales. He's also a total nerd for sales history, and uses the wisdom of the past to reflect on current events. You can find him at https://toddcaponi.com/ or on the socials Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/toddcaponi/ Twitter:https://twitter.com/tcaponi Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tcaponi/ Here's what Todd and I dug into on today's episode:    -   His sales origin story    -   How his Dad was the original Transparent Sales Leader    -   How selling meant something different 100 years ago than it does today    -   Every relationship is better with transparency    -   Transparency is a prediction machine    -   What does it mean to Todd to #SellLikeYou?    -   And much more… Share this episode and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts, and don't forget that the show is now on YouTube as well. If you want to learn more about how I work with teams to put these concepts to work, check out my website at jeffbajorek.com/services

If sales has changed so much, why haven't the #salestips? Reading a collection of the top sales tips in 1913 - and I swear I was reading a collection of the top sales tips today. There's no conflict...at all. What's presented as revelation today on all of the socials are fundamentally the same through the eras of selling, so in today's episode, I share them. Worthington C. Holman's 9 things a successful salesperson must do, from System Magazine's February of 1913 edition. And given that Holman was an artist with his words...they're even better back then!@saleshistorian on Instagram - daily quotes, pics & comics from the past@saleshistorian on Twitter - daily quotes, pics & comics from the pastThe Transparent Sales Leader - my newest book which includes a number of quotes and lessons from sales' past.The Transparency Sale - the first book, (ironically) named one of the top 100 sales books of all time.Support the show

There's a direct correlation between the difficulty of the selling environment and the need for optimized sales management. There was a lag between the modernization of sales and the modernization of sales management. In this episode, we track that evolution...from the 1900s through after the lesser-known depression of the early 1920s. The amazing thing - the lessons they learned 100 years ago, we still often ignore today. Let's dig in...@saleshistorian on Instagram - daily quotes, pics & comics from the past@saleshistorian on Twitter - daily quotes, pics & comics from the pastThe Transparent Sales Leader - my newest book which includes a number of quotes and lessons from sales' past.The Transparency Sale - the first book, (ironically) named one of the top 100 sales books of all time.Support the showSupport the show

“It is far better that the quota be right than that it be simple.” – 1926Something odd struck me as I was investigating the origins of quotas and variable compensation. 75-100 years ago, organizations did MUCH MORE with MUCH LESS data. Today, not sure anyone could claim that quota setting is in a good state - and I think I know why.In this episode, we explore how quotas were set back then...much more correctly...and why there's a very real way for us to fix it today. (I will be doing another episode on quotas & variable compensation structures...today is just focused on an era of when quotas were set right!)@saleshistorian on Instagram - daily quotes, pics & comics from the past@saleshistorian on Twitter - daily quotes, pics & comics from the pastThe Transparent Sales Leader - my newest book which includes a number of quotes and lessons from sales' past.The Transparency Sale - the first book, (ironically) named one of the top 100 sales books of all time.Support the show

Every "greatest sales book of all time" listing has its share of "snubs", or books that should be on it that aren't. Even worse...I have yet to find a list that hasn't snubbed an entire era!In this episode, I highlight six of many books from 1900-1930 that should be on the lists, but aren't. @saleshistorian on Instagram - daily quotes, pics & comics from the past@saleshistorian on Twitter - daily quotes, pics & comics from the pastThe Transparent Sales Leader - my newest book which includes a number of quotes and lessons from sales' past.The Transparency Sale - the first book, (ironically) named one of the top 100 sales books of all time.Support the show

Jeff Goldberg interview Todd Caponi, Author of The Transparent Sales Leader. Todd Caponi has a long history in sales and sales management. His last book, The Transparency Sale is one of the best sales book of the last 10 years. Connect with Todd https://www.linkedin.com/in/toddcaponi/ Find out more about Jeff https://jgsalespro.com/ Connect with Jeff on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffgoldbergsalescoach/

In another case of a misguided Google result, it's time to set another record straight. What was the first "modern" sales methodology? What was it? Who developed it? And why did it serve as a baseline for so many companies throughout the early portion of the 1900s?@saleshistorian on Instagram - daily quotes, pics & comics from the past@saleshistorian on Twitter - daily quotes, pics & comics from the pastThe Transparent Sales Leader - my newest book which includes a number of quotes and lessons from sales' past.The Transparency Sale - the first book, named one of the top 100 sales books of all time.

 Discover why you shouldn't diss the bad reviews you get and how it helps you sell better Find out why perfection isn't always the best answer in sales Learn how you can bring transparency and imperfections into your sales Resources/Links: Want more tips on how to apply transparency in your selling? Click here: toddcaponi.com Summary Do you always feel like your product reviews need to be top-notch and perfect? Do you want to know how to convince prospects to buy your products with transparency? Perfection doesn't always mean wins; it also means losses. Switch from perfection to authenticity. Transparency plays a key role in turning leads into long-time sales. Todd Caponi is the Author of The Transparency Sale and the Transparent Sales Leader. He is a multi-time revenue leader, a behavioral science nerd, and has successfully guided two companies to successful exits. Dive into Todd's tips and tricks on how to lead with your flaws and embrace the truth to ensure you'll get more sales and leads! Check out these episode highlights: 04:46 - Todd's ideal client: I work with revenue leaders that are looking to upskill their teams, and they like a pod that everybody knew. But there have been tremendous revelations in our understanding of how human beings engage, prioritize, decide and buy. 05:26 - The problem he helps solve: I think you mentioned at the beginning that so many of your listeners think that sales mean "I got to get a plaid jacket and some gold chains. And like, off I go." As it turns out, transparency sells better than perfection, right? 08:17 - The symptoms of the problem: Well, yeah, I mean, I think first of all where companies or individuals go wrong is they feel like, "Wow, that would be really bold to lead with my flaws. Like, are you crazy? How did you do it, Todd?" I actually believe it's bold not to. 09:44 - Todd's Valuable Free Resource (VFR): Want more tips on how to apply transparency in your selling? Click here: toddcaponi.com 10:27 - Todd's Valuable Free Action (VFA): Well, just google your company name and then write reviews. Right, what's there to come up? Know that your buyers are going to do that homework. If there's anything like, empathize with the person that you're selling to, right? 11:11 - A: Well, we talked about sales history. And we talked about that idea that like when cool people are doing cool things on the weekends, I'm reading an old 1905 magazine on sales. And, so- exactly! My wife makes fun of me all the time. Tweetable Takeaways from this Episode: “Transparency sells better than perfection.” -Todd CaponiClick To Tweet Transcript (Note, this was transcribed using a transcription software and may not reflect the exact words used in the podcast) Tom Poland 00:10 Welcome, everyone, to another edition of Marketing the Invisible. I'm Tom Poland beaming out to you from the little sunshine coast in Australia, joined today by Todd Caponi. Todd, good day. A very warm welcome from Down Under. Where are you based? Todd Caponi 00:22 I am in the heart of the Midwest of the US in Chicago. Tom Poland 00:26 And you're- Chicago! So, you're flipping from winter too, what are you in, autumn, right now? Todd Caponi 00:32 We are in the random, every day you wake up to a different season. Today, it's summer. Thursday, it will be freezing cold. Tom Poland 00:41 All right. Well, enjoy the journey, whatever it is. Folks, really, this is going to be very interesting. Todd has got a certain way of presenting sales. And I have to say I just love it because it has a let me let you in, straight off the bat, and I'll explain why I love it. So, it's all about the transparent sale. And as soon as I heard transparency in sales, I think this could help so many people because it's kind of a load off, you know.

It's sales kickoff season. Kickoffs, or what was called sales 'conventions", have been around for at least 130 years. Today, we dig into the first known kickoff that I could find, from 1887. We'll dig into what they did, lessons learned from those 100+ year-old kickoffs, and a modern view of how you can apply those to yours today.@saleshistorian on Instagram - daily quotes, pics & comics from the past@saleshistorian on Twitter - daily quotes, pics & comics from the pastThe Transparent Sales Leader - my newest book which includes a number of quotes and lessons from sales' past.The Transparency Sale - the first book, named one of the top 100 sales books of all time.

“Certain words are used in business so thoughtlessly that they have become devoid of meaning: Authentic. Real. Transparent. And there is no one I trust more to rescue them than Todd Caponi.” Those words are from Ethan Zoubek, CRO at Atari. And he shared these words about a fantastic book titled “The Transparent Sales Leader: How the Power of Sincerity, Science, and Structure Can Transform Your Sales Team's Results” It's the second book by today's guest - Todd Caponi. We talked about his first book, The Transparency Sale, here on the podcast back on Episode 90: “Why Transparency Sells Better Than Perfection” Todd is an author - as well as an advisor, speaker, workshop leader, and sales historian - who built his career in sales leadership roles at companies like SAP, Exact Target, and Power Reviews. Todd's back on the show to talk about: When the science of sales began to emerge Why successful sales leadership is like the ultimate team sport How the power of sincerity, science, and structure can transform your sales team's results How digital pollution and noise impact today's sales cycle Where in the sales process can you set consistent and transparent expectations  More information about Todd and today's topics: LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/toddcaponi/ Company Website: https://toddcaponi.com/ Todd's Website: https://www.toddcaponi.com/ Check out Todd's books below:The Transparency Sale:https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07KFPQD76/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0 The Transparent Sales Leaderhttps://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0B23DZHFR/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i1  Subscribe, listen, and rate/review the Customer Experience Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon, or Google Podcasts, and find more episodes on our blog.

Todd Caponi is an award-winning sales leader, author of The Transparency Sale, and the newly published The Transparent Sales Leader. Todd is also the founder, speaker, and workshop leader at Sales Melon and the host of The Sales History Podcast.   In this episode, Todd talks about what it means to be transparent in sales and the power it brings sellers.    Here are some of the topics covered in this episode: How to do the buyer's homework for them and address objections before they come Why embracing the truth speeds up the sales cycle Why we shouldn't underpromise and overdeliver as salespeople What we can learn from the history of sales   More From the Guest Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/toddcaponi/  Website - https://toddcaponi.com/  Podcast - https://toddcaponi.com/podcast/    Listen to more episodes of the Outside Sales Talk here! https://www.badgermapping.com/podcast     Start Selling More Today with Badger Maps - The #1 Route Planner for Field Sales   See Badger in Action: https://www.badgermapping.com/outside-sales-talk-listener/    If you love the Outside Sales Talk podcast, you'll also love Badger's newsletters!  Our 95,000+ subscribers stay at the top of their game with actionable tips from top sales experts.   Are you in? Subscribe to Badger Maps' newsletters now! https://www.badgermapping.com/newsletters/  

Todd Caponi, releases The Transparent Sales Leader on 5th July 2022. After the success of his best seller The Transparency Sale, Todd realised the depth of the problem in management when none of the 40 strong management team of a tech firm going through hypergrowth had any management training, including the CRO. We discuss the challenges associated with scaling up, becoming a manager, being successful in the role and having the framework to ensure you always know for certain where you are, your team is, the health of everyone's pipeline. Funny, poignant and informative, this interview is one you will want to take notes and share. Contact Todd on linkedin.com/in/toddcaponi   Websites toddcaponi.com (Company) toddcaponi.com/blog/ (Blog) Phone: +1 847-999-0420 (Work)   Twitter: tcaponi -- Contact me on marcus@laughs-last.com 

This episode of the Live Better Seller Better Podcast features Todd Caponi, author of The Transparency Sale: How Unexpected Honesty and Understanding the Buying Brain Can Transform Your Results. Recognizing patterns of the past provides insights into how best to move forward into the future.Todd gives parallels to economic downturns from previous decades and how we are seeing the same red flags today. He observes a bubble in unicorn startups and advises leaders on how to provide their people with the most certainty possible to survive the incoming slump. HIGHLIGHTSSales trends follow cycles throughout historyLead through a bubble by providing certaintyRemind your team of the impact their work doesReward people with a sense of accomplishmentThe Transparent Sales Leader soft launch on Jul 5, 2022 QUOTESTodd: "Uncertainty is like a kryptonite for our brain. Like, literally, when we're uncertain, we don't sleep, we don't perform well, we're less creative, and, at it's core, our IQ literally goes down in those situations where there's uncertainty."Todd: "Create certainty right wherever you can within your teams right now, even if things are fantastic for you. You've got to do that because your teams are looking around and they're feeling like tomorrow is going to be the day."Todd: "We cut out the stuff that really didn't matter a whole lot, so that's number one. Number two is we focused all of our spending on the must-haves, the things that were going to give us certainty. So that's number two. And then number three is that we sought ways to remove risk and extend runway."Todd: "If you believe that sales reps are coin-operated, you're right if you're doing it wrong. You create an environment where your reps want to show up every day, want to stay, want to do their best, want to become advocates, and the variable compensation is the reward, not the motivator, that's when everybody wins." You can find out more about Todd in the links below:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/toddcaponi/Amazon book link: https://www.amazon.com/Transparency-Sale-Unexpected-Understanding-Transform/dp/1940858801

In this episode of the Startup Selling Podcast, I interviewed Todd Caponi.   Todd Caponi is the author of the 3x best-book-award-winning, The Transparency Sale, a speaker & workshop leader as Founder & CEO of Sales Melon LLC, and the Managing Director of Chicago's VentureSCALE. Todd is also a multi-time C-Level sales leader, a behavioral science nerd, and has guided two companies to successful exits. Some of the topics that we covered are:   State of the Sales Economy  Inflation of Hires and Roles Labour Demand  Labour Supply  Links & Resources:    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/toddcaponi/   Twitter: https://twitter.com/tcaponi   Website: www.transparencysale.com   Link to the book on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2Bxenr   Here's a link to his Media Kit for more information: https://www.transparencysale.com/mediakit Listen & subscribe to The Startup Selling Show here:   BluBrry | Deezer | Amazon | Stitcher | Spotify | iTunes | Soundcloud | SalesQualia   Thanks so much for listening! Tell a friend or ten about The Startup Selling Show, and please leave a review wherever you're listening to the show.

We are taking a trip down Sales History Road with this week's guest, Todd Caponi. The real question is, what doesn't Todd do? He is the Founder of Sales Melon, where he is a speaker and workshop leader, is the author of The Transparency Sale and the Transparent Sales Leader. He is also the Host of The Sales History Podcast where he brings guests incredible stories from the sales profession dating back to the late 1800s and early 1900s. At that time, Sales was actually a sought after career. We covered so many topics on today's show, including: Doing things you aren't paid for Taking on new opportunities The history of sales and the future of selling The importance of transparency in sales and knowing behavioral science Much More! Please enjoy this week's episode with Todd Caponi. ____________________________________________________________________________ I am now in the early stages of writing my first book! In this book, I will be telling my story of getting into sales and the lessons I have learned so far, and intertwine stories, tips, and advice from the Top Sales Professionals In The World! As a first time author, I want to share these interviews with you all, and take you on this book writing journey with me! Like the show? Subscribe to the email: https://mailchi.mp/a71e58dacffb/welcome-to-the-20-podcast-community I want your feedback! Reach out to 20percentpodcastquestions@gmail.com, or find me on LinkedIn. If you know anyone who would benefit from this show, share it along! If you know of anyone who would be great to interview, please drop me a line! Enjoy the show!

Todd Caponi, best-selling author of The Transparency Sale and President of Sales Melon, and Samantha McKenna, renowned sales expert and founder of #samsales, join Raj and Tyler for a special roundtable edition on how to build trust and transparency with prospects.Inside the episode:- How to prospect without looking like an a-hole- How to speak and talk to your buyer on a sales call- How to use transparency in messaging to manage your deal flow- How to win end of quarter deals without giving away discounts

Todd Caponi, best-selling author of The Transparency Sale and President of Sales Melon, and Samantha McKenna, renowned sales expert and founder of #samsales, join Raj and Tyler for a special roundtable edition on how to build trust and transparency with prospects.Inside the episode:- How to prospect without looking like an a-hole- How to speak and talk to your buyer on a sales call- How to use transparency in messaging to manage your deal flow- How to win end of quarter deals without giving away discounts

Todd Caponi joins Sarah Hicks on this episode of the Predictable Revenue podcast to discuss why transparency sells better than perfection. Todd is the Founder of Sales Melon and author of the award-winning book, The Transparency Sale. Highlights include: why a product with 4.2-star reviews will outsell its 5 star counterpart (4:08), how to be more transparent in your messaging (7:41), how to stand out with personalized prospecting (8:21), how to lead with transparency in sales conversations (11:30), what B2B sales can learn from IKEA (11:40), why pre-qualifying your prospects is the secret to shorter sales cycles (18:00), how honesty can endear you to buyers (19:30), how to leverage transparency in later stage negotiations (20:36), and how expiring discounts harm your sales cycle (26:10). Are you looking to create repeatable, scalable, and predictable revenue? We can help! ► https://bit.ly/predictablerevenuecoaching

In this episode of the Science of Selling STEM, I interviewed Todd Caponi, the Founder, Speaker and Workshop Leader at Sales Melon. Todd is the author of a three time best book award winning and international best-seller, “The Transparency Sale”. He is a multi-time sea-level sales leader, behavioral science and sales history nerd. He's guided two companies to successful exits. His next book, “The Transparency Sales Leader” is planned for the Spring of 2022.  Todd built the revenue capacity of a tech company from the ground-up into Chicago's fastest-growing, helped drive an organization to a successful IPO followed by an acquisition worth almost $3B, and in another organization his turnaround efforts were rewarded with a successful exit and the American Business “Stevie” Award for Worldwide Vice President of Sales of the Year. Todd was gracious enough to reveal his hard-earned sales secrets including how to engage potential buyers with unexpected honesty and understanding the buying brain to get the deal you want, while delighting your customer with the experience. If there has ever been an episode that you mustn't miss, it's this one. So stay tuned and if you ever need help with a sales or leadership issue don't hesitate to book a complimentary clarity session with me https://calendarhero.to/wesleynecappuccino (HERE). On Today's Episode of the Science of Selling STEM: Inspired by his dad to go into sales and combining it with his passion for leading and teaching (02:02) Becoming a good sales leader despite having been an average sales person (03:48) The experience of leaving his franchise business to become a new sales leader (05:48) Using the five Fs framework to successfully build process (10:26) Why every sales leader should embrace their flawsomeness and ensure that they don't just focus on the forecasts (14:18) How the negative are needed in order to trigger a purchase decision (17:51) Breaking down his passion for sales history (26:12) Taking sales back to being a respected profession (30:32) Connect with Wesleyne Greer: https://transformedsales.com/ (Wesleyne's Website) https://www.linkedin.com/in/wesleynegreer/ (Wesleyne on LinkedIn) https://web.facebook.com/wesleynegreer (Wesleyne on Facebook)      https://twitter.com/wesleynegreer (Wesleyne on Twitter) Email Her at WGreer@TransformedSales.com Connect with Todd Caponi: https://www.linkedin.com/in/toddcaponi/ (Todd on Linkedin) https://toddcaponi.com/ (Todd's Website) https://twitter.com/tcaponi (Todd on Twitter) Resources Mentioned: https://www.amazon.com/Transparency-Sale-Unexpected-Understanding-Transform/dp/1940858801 (The Transparency Sale By Todd Caponi) Rate, Review, Learn, and Share Thanks for tuning into The Science of Selling STEM! If you enjoyed this episode and want to learn even more about what it takes to transform your sales, don't forget to tune into our other episodes and share your favorite episodes on social media! Join The Science of Selling STEM community onhttps://www.facebook.com/WesleyneGreerCEO ( Facebook), https://twitter.com/WesleyneGreer (Twitter),https://www.linkedin.com/in/wesleynegreer/ ( LinkedIn) and https://www.transformedsales.com/ (visit my website) for even more content, information, and resources

When it comes to what makes a seller and sales leader successful, there is one key ingredient that makes all the difference in today's market, and that is trust and transparency. In this interview with award-winning author of the Transparency Sale and sales performance consultant Todd Caponi, we discuss his groundbreaking research on the importance of transparency to driving sales success, and how setting and meeting expectations and embracing your "flawesomeness" can make all the difference in winning that big deal. Even more, we explore not just how trust and transparency can drive better seller performance, but how it can be leveraged to transform sales leadership to drive more predictable revenue performance and growth, and how Todd has shaped these new findings and practices into his new book, The Transparency Sales Leader. https://www.linkedin.com/in/toddcaponi/ #SalesPerformance #SalesTraining #RevenueOperations

"If the truth won't sell it, don't sell it." This is the favorite quote of today's guest. This is also the second to last episode of podcast, and the final interview. So Jeff reached out to his brother from another sales mother Todd Caponi to have that honor. Todd has written the book on transparency in sales. In fact he's written two. So it's no surprise that the conversation leans into integrity in selling.  Why is it so important? It feels good to honest and trustworthy, it helps the sales profession, and more importantly, it sells better. Todd urges people to be honest with prospects about what you can't do, but then be a resource to help them. You will be rewarded time and time again. As a salesperson, your most valuable commodity is your time. Todd reiterates that chasing after prospects that aren't a good fit is wasting your time, and to know quickly if you aren't a fit and put your energy toward more ideal clients. Todd also talks about his prediction of the 'great resignation,' and discusses six things that drive people to do what they do, want to keep doing it, and want to tell others about it. It's a final interview filled with insight, fun, and feeling. Find out more about Todd Caponi Get copies of the Transparency Sale and The Transparent Sales Leader Click here to register for Jeff and Christie's special livestream sendoff celebration on Wednesday, Dec. 22nd. Check out Jeff's premium podcast Deeper Thought Use Promo code 2021 and save $20 off your first year.

Summary: Todd Caponi fell into sales, then fell in love with the decision science surrounding it. He turned that into a career encompassing multiple sales leadership roles. He's building the revenue capacity of one tech company from the ground-up into Chicago's fastest-growing, another where his efforts helped drive the organization to a successful IPO followed by an acquisition worth almost $3B, and another where his turnaround efforts were rewarded with the American Business “Stevie” Award for Worldwide Vice President of Sales of the Year. He left his role as the Chief Revenue Officer to write his first book, The Transparency Sale; which has since earned 2019's “Best Book Award” in the “Business: Sales” category at the American Book Awards, while also earning International Best-Seller status. Todd also hosts The Sales History Podcast, bringing the incredible (and sometimes strange) brains from the earliest days of sales' past into the present. Much of the sales wisdom from the past hasn't changed. Key Moments: 03:00 - Is saying "yes" always the way to go? 09:15 - Expectation inflation 25:00 - "How are they better than us?". How Todd turned the question of tell me why your better than your competitor into a transparent conversation and disarmed a meeting. 27:00 - Lead with your strengths and reveal your weakness Connect with Todd https://www.linkedin.com/in/toddcaponi/ (LinkedIN) Connect with Us! https://www.linkedin.com/company/53108426/admin/ (LinkedIN: ) https://stories-of-selling-human.captivate.fm/ (Website: )

What can we learn from history? Are there things we've lost along the way? Todd Caponi, host of the Sales History Podcast and author of The Transparency Sale. Join us for an entertaining and provocative discussion. He shares what he's learning as he goes back over 100 years in sales history. The results are inspiring and challenging!Make sure to register for the 2021 Trust Building Challenge! Join an incredible faculty of coaches including Dr. Maria Church and Dave Sanderson. Learn more and register now at www.2021trustchallenge.com.

Olivia Fuller: Hi, and welcome to Book Club, a Sales Enablement PRO podcast, I’m Olivia Fuller. Sales enablement is a constantly evolving space, and we’re here to help professionals stay up to date on the latest trends and best practices so they can be more effective in their role. When most people think about the act of selling, they often think that it’s all about making something seem desirable to motivate someone to buy it, but what if it was actually about the opposite? This is an idea that Todd Caponi explores in his book, “The Transparency Sale,” where he makes the case that leading with your flaws and actually embracing vulnerability is the key to building buyer engagement. As Todd puts it, effective sales today requires radical transparency, and he’s here to tell us a little bit more about why this is so essential. With that, Todd, I’d love if you can introduce yourself to our audience and tell us a little bit about your book. Todd Caponi: Cool. I’ll do it in story form because I think it’ll crystallize this. I’m a multi-time sales leader. My last role was the Chief Revenue Officer of a company here in Chicago, where I am, called PowerReviews. You could probably guess from the name PowerReviews, we were in the space of helping retailers and brands collect and display ratings and reviews on their websites. Meaning you’re buying a pair of Crocs or a sweater on Vineyard Vines or whatever, you look at the product, you scroll down, there’s the reviews. That was us for many cases, doing the collect and display. Here’s what happened. We did a research study with Northwestern University here in Chicago that looked at when a website’s acting as a salesperson, i.e., an e-commerce site, what do people do? What do human beings do? There were three data points that came back from it. Two of them changed my life in only a way that could be changed for a nerd like me because I’m super behavioral science data nerdy. The first step that did not change my life was that we all read reviews today. I’m assuming, Olivia, when you’re buying something that you haven’t bought before, you probably read reviews first, but here’s the two that blew my mind. Number one, that 85% of us go to the negative reviews first. I don’t know if when you’re reading reviews, you skip the fives and go right to the fours, threes, twos, and ones, but that’s what most of us do. The second data point that changed my life was a product that has an average review score between a 4.2 and a 4.5, that range on a five-star scale is optimal for purchase conversion. You're selling something on a website, right under it somebody who’s bought that comes back and says, I hated this product, here’s why, and it’s right under the product, somehow that actually helps it sell more. I looked at that and thought, alright, that’s when a website’s acting as a salesperson, what happens in human to human or B2B selling? Should that dynamic be the same? As it turns out, it is. I found really, really quickly that, again, if 85% of us go to the negative first, it’s what our brain desires. When we start a conversation by embracing something that maybe we’re not great at or that we give up to be good at our core or a competitor that we’re looking at might be better at than us, when you lead with that, magic happens. Sales cycles speed up, win rates get better, we work deals we should be working, and we stop working the deals that we’re going to lose anyway, we lose faster. From trying it out and seeing that magic happen, I like a lunatic, quit my job and wrote the book, “The Transparency Sale,” which really talks through not only the data, but the behavioral science, and then how you apply it to every single stage of your sales process from positioning and prospecting to even negotiating and post-sale clients. OF: Yeah, I’m glad you brought that story up because I think that helps put this into context a little bit more with actually one of the key points that stood out to me in your book, which was that embracing imperfections and prioritizing honesty is really how salespeople can better engage customers. Can you tell us a little bit more about this? Why does transparency, even in maybe areas where a product or service fall short, how does that help build loyalty? TC: Well, yeah, there’s a couple of things. First of all, if you’ve been to Ikea before or Costco or been on a Southwest Airlines flight, those organizations, those companies, those retailers, they embrace the things they give up. Ikea is a nightmare. When you walk into an Ikea, you know you’re in for it. When they hand you a map, you're like, I need a map to buy stuff? What? Then you’ve got to find it, you've got to go to the warehouse, pull the boxes off onto carts that don’t have brakes, jam it into the back of your car Tetris style. swear your way through that, get it home, thinking that you just left the nightmare back at the store. Instead, you open up the box, there’s 150 parts and no words on the work instructions other than like Sparta or whatever their crazy brand names are, and then when you’re done, you’re like, oh, you know what, that looks pretty good. We should go back. we should’ve bought the end tables with that bedroom set. Ikea shoppers, it’s a nightmare, yet they’re incredibly loyal. They're the number one retailer for furniture in the world for 13 straight years. Costco, the same thing. You've got to buy a membership, there’s very limited brand selection, if you want some ranch dressing for your salad you've got to buy almost a gallon, if you need a toothbrush here’s a half dozen, we’re going to have somebody at the door that’s going to check your receipt to make sure you’re not stealing anything. And yet, number two retailer in the country is Costco behind Walmart. The point being that obviously over promise and under deliver is a bad idea. We all know we never should over promise and under deliver, but there’s something crazy I discovered. Under promise and over deliver is also bad because it creates a short-term satisfaction spike, but it becomes unsustainable, and it is a form of lying believe it or not. We get something I like to call expectation inflation. If we keep doing it, then I’m going to take what you tell me and I’m going to add a little to it, and if I don’t get that, I’m going to be disappointed. The point being that in our brains as human beings, when expectations are set properly, and we feel like we trust that we can predict what our experience is going to be like, that’s what triggers our decision. When expectations are set and consistently met over and over and over again, that’s what creates loyalty. You go to a Starbucks here, I’m in Chicago obviously and you’re in Seattle, the heart of Starbucks, the coffee tastes exactly the same. Go to Europe, the Pike Place is still the exact same, it’s consistent expectation setting. It’s building that consistency and that’s what creates customers that not only buy, but they stay, they buy more, and they’re more likely to advocate. I’m clearly biased, but it all starts with transparency and setting proper expectations, not over promising and under delivering or doing vice versa. OF: Actually, on that point, you also emphasize that every interaction with a prospect is really a decision point for them. What role does empathy play in the decision-making process for buyers, and how can reps really take advantage of every interaction with buyers to not only reduce skepticism, but also build better engagement? TC: Yeah. Well, there’s a funny thing about empathy, I’ll start there. When I scroll through LinkedIn, and people are like, oh, you've got be empathetic, and then they go on to explain it, 9 times out of 10 they’re actually talking about sympathy, not empathy. Empathy is literally being able to see the world through the eyes of the people that you’re trying to communicate with. Empathy actually takes it to the point where you’re almost feeling what they feel along with them. To be truly great at what we do as sales professionals, as sales enablers trying to get into the heads of the salespeople that you’re trying to enable, that empathy, not sympathy, like, oh, I hope things are good in these trying times, that’s sympathy, empathy is, hey, I understand you. From a buyer’s perspective, I’m going to give you a weird analogy. A quick story. In Seattle, they don’t have Culver’s I don't think. Culver’s is a fast-food place and they’ve got something called butter burgers and then they’ve got frozen custard, which is heavenly. It’s really, really good. A few months ago, my wife and I and my two kids, who are 8 and 10, we’re out and about and we my wife was like, hey, should we go get some ice cream? My kids with their hawk ears are just like, ice cream? Yeah, let’s go! They’re all excited, so we go drive to Culver’s because they love this frozen custard. We’ve got the means; we’ve made the decision to go there. We get there, the line for the drive thru is 15 cars long and then we can see there’s a bunch of people waiting for their food right on the other side, where the pickup window is. We’re just like, oh gosh, this blows. We get in line because the kids are bought in, they’ve got the means, they’re there, they want this reward. Within two minutes, my ten-year-old daughter leans forward and she’s like, hey, can we just go home? Like really? Then my eight-year-old was like, yeah, I don’t want to wait here. Let’s go. Alright! We were there, the reward is there, this fantastic reward, but we get there and within two minutes, our expectations hadn’t been met. There was this expectation that the journey to the reward was going to be difficult, which in the end made that reward looked less sweet even to a 10-year-old and an eight-year-old. My point being, when you think about the processes that you take buyers through, expectation setting and empathy, understanding that that perception of a reward may be biased by the perception of the journey to get to it. That’s part of what empathy is. Do you have an opportunity to differentiate in the way that you sell? Part of what transparency does is it does the homework for the buyer. There was a study in 2017 by the Corporate Executive Board, which is now part of Gartner, that looked at consensus buyers and looked at, how do they spend their time? What they found is 39% of their time was spent talking to you, talking to your competitors, or talking to their internal buying groups. That leaves another 61%. What are they doing? They’re back-channeling you because all they hear is perfect five-star stuff. They’ve got to call their buddies and check with analysts and if you’re in the tech space, they’re going to the G2's and the TrustRadius'. They’re even reading Glassdoor reviews. That’s homework, that’s like extra cars in the drive through line. How do we reduce those cars in the drive through and make the journey as frictionless as possible? When we do that, because I'm betting you anybody who’s listening, if I say, who’s your biggest competitor, they’re probably going to go, oh that's the status quo. Yeah, it’s the status quo, and many times it’s not the customer it’s you. This part of transparency is about removing homework. Now, this was one of those rants, Olivia, but I I’ll just add one little piece to it. Another piece of empathy, we all think that consensus selling is hard. We got to sell and there’s multiple buyers, we’ve got to wrangle them all, how difficult. True, but consensus buying is harder. These buyers, they don’t have a whole organization behind you. Your sellers, they’ve got you, sales enablers. Your buyers, they don’t have buyer enablement, they don’t have processes. The stuff they’re buying from you, they buy once ever. They don’t know how to do this, so consensus buying is harder. Now, add to it that all of those buyers are remote just like you. Consensus buying just got harder. They can’t run into somebody in the parking lot or run into them in the kitchen getting coffee, consensus building for your buyers just became much more difficult. When we think about the elements of transparency, but just to your question about true empathy, see through the customer’s eyes that at home, it’s added cars to that drive thru. You’re going to find that no matter how sweet that frozen custard is, even the kids look at it, that’s an amazing reward, but gosh, this is going to be too hard, I’m going to prioritize something else. Your buyers are doing that, and transparency is just one of those ways that you can remove friction and make that drive thru line look a lot shorter. OF: Well, that’s a fantastic story. One of the points that you brought up throughout that was around buy-in, and in the book, you talk about one of the steps to really create resonance with buyers is actually through building a mutual decision plan. What are some of the core things to include in a mutual decision plan and how can that help streamline the buying process for the buyer? TC: Well, yeah. It goes back to that point about the buyer not having the expertise in buying like you do in selling. How do we remove friction from that buying journey and set proper expectations? I call it the mutual decision plan in book, which is sitting across the table with the individual or across your Zoom or across the phone, and just helping them see what that journey is going to be like. The mutual decision plan really brings all of these pieces together. That perception of a reward being biased by the journey and transparency and true empathy. It’s about sitting across the table and going, hey, listen, when we work with companies like yours, here’s some of the steps that they typically have to go through. Can we just match those up and make sure that we’ve got the journey right? I don’t know if you’ve ever mountain climbed or anything, but imagine going to Mount Everest, and there’s a Sherpa there that meets you. The Sherpa’s just like, it’s a big mountain, how do you want to go? Which way do you want to go? You’d probably be like we’re all going to die. There’s a confidence that’s built. A lot of salespeople are like, oh, I don’t want to put the customer into a box and feel like I’m creating all these structures around them. If it’s positioned right, you’re giving them confidence that A, you know the journey, and B, you’re setting an expectation about what that journey is going to be like. That Culver’s example, my family and I, we went a few weeks ago to Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge in Tennessee. I don’t know if you’ve ever been there, it’s like Vegas for kids, but there’s Dollywood. Dollywood is this big amusement park, it's a fantastic amusement. You get there and one of the rides the kids wanted to go on, there’s a line. At the entrance to the line, it says it’s a 40-minute wait from here. We’re like, alright, cool. That Culver’s example is when expectations aren’t met, the Dollywood example, we gladly waited in line because they set proper expectations with us. We knew what that journey was going to be. We made the decision. Is the juice going to be worth the squeeze here? We said yes. It was probably like 38 minutes; it was right on. We were cool with it because they set proper expectations. I think that’s part of the power of, hey, his is what the journey is going to look like, we’ve seen it a hundred times, I want to help you and enable you to get to the goal line in your decision, whether it’s with us or not. Here’s the expectation around it, let’s add in some of the things that are unique to your situation. If you don’t want to go on this journey, that’s cool too. Let’s part as friends right now. I think that’s part of the power of all of this. OF: Definitely. We’ve been talking a lot about the buyer’s journey and the buyer’s experience, but a lot of that has been in the context of leading up to the initial purchase. It's just as important to keep customers engaged and continue to drive loyalty throughout their entire experience with an organization. I’m curious if you can tell us what are some best practices for really partnering with revenue teams internally to continue to deliver value through transparency? TC: This transparency is not only just about the front of the sales process. Friction removal and the buying journey is not about the front either, it’s about the whole process. One of the things that I teach a lot of is this idea called transparent negotiating. I don’t know about you, I always thought it was weird that when we get to the goal line of a deal with a customer, the customer says, yes, it requires a different person to negotiate than it does to sell. As a matter of fact, like I learned how to negotiate from a former FBI hostage negotiator. We’re not negotiating the release of hostages from a bank heist, and this person I’m negotiating with, I need to have a relationship with post-sale. What are we doing? I had stumbled upon a concept called transparent negotiating, which is basically playing your card space up around the four things that matter to you and every for-profit organization in the world, which is every single one cares about how much you buy, so volume, how fast you pay, so the timing of cash, how long you commit, so the length of commitment and when you sign. Those are four things that we’re willing to pay you for in the form of a discount. Commit to more pay faster, commit longer, help us forecast. That’s another one of those examples of A, you’re building trust to the goal line instead of eroding it via traditional negotiation methods, B, you’re getting value for every dollar you give away in the form of a discount, and C, you’re giving them the cards to negotiate their own deal. You’re removing friction in a big way, and you end up with more valuable, more predictable deals, and you’ve built trust to the goal line. That’s one really important piece that I would hope that everybody would think about. Think about the negotiation that you do. Now, to your question about sales enablement, I have a slightly different take on sales enablement than most. I’ve got this book, but I’m in the midst of writing my second book right now, which is called, “The Transparent Sales Leader,” that hopefully will be out in February. I feel like sales enablement's role is essentially three core components. Number one is this idea of what I call amalgamate, which is going across an organization to their leaders and helping to curate all of the requirements across the organization, and then prioritize them and work with sales leaders on we’re going to say yes to these, we’re going to say no to these, and every new thing that comes in is going to require one of the yeses to go away. You amalgamate. The second piece is orchestrate, which is on those priorities, now you focus on orchestrating. What is the most efficient and effective way of getting those priorities and the goals associated with them into the brains of our salespeople in an executable way? The third piece is what I call evaluate, which is, how’s it working? Measuring, adjusting. Sales enablement is the first line of understanding whether your new hires are going to make it. Having structures in place that allow them to be able to see those warning signs upfront and be able to communicate those. I think when sales enablement thinks about their role, that way, that becomes such an effective partnering mechanism. As a CRO and a multi-time sales leader, when those structures were in place and there wasn’t an expectation that sales enablement is the dreaded sales trainer, no, that’s not the role, the role is to help prioritize, execute on those priorities and then help us see what’s going on in the field. That’s where partnership truly takes place and becomes so valuable. When that clicks, that’s where I, as a sales leader, invest more and more and more in sales enablement. OF: Digging in there actually a little bit more about enablement's role, you mentioned this, but enablement often plays a large part in arming reps with the tools that they need to be successful. To your point, it’s also about driving collaboration among key stakeholders. How can enablement really ensure that reps across revenue teams have the knowledge and skills that are really needed to engage with prospects and customers in an authentic way? TC: In the last three business days, I’ve had five different sales leaders reach out to me going Todd, do you know anybody? I’m hiring sales reps; I can’t find them. There's such like a frantic mode right there. Before I answer your question, for anybody who’s in sales enablement who’s listening, the thing that I’ve told all of those sales leaders is that right now, according to ZipRecruiter, there is 714,000 open sales roles. Your organizations that are hiring are competing for talent against all of that. Then you add to it that the number of new unicorns that have been established, the funding that are multi-billion dollars that are considered unicorns, year over year, beginning of the year to beginning of the year pre COVID, it’s up 600 percent. That’s only going to get worse. My advice for all of the sales leaders that I gave was this: look at your job requirements. You’ve got sales roles, you've got 10 bullets of the things you’re going to look for, cross off five of them. Right now, find five that you’re going to be fine if you live without, and then double down on enablement. Take one of those head count, take the dollars, and use it to invest in more internal resources to assist enablement, allow enablement to go outside and bring in outside practitioners to fill in the gaps and the holes, and just focus on taking those people that are not quite going to be able to check all the boxes and get them upskilled or out as quickly as possible. You’ve got to do that now. That's number one on this whole thing. I guess that answers the question. If you can seek ways to help educate your leaders to understand that conundrum, that you’re going to be bringing in some people that don’t check all the boxes. Then you've got to invest in enablement. I know that’ll come across as self-serving, so hopefully my words here will help you, it’ll help you with that justification. The competition for talent is real and it’s not going away anytime soon. I think sales enablement is the success or failure of many of these organizations. OF: Definitely. I’m so glad that we have you here to share your perspective on sales enablement from the perspective of a sales leader. Digging into that a little bit more, my last question for you is really around, given your background as a sales leader, what are some of the key metrics or things that enablement leaders really need to be tracking to reinforce the importance of transparency and also their impact on business? TC: Number one, one of the things that I used to screw up is this idea of we need to at all times have four X our quota in pipeline looking across my salespeople. One stat that you can use that’s really effective when you think about transparency is your ratio, your win percentage. That’s really, really important, but there’s another data point, which is time to loss. The deals you lose, how long is it taking you to lose? My point being, I used to manage my reps and I’d be like, hey, you need to always have four X quota in pipeline because we know we’re not going to close everything. What did the reps do? They filled it four X filled with crap because that was something I was measuring. If you do transparency right, and you lead with, hey, we give up this to be great at our core, our competitor might be better in this area and if that’s going to be important, let’s bet that now, or hey, our pricing based on our understanding of your environment is going to be between X and Y, if that’s going to be trouble, let’s discuss that upfront before we invest a bunch of time in each other. If that won’t match, let’s part as friends right now. What that ends up doing is like I said, it speeds sales cycles because you’ve built it on a foundation of trust, your win rates should go up mainly because you’re working deals that you should be working and instead of working the deals you’re going to lose anyway, you lose them really, really quickly. The answer, again, is look at your win rate. If you’re only winning 20, 25% of the deals that you’re qualifying, there’s a qualification issue. I bet the transparency upfront would help vet some of that, so you’re spending time on the deals you should be working or you’re spending time prospecting into the opportunities that would be better for you. That second data point is look across your losses and figure out is it taking us two weeks to lose or two years to lose or six months to lose. If it’s taking you that long to lose, analyze the heck out of that and use that as a really key data point to see whether or not transparency could be a powerful tool to get more efficient in your pipeline. OF: Fantastic. Well, Todd, thank you so much for sharing all of these insights with our audience. I know I learned a ton from you and our audience I’m sure will as well. Thank you again. TC: Hey, thanks for having me. As you can tell, I’m such a nerd for this, I could rant about it all day. Again, sales enablement, there’s nothing more important right now in this economy, in this market. If I can be a resource for you or anybody else, please reach out. I’d love to help out in any way that I can. OF: Awesome. To our audience, thanks for listening. For more insights, tips, and expertise from sales enablement leaders, visit salesenablement.pro. If there’s something you’d like to share or a topic you’d like to learn more about, please let us know. We’d love to hear you.

Olivia Fuller: Hi, and welcome to Book Club, a Sales Enablement PRO podcast, I’m Olivia Fuller. Sales enablement is a constantly evolving space, and we’re here to help professionals stay up to date on the latest trends and best practices so they can be more effective in their role. When most people think about the act of selling, they often think that it’s all about making something seem desirable to motivate someone to buy it, but what if it was actually about the opposite? This is an idea that Todd Caponi explores in his book, “The Transparency Sale,” where he makes the case that leading with your flaws and actually embracing vulnerability is the key to building buyer engagement. As Todd puts it, effective sales today requires radical transparency, and he’s here to tell us a little bit more about why this is so essential. With that, Todd, I’d love if you can introduce yourself to our audience and tell us a little bit about your book. Todd Caponi: Cool. I’ll do it in story form because I think it’ll crystallize this. I’m a multi-time sales leader. My last role was the Chief Revenue Officer of a company here in Chicago, where I am, called PowerReviews. You could probably guess from the name PowerReviews, we were in the space of helping retailers and brands collect and display ratings and reviews on their websites. Meaning you’re buying a pair of Crocs or a sweater on Vineyard Vines or whatever, you look at the product, you scroll down, there’s the reviews. That was us for many cases, doing the collect and display. Here’s what happened. We did a research study with Northwestern University here in Chicago that looked at when a website’s acting as a salesperson, i.e., an e-commerce site, what do people do? What do human beings do? There were three data points that came back from it. Two of them changed my life in only a way that could be changed for a nerd like me because I’m super behavioral science data nerdy. The first step that did not change my life was that we all read reviews today. I’m assuming, Olivia, when you’re buying something that you haven’t bought before, you probably read reviews first, but here’s the two that blew my mind. Number one, that 85% of us go to the negative reviews first. I don’t know if when you’re reading reviews, you skip the fives and go right to the fours, threes, twos, and ones, but that’s what most of us do. The second data point that changed my life was a product that has an average review score between a 4.2 and a 4.5, that range on a five-star scale is optimal for purchase conversion. You're selling something on a website, right under it somebody who’s bought that comes back and says, I hated this product, here’s why, and it’s right under the product, somehow that actually helps it sell more. I looked at that and thought, alright, that’s when a website’s acting as a salesperson, what happens in human to human or B2B selling? Should that dynamic be the same? As it turns out, it is. I found really, really quickly that, again, if 85% of us go to the negative first, it’s what our brain desires. When we start a conversation by embracing something that maybe we’re not great at or that we give up to be good at our core or a competitor that we’re looking at might be better at than us, when you lead with that, magic happens. Sales cycles speed up, win rates get better, we work deals we should be working, and we stop working the deals that we’re going to lose anyway, we lose faster. From trying it out and seeing that magic happen, I like a lunatic, quit my job and wrote the book, “The Transparency Sale,” which really talks through not only the data, but the behavioral science, and then how you apply it to every single stage of your sales process from positioning and prospecting to even negotiating and post-sale clients. OF: Yeah, I’m glad you brought that story up because I think that helps put this into context a little bit more with actually one of the key points that stood out to me in your book, which was that embracing imperfections and prioritizing honesty is really how salespeople can better engage customers. Can you tell us a little bit more about this? Why does transparency, even in maybe areas where a product or service fall short, how does that help build loyalty? TC: Well, yeah, there’s a couple of things. First of all, if you’ve been to Ikea before or Costco or been on a Southwest Airlines flight, those organizations, those companies, those retailers, they embrace the things they give up. Ikea is a nightmare. When you walk into an Ikea, you know you’re in for it. When they hand you a map, you're like, I need a map to buy stuff? What? Then you’ve got to find it, you've got to go to the warehouse, pull the boxes off onto carts that don’t have brakes, jam it into the back of your car Tetris style. swear your way through that, get it home, thinking that you just left the nightmare back at the store. Instead, you open up the box, there’s 150 parts and no words on the work instructions other than like Sparta or whatever their crazy brand names are, and then when you’re done, you’re like, oh, you know what, that looks pretty good. We should go back. we should’ve bought the end tables with that bedroom set. Ikea shoppers, it’s a nightmare, yet they’re incredibly loyal. They're the number one retailer for furniture in the world for 13 straight years. Costco, the same thing. You've got to buy a membership, there’s very limited brand selection, if you want some ranch dressing for your salad you've got to buy almost a gallon, if you need a toothbrush here’s a half dozen, we’re going to have somebody at the door that’s going to check your receipt to make sure you’re not stealing anything. And yet, number two retailer in the country is Costco behind Walmart. The point being that obviously over promise and under deliver is a bad idea. We all know we never should over promise and under deliver, but there’s something crazy I discovered. Under promise and over deliver is also bad because it creates a short-term satisfaction spike, but it becomes unsustainable, and it is a form of lying believe it or not. We get something I like to call expectation inflation. If we keep doing it, then I’m going to take what you tell me and I’m going to add a little to it, and if I don’t get that, I’m going to be disappointed. The point being that in our brains as human beings, when expectations are set properly, and we feel like we trust that we can predict what our experience is going to be like, that’s what triggers our decision. When expectations are set and consistently met over and over and over again, that’s what creates loyalty. You go to a Starbucks here, I’m in Chicago obviously and you’re in Seattle, the heart of Starbucks, the coffee tastes exactly the same. Go to Europe, the Pike Place is still the exact same, it’s consistent expectation setting. It’s building that consistency and that’s what creates customers that not only buy, but they stay, they buy more, and they’re more likely to advocate. I’m clearly biased, but it all starts with transparency and setting proper expectations, not over promising and under delivering or doing vice versa. OF: Actually, on that point, you also emphasize that every interaction with a prospect is really a decision point for them. What role does empathy play in the decision-making process for buyers, and how can reps really take advantage of every interaction with buyers to not only reduce skepticism, but also build better engagement? TC: Yeah. Well, there’s a funny thing about empathy, I’ll start there. When I scroll through LinkedIn, and people are like, oh, you've got be empathetic, and then they go on to explain it, 9 times out of 10 they’re actually talking about sympathy, not empathy. Empathy is literally being able to see the world through the eyes of the people that you’re trying to communicate with. Empathy actually takes it to the point where you’re almost feeling what they feel along with them. To be truly great at what we do as sales professionals, as sales enablers trying to get into the heads of the salespeople that you’re trying to enable, that empathy, not sympathy, like, oh, I hope things are good in these trying times, that’s sympathy, empathy is, hey, I understand you. From a buyer’s perspective, I’m going to give you a weird analogy. A quick story. In Seattle, they don’t have Culver’s I don't think. Culver’s is a fast-food place and they’ve got something called butter burgers and then they’ve got frozen custard, which is heavenly. It’s really, really good. A few months ago, my wife and I and my two kids, who are 8 and 10, we’re out and about and we my wife was like, hey, should we go get some ice cream? My kids with their hawk ears are just like, ice cream? Yeah, let’s go! They’re all excited, so we go drive to Culver’s because they love this frozen custard. We’ve got the means; we’ve made the decision to go there. We get there, the line for the drive thru is 15 cars long and then we can see there’s a bunch of people waiting for their food right on the other side, where the pickup window is. We’re just like, oh gosh, this blows. We get in line because the kids are bought in, they’ve got the means, they’re there, they want this reward. Within two minutes, my ten-year-old daughter leans forward and she’s like, hey, can we just go home? Like really? Then my eight-year-old was like, yeah, I don’t want to wait here. Let’s go. Alright! We were there, the reward is there, this fantastic reward, but we get there and within two minutes, our expectations hadn’t been met. There was this expectation that the journey to the reward was going to be difficult, which in the end made that reward looked less sweet even to a 10-year-old and an eight-year-old. My point being, when you think about the processes that you take buyers through, expectation setting and empathy, understanding that that perception of a reward may be biased by the perception of the journey to get to it. That’s part of what empathy is. Do you have an opportunity to differentiate in the way that you sell? Part of what transparency does is it does the homework for the buyer. There was a study in 2017 by the Corporate Executive Board, which is now part of Gartner, that looked at consensus buyers and looked at, how do they spend their time? What they found is 39% of their time was spent talking to you, talking to your competitors, or talking to their internal buying groups. That leaves another 61%. What are they doing? They’re back-channeling you because all they hear is perfect five-star stuff. They’ve got to call their buddies and check with analysts and if you’re in the tech space, they’re going to the G2's and the TrustRadius'. They’re even reading Glassdoor reviews. That’s homework, that’s like extra cars in the drive through line. How do we reduce those cars in the drive through and make the journey as frictionless as possible? When we do that, because I'm betting you anybody who’s listening, if I say, who’s your biggest competitor, they’re probably going to go, oh that's the status quo. Yeah, it’s the status quo, and many times it’s not the customer it’s you. This part of transparency is about removing homework. Now, this was one of those rants, Olivia, but I I’ll just add one little piece to it. Another piece of empathy, we all think that consensus selling is hard. We got to sell and there’s multiple buyers, we’ve got to wrangle them all, how difficult. True, but consensus buying is harder. These buyers, they don’t have a whole organization behind you. Your sellers, they’ve got you, sales enablers. Your buyers, they don’t have buyer enablement, they don’t have processes. The stuff they’re buying from you, they buy once ever. They don’t know how to do this, so consensus buying is harder. Now, add to it that all of those buyers are remote just like you. Consensus buying just got harder. They can’t run into somebody in the parking lot or run into them in the kitchen getting coffee, consensus building for your buyers just became much more difficult. When we think about the elements of transparency, but just to your question about true empathy, see through the customer’s eyes that at home, it’s added cars to that drive thru. You’re going to find that no matter how sweet that frozen custard is, even the kids look at it, that’s an amazing reward, but gosh, this is going to be too hard, I’m going to prioritize something else. Your buyers are doing that, and transparency is just one of those ways that you can remove friction and make that drive thru line look a lot shorter. OF: Well, that’s a fantastic story. One of the points that you brought up throughout that was around buy-in, and in the book, you talk about one of the steps to really create resonance with buyers is actually through building a mutual decision plan. What are some of the core things to include in a mutual decision plan and how can that help streamline the buying process for the buyer? TC: Well, yeah. It goes back to that point about the buyer not having the expertise in buying like you do in selling. How do we remove friction from that buying journey and set proper expectations? I call it the mutual decision plan in book, which is sitting across the table with the individual or across your Zoom or across the phone, and just helping them see what that journey is going to be like. The mutual decision plan really brings all of these pieces together. That perception of a reward being biased by the journey and transparency and true empathy. It’s about sitting across the table and going, hey, listen, when we work with companies like yours, here’s some of the steps that they typically have to go through. Can we just match those up and make sure that we’ve got the journey right? I don’t know if you’ve ever mountain climbed or anything, but imagine going to Mount Everest, and there’s a Sherpa there that meets you. The Sherpa’s just like, it’s a big mountain, how do you want to go? Which way do you want to go? You’d probably be like we’re all going to die. There’s a confidence that’s built. A lot of salespeople are like, oh, I don’t want to put the customer into a box and feel like I’m creating all these structures around them. If it’s positioned right, you’re giving them confidence that A, you know the journey, and B, you’re setting an expectation about what that journey is going to be like. That Culver’s example, my family and I, we went a few weeks ago to Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge in Tennessee. I don’t know if you’ve ever been there, it’s like Vegas for kids, but there’s Dollywood. Dollywood is this big amusement park, it's a fantastic amusement. You get there and one of the rides the kids wanted to go on, there’s a line. At the entrance to the line, it says it’s a 40-minute wait from here. We’re like, alright, cool. That Culver’s example is when expectations aren’t met, the Dollywood example, we gladly waited in line because they set proper expectations with us. We knew what that journey was going to be. We made the decision. Is the juice going to be worth the squeeze here? We said yes. It was probably like 38 minutes; it was right on. We were cool with it because they set proper expectations. I think that’s part of the power of, hey, his is what the journey is going to look like, we’ve seen it a hundred times, I want to help you and enable you to get to the goal line in your decision, whether it’s with us or not. Here’s the expectation around it, let’s add in some of the things that are unique to your situation. If you don’t want to go on this journey, that’s cool too. Let’s part as friends right now. I think that’s part of the power of all of this. OF: Definitely. We’ve been talking a lot about the buyer’s journey and the buyer’s experience, but a lot of that has been in the context of leading up to the initial purchase. It's just as important to keep customers engaged and continue to drive loyalty throughout their entire experience with an organization. I’m curious if you can tell us what are some best practices for really partnering with revenue teams internally to continue to deliver value through transparency? TC: This transparency is not only just about the front of the sales process. Friction removal and the buying journey is not about the front either, it’s about the whole process. One of the things that I teach a lot of is this idea called transparent negotiating. I don’t know about you, I always thought it was weird that when we get to the goal line of a deal with a customer, the customer says, yes, it requires a different person to negotiate than it does to sell. As a matter of fact, like I learned how to negotiate from a former FBI hostage negotiator. We’re not negotiating the release of hostages from a bank heist, and this person I’m negotiating with, I need to have a relationship with post-sale. What are we doing? I had stumbled upon a concept called transparent negotiating, which is basically playing your card space up around the four things that matter to you and every for-profit organization in the world, which is every single one cares about how much you buy, so volume, how fast you pay, so the timing of cash, how long you commit, so the length of commitment and when you sign. Those are four things that we’re willing to pay you for in the form of a discount. Commit to more pay faster, commit longer, help us forecast. That’s another one of those examples of A, you’re building trust to the goal line instead of eroding it via traditional negotiation methods, B, you’re getting value for every dollar you give away in the form of a discount, and C, you’re giving them the cards to negotiate their own deal. You’re removing friction in a big way, and you end up with more valuable, more predictable deals, and you’ve built trust to the goal line. That’s one really important piece that I would hope that everybody would think about. Think about the negotiation that you do. Now, to your question about sales enablement, I have a slightly different take on sales enablement than most. I’ve got this book, but I’m in the midst of writing my second book right now, which is called, “The Transparent Sales Leader,” that hopefully will be out in February. I feel like sales enablement's role is essentially three core components. Number one is this idea of what I call amalgamate, which is going across an organization to their leaders and helping to curate all of the requirements across the organization, and then prioritize them and work with sales leaders on we’re going to say yes to these, we’re going to say no to these, and every new thing that comes in is going to require one of the yeses to go away. You amalgamate. The second piece is orchestrate, which is on those priorities, now you focus on orchestrating. What is the most efficient and effective way of getting those priorities and the goals associated with them into the brains of our salespeople in an executable way? The third piece is what I call evaluate, which is, how’s it working? Measuring, adjusting. Sales enablement is the first line of understanding whether your new hires are going to make it. Having structures in place that allow them to be able to see those warning signs upfront and be able to communicate those. I think when sales enablement thinks about their role, that way, that becomes such an effective partnering mechanism. As a CRO and a multi-time sales leader, when those structures were in place and there wasn’t an expectation that sales enablement is the dreaded sales trainer, no, that’s not the role, the role is to help prioritize, execute on those priorities and then help us see what’s going on in the field. That’s where partnership truly takes place and becomes so valuable. When that clicks, that’s where I, as a sales leader, invest more and more and more in sales enablement. OF: Digging in there actually a little bit more about enablement's role, you mentioned this, but enablement often plays a large part in arming reps with the tools that they need to be successful. To your point, it’s also about driving collaboration among key stakeholders. How can enablement really ensure that reps across revenue teams have the knowledge and skills that are really needed to engage with prospects and customers in an authentic way? TC: In the last three business days, I’ve had five different sales leaders reach out to me going Todd, do you know anybody? I’m hiring sales reps; I can’t find them. There's such like a frantic mode right there. Before I answer your question, for anybody who’s in sales enablement who’s listening, the thing that I’ve told all of those sales leaders is that right now, according to ZipRecruiter, there is 714,000 open sales roles. Your organizations that are hiring are competing for talent against all of that. Then you add to it that the number of new unicorns that have been established, the funding that are multi-billion dollars that are considered unicorns, year over year, beginning of the year to beginning of the year pre COVID, it’s up 600 percent. That’s only going to get worse. My advice for all of the sales leaders that I gave was this: look at your job requirements. You’ve got sales roles, you've got 10 bullets of the things you’re going to look for, cross off five of them. Right now, find five that you’re going to be fine if you live without, and then double down on enablement. Take one of those head count, take the dollars, and use it to invest in more internal resources to assist enablement, allow enablement to go outside and bring in outside practitioners to fill in the gaps and the holes, and just focus on taking those people that are not quite going to be able to check all the boxes and get them upskilled or out as quickly as possible. You’ve got to do that now. That's number one on this whole thing. I guess that answers the question. If you can seek ways to help educate your leaders to understand that conundrum, that you’re going to be bringing in some people that don’t check all the boxes. Then you've got to invest in enablement. I know that’ll come across as self-serving, so hopefully my words here will help you, it’ll help you with that justification. The competition for talent is real and it’s not going away anytime soon. I think sales enablement is the success or failure of many of these organizations. OF: Definitely. I’m so glad that we have you here to share your perspective on sales enablement from the perspective of a sales leader. Digging into that a little bit more, my last question for you is really around, given your background as a sales leader, what are some of the key metrics or things that enablement leaders really need to be tracking to reinforce the importance of transparency and also their impact on business? TC: Number one, one of the things that I used to screw up is this idea of we need to at all times have four X our quota in pipeline looking across my salespeople. One stat that you can use that’s really effective when you think about transparency is your ratio, your win percentage. That’s really, really important, but there’s another data point, which is time to loss. The deals you lose, how long is it taking you to lose? My point being, I used to manage my reps and I’d be like, hey, you need to always have four X quota in pipeline because we know we’re not going to close everything. What did the reps do? They filled it four X filled with crap because that was something I was measuring. If you do transparency right, and you lead with, hey, we give up this to be great at our core, our competitor might be better in this area and if that’s going to be important, let’s bet that now, or hey, our pricing based on our understanding of your environment is going to be between X and Y, if that’s going to be trouble, let’s discuss that upfront before we invest a bunch of time in each other. If that won’t match, let’s part as friends right now. What that ends up doing is like I said, it speeds sales cycles because you’ve built it on a foundation of trust, your win rates should go up mainly because you’re working deals that you should be working and instead of working the deals you’re going to lose anyway, you lose them really, really quickly. The answer, again, is look at your win rate. If you’re only winning 20, 25% of the deals that you’re qualifying, there’s a qualification issue. I bet the transparency upfront would help vet some of that, so you’re spending time on the deals you should be working or you’re spending time prospecting into the opportunities that would be better for you. That second data point is look across your losses and figure out is it taking us two weeks to lose or two years to lose or six months to lose. If it’s taking you that long to lose, analyze the heck out of that and use that as a really key data point to see whether or not transparency could be a powerful tool to get more efficient in your pipeline. OF: Fantastic. Well, Todd, thank you so much for sharing all of these insights with our audience. I know I learned a ton from you and our audience I’m sure will as well. Thank you again. TC: Hey, thanks for having me. As you can tell, I’m such a nerd for this, I could rant about it all day. Again, sales enablement, there’s nothing more important right now in this economy, in this market. If I can be a resource for you or anybody else, please reach out. I’d love to help out in any way that I can. OF: Awesome. To our audience, thanks for listening. For more insights, tips, and expertise from sales enablement leaders, visit salesenablement.pro. If there’s something you’d like to share or a topic you’d like to learn more about, please let us know. We’d love to hear you.

Buyers are more empowered and knowledgeable than ever before. The voice of your customer holds more weight than ever before. What does this mean for sales professionals?Todd Caponi, Author of The Transparency Sale, talks about the power of transparency and how great sales professionals understand how vital it is to a successful customer relationship. Listen in on David and Todd's conversation and walk away with true insight on how to become more transparent with your prospects and customers!NEW Research Report Sales Development Benchmarks 2021. Grab full report here: https://tenbound.mykajabi.com/research_report NEW BOOK: The Sales Development Framework: by David Dulany and Kyle Vamvouris, we lay out a proven methodology for running a high performance Sales Development program, now available here in paperback Grab it here: https://www.amazon.com/Sales-Development-Framework-Productive-Program/dp/1736768905/#SDR #BDR #salesdevelopment #tenbound #podcast #sales #marketing #salesengagement #salesenablement #research #prospecting

Todd Caponi joined Jason Ferrara and Pete Jansons to talk about his book The Transparency Sale: How Unexpected Honesty and Understanding the Buying Brain Can Transform Your Results Topics: Chicken or Egg with RFP Process Sympathy vs Empathy Nerdometer Flossum Ways to get a discount: 1) Volume 2)Timing/Cash 3)Length of Commitment 4) Forecast Sales Role: 1)Learn Product 2) Empathy 3) Add Value Ideal for a topic or show? pete@saasholes.net

Join us as we host special guest Todd Caponi to discuss The Transparency Sale! Todd fell into sales, then fell in love with the decision science surrounding it. He turned that into a career encompassing multiple sales leadership roles, including building the revenue capacity of one tech company from the ground-up into Chicago's fastest-growing, another where his efforts helped drive the organization to a successful IPO followed by an acquisition worth almost $3B, and another where his turnaround efforts were rewarded with the American Business “Stevie” Award for Worldwide Vice President of Sales of the Year. His first book, The Transparency Sale, has earned international best-seller status and has won three best sales book awards. He now speaks and teaches revenue organizations on leveraging transparency and decision science to maximize their revenue capacity.

How can being more transparent, leading with your imperfections help you close more dealsand quicker?Have you heard of the term “flawsome”? Embrace and lead with your flaws, seemscounterintuitive and for most uncomfortable.The irony is people connect with your imperfections, not your perfections.As sales professionals, most of us were trained to deliver value first and then price.Todd shares the role neuroscience plays in the buyer's behaviour, he compares empathy and sympathy and shares how transparency has helped him professionally as well as many others.Join us to see how you can close more deals, qualify out and build trust quicker whilecontrolling your message.Show notes:[2:25] What lead Todd to write The Transparency Sale[9:10] Consensus buying[12:28] Corporate Executive Study, buying group spends 39% of time speaking with salespeople, 61% of time is doing their homework. We can shrink this by lead with flaws[15:51] How do sales leaders break their traditional approach of withholding information andleading with transparency “If the truth won't sell it, don't sell it”[21:22] How to get good at qualification? 4 metrics towards results. 1) number of qualifiedopportunities 2) how big 3) how many you win 4) how fast[23:53] Control the message[24:30] Embrace the loss, losses are wins if you do it right[32:04] How we can sales leaders prevent a revolving door with their sales team[33:47] Empathy vs sympathy[35:52] Message for leaders, are you able to share what your teams work means to you and the overall company? people want to know they matter. Walking a mile in your rep's shoes[41:16] How to embrace vulnerability as a leader[45:39] What is “flawsome”?[47:28] Where in the sales process do you start sharing your flaws / Imperfections?82-85% are going to negative reviews first, start early on, disarm and lead with it[48:20] Limbic filter[51:10] How important is it for sales people to understand their why and their clients why?Do you take time to understand their current state first, educate them, bring ideas and helpthem achieve more than even they thought they could? Instead of leading with your solutionlead to your solution.[56:19] Risks of leading with logic and data[63:02] 3 things you can start doing immediately to start leading with transparencyConnect with Guest:https://www.linkedin.com/in/toddcaponi/Transparencysale.comhttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCV2-_wG43G5h7MhEjmOjF_wSubscribe, Leave a comment, and review of K2 Sales podcast by visiting:https://www.k2perform.com/resources/podcast Interested in learning more about our Virtual Sales training programs, visit us ashttps://k2perform.com

Be transparent about what you're not great at with your customer....?What? Really? YES! This is the message from Todd Caponi, the best selling author and owner of Sales Melon.Todd, a self proclaimed sales nerd, quit his job as CRO and wrote his best selling book, The Transparency Sale, after his success in a meeting where he presented what his company is NOT capable of doing!He was blown away with how quickly he closed a multimillion dollar deal by being transparent about his incapabilities and basically decided to quit his job and write a book!This episode he explains how buyers think and how you can create more trust, quicker, by being transparent and showing your customers what you can and cannot do!https://www.linkedin.com/in/toddcaponi/https://www.transparencysale.com/

Episode 36 of The Talent, Sales & Scale Podcast is live! Host Bryan Whittington is joined by Todd Caponi, Founder at Sales Melon. Todd is also the author of the best selling book "The Transparency Sale". Bryan and Todd go over some very interesting topics on this episode including: -the meaning of clinical empathy in sales -narrowing your target market to truly scale -embracing extreme transparency to build relationships based on trust The Transparency Sale: https://www.amazon.com/Transparency-Sale-Unexpected-Understanding-Transform/dp/1940858801 Todd's Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/toddcaponi/ Todd's Website: https://www.transparencysale.com/

Buyers barely even read the product description anymore. 96% of us scroll right to the reviews because we want to predict what our buying experience will be like.   The last thing we want is for an organization to over promise and under deliver. We long for transparency.   In this episode, I interview Todd Caponi, Founder at Sales Melon and author of The Transparency Sale, about why transparency sells better than 5.0 ratings.   What we talked about:   - How leading with your flaws appeals to the buyer's brain   - Sales theory from the 1920s… still valid?   - Why buyers spend 61% of their time investigating your claims   - Personalization & value will help your communication stand out   Subscribe, listen, and rate/review the Customer Experience Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Play or Google Podcasts, and find more episodes on our blog.

82% of us seek out the negative reviews first. We mostly ignore the 5-stars and scroll down until we see some 2-star reviews. What does that mean for us in a recession? In this episode, we interview Todd Caponi, author of The Transparency Sale, about how sales should cope in a recession. What we talked about: -Why a 4.3 rating sells better than a 5.0 -The 2 human responses toward spend in a recession -Throw out your old messaging & pivot this way -Loneliness is a serious health risk Check out these resources we mentioned during the podcast: -Todd's virtual series for Sales Assembly -2 classic books on selling: The 5 Great Rules of Selling (1946) and The Mind of the Buyer (1922) For more engaging sales conversations, subscribe to The Sales Engagement Podcast on Apple Podcasts, on Spotify, or on our website.

Do you know the biggest benefit of maximizing your engagement with your team? 6 questions. 7 minutes. Pure insights. Episode 28: When you maximize your engagement with your team, work ceases to be work. Wise words from Todd Caponi, Founder of The Transparency Sale 

We all know that honesty in sales can go a long way. But what if we prefaced our pitch with what we do poorly? How do you think prospects would respond to such radical transparency? Todd Caponi, the author of The Transparency Sale, has tested this method. And if you couldn't tell by the title of his book, it's worked boundlessly for him. Todd shares his experiences with radical transparency in sales live from the B2BSMX stage. Plus, he discusses: Why transparency works in sales How to successfully present the entire picture to a B2B buyer How to embrace your flaws and look at your company from the perspective of the buyer To listen to this episode and more like it, you can subscribe to #FlipMyFunnel on Apple Podcasts or tune in on our website.

"When we are transparent about our flaws, we draw people in, we build trust, and we speed sales cycles." - Todd Caponi in today's Tip 319 Are you REALLY giving buyers what they need in your proposals to make a confident decision? Join the conversation at DailySales.Tips/319 and follow Todd on LinkedIn to get your own copy of The Transparency Sale! Have feedback? Want to share a sales tip? Call or text the Sales Success Hotline: 512-777-1442 or Email: scott@top1.fm

It's already time for the October Favorites File. While naming, productivity and reviews may seem random, intentionality and purpose is an underlying theme with all three. To keep these actionable tips close by I've created a helpful summary to print and reference whenever you need it. What's in a name? Names are one of the most repeated parts of your brand - whether it is your brand name, or the name of a product or a service you offer - it is important to make your selection wisely. In episode 247 of The Marketing Book Podcast, Douglas Burdett interviews Alexandra Watkins about her book "Hello, My Name is Awesome!" Let's talk productivity Jocelyn K. Glei talks with Dan Harris on episode 207 of The 10% Happier podcast about how to overcome productivity shame through practicing heart-centered productivity and a healthy dose of tender discipline. Do you really want 5 Star reviews? Did you know that our brains are wired to resist being sold to? Yes, it is true. And 82% of people seek out negative reviews when making an online purchase. Todd Caponi discusses this with Douglas Burdett on episode 226 of The Marketing Book Podcast. He is the author of The Transparency Sale. Read the show notes here. 

It's not everyday A-list celebrities give a workshop on B2B sales. But Tyra Banks did just that when she coined the term “flawsome.” For B2B sellers, flawsome means this: Be transparent, and lead with your flaws. Todd Caponi joined us to tell us exactly why transparency sells in B2B. Todd is the Managing Director for VentureSCALE, an accelerator for B2B tech companies. He's also a speaker, trainer, and author of The Transparency Sale. What we talked about: Statistics show that people don't listen to 5-star reviews Buyers want predictable relationship outcomes The IKEA example: great at one thing (not so great at others) Don't go out and say, ‘Our company sucks' Checkout these resources we mentioned during the podcast: PowerReviews & Northwestern University study  PowerReviews 2016 study This is an interview with Todd Caponi from VentureSCALE. To hear this episode, and many more like it, you can subscribe to The Sales Engagement Podcast on Apple Podcasts, on Spotify, or on our website.

You are in for an inspiring treat. Todd Caponi, author of The Transparency Sale, stumbled across an epiphany that changed his sales career and led him on a journey to discover the power of radical transparency. Join us as he shares why being transparent and leading with your flaws might be the key to your next level of success. Thanks To Our Friends at Send Out Cards

You are in for an inspiring treat. Todd Caponi, author of The Transparency Sale, stumbled across an epiphany that changed his sales career and led him on a journey to discover the power of radical transparency. Join us as he shares why being transparent and leading with your flaws might be the key to your next level of success. Thanks To Our Friends at Send Out Cards

What do customers expect from your company? Are you owning your spot in the market? Or are you trying to be everything for everyone? When it comes to leading a successful business, it's best to be honest and upfront with potential customers. The Transparency Sale author, keynote speaker, and Sales Melon LLC founder, Todd Caponi, gave us some crucial advice on excelling in any chosen niche. In this episode, we hit on transparency in sales, creating a clear position in the market, and more.

Todd Caponi talk through the concept of leading with transparency.  Does your product or service have a flaw? Do you think your customer hasn't researched that online already? Why try to hide things? It's easier to help your customer when you're transparent.  Your customer appreciates it. You weed out the non-buyers quicker. Ultimately, transparency works to your benefit. Discover how, in this episode of The Buyer's Mind. ===================================== Get your sales question answered on The Buyer's Mind podcast! Email us at ask@jeffshore.com or give us a call at (844) 547-4673 Extension 1.    Want more of Jeff Shore's advanced sales strategies? Visit www.JeffShore.com to download free sales tools & resources. Or come join the Jeff Shore Community on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/JeffShoreCommunity  =====================================

Being vulnerable is difficult for everyone, but it can be especially hard for businesses to embrace. They often think that vulnerability will take away their power. They're convinced that being honest and authentic will limit their results. But being completely upfront with your customers actually maximizes your results. With apps like Yelp and many of the retail sites showing reviews, we are truly in a “transparency age.” People will trust you more if they feel that they are being told the good and the bad. Humans' brains are wired to automatically distrust people they feel are “selling” them something. To dive deeper into the idea of transparency, I've brought on an award-winning sales leader, Todd Caponi. His expertise is in building the revenue capacity for technology companies. He has served in senior leadership roles, helped one organization to a successful IPO followed by an exit valued at almost $3B, won the American Business "Stevie" Award for VP of WW Sales of the Year, and is also a former owner/operator of a sales training and consulting company. Todd's first book, The Transparency Sale, is available wherever books are sold. THE INNER EMOTIONAL WARRIOR   “Be forthright with what you're not good at. It disarms the brain.” - Todd Caponi Highlights - According to one study, 85% of shoppers under the age of 65 seek out negative reviews before making a purchase. Transparency sells better than perfection. Presentation Choreography: show people that their problems are worse than they thought and need urgent help. The reptilian brain loves false positives. We're wired to resist influence. It's good to show good reviews and bad reviews so that customers don't feel like you are lying to them. Be a “buyer sherpa.” Tyra Banks coined the term FLAWSOME which means embracing your flaws but knowing you're still awesome. Guest Contact - Todd's Website Todd's Twitter Todd's Book The Transparency Sale: How Unexpected Honesty and Understanding the Buying Brain Can Transform Your Results Contact Jeffrey - Website Coaching support My book, LINGO: Discover Your Ideal Customer's Secret Language and Make Your Business Irresistible is now available! Watch my TEDx LincolnSquare video and please share!  Mentions - Learn more about Jim Rohn The Story Behind Starbucks Jeffrey's Interview with Julia Cameron Jeffrey's Interview with Todd Henry Jeffrey's Interview with Paul Busse Resources - Have Your Website Brand Message Reviewed! Is your website and are all your marketing materials speaking the right LINGO of your ideal customers? Often it's not which is why you're not converting traffic and leads to clients and attracting your most profitable customers. Fill out the simple LINGO Review application and I'll take a look at your website. If I have suggestions for you to improve your brand message (I almost always do), we'll set up a complimentary 30-minute call to discuss. A select number of websites are also chosen for my LINGO Review Video Series. Fill out the application today and let's get your business speaking the right LINGO! Music by Jawn To learn how to utilize transparency to create lifelong customers, download this episode now.

Perfect 5-star ratings are not perfect for sales. Todd Caponi, author of The Transparency Sale, explains why transparency sells better than perfection.

It seems counterintuitive in sales, but leading with your flaws can shorten the sales cycle and disarm your customers, ultimately leading you to better metrics. Todd Caponi was the chief revenue officer for a company called Power Reviews which helps retailers and brands collect and display ratings and reviews on their website. His time there caused him to rethink the way he leads sales organizations because he discovered that consumers were more likely to buy a product that had a 4.2 to 4.5 rating than a 5-star rating. Statistics show that 95 percent of consumers in the B2C world are looking at reviews before they buy. Of those, 82 percent are looking for negative reviews before buying. Todd wondered what might happen if the same notion could be applied to the B2B world. Pros and cons Todd embraced the idea of embracing the pros and cons and leading with them. He discovered that his first deal, which previously had a sales cycle of 6 months, closed within 4 weeks. They discovered that when you lead with your flaws, your sales cycle speeds up dramatically. You'll qualify deals faster and eliminate those deals that you probably weren't going to win anyway. Todd was in New York when his VP of sales called him to say the company had an inbound lead from an apparel brand that wanted to initiate an evaluation. The brand happened to be headquartered in NY, so Todd scheduled coffee with the senior vice president of e-commerce. The coffee meeting became a presentation instead, and the SVP got right to the point. Competitor is better He said that his company had been talking to Todd's competitor, and he wanted to know why Todd's company was better than the competitor. Todd figured he had nothing to lose, so he asked an unexpected question. “Do you mind if I tell you why the competitor is better?” He explained that the competitor had offerings that his own company didn't, so if he wasn't going to be able to meet their needs, he wanted to determine that quickly so both parties could move on. The room deflated. The guy clearly thought Todd was crazy, but he agreed to the idea. Todd talked about an add-on that the other company had but explained that his own company was focused on certain core beliefs. The SVP acknowledged that the add-on the competitor was offering wasn't a necessity for his company, so they moved on. Transparency Within 20 minutes, the SVP kicked everyone else out of the meeting and grabbed a folder that includes the company's budget for ratings and review software. He pointed to a number inside and asked Todd if he could hit that figure. The two engaged in a collaborative process that culminated in a deal a few weeks later. The company didn't initiate an evaluation. It simply chose Todd's company. He recounted that he had called Todd's competitor, who quickly went on a rant about the add-on that distinguished the two companies. Every time they led with their flaws, it completely disarmed their prospects. The company built its sales cycle on a foundation of trust and all of its metrics moved in a dramatically positive direction. Wired to resist Todd said that we're all wired to resist being sold to. As a buyer, he simply wants to be able to predict what his experience with a certain product will be like, and then to get the best deal he can. He said that a salesperson will demonstrate within the first five minutes whether he will be a great resource or push toward a sale even if it isn't what the buyer wants. People believe in authenticity and honesty. Many of them believe that there's a trade-off required so that in order to have authenticity and honesty, you will sacrifice results. But the data suggests otherwise. The data says that when you provide authenticity and honesty to your customers, you'll maximize your sales results. Truthfully, the era of hiding your flaws from your prospects is over. The proliferation of ratings and reviews has moved into the B2B area and it has become the way of the world. B2B buying behavior A company called Trust Radius just published a study of B2B buying behavior. The data demonstrated that B2B buyers are using reviews 56 percent of the time and analyst ratings only 24 percent of the time. Every year, reviews are climbing and independent studies are going down. Marketing is becoming less trustworthy and reviews are becoming the core that brings buyers to the table. Sellers must embrace that. It's counter-intuitive to most people to show weakness. Many sellers will listen to this and wonder why this works. Todd dug into the neuroscience of this and discovered that buyers make decisions using feeling and then back them up with logic. Logic is the justifying mechanism to emotional decisions. We are also wired to disbelieve anything that looks perfect. We are taught to seek the negative. A recent study reported that buyers in a typical purchase cycle spend 39 percent of their time talking to sellers and 61 percent of their time doing other homework. This includes research, reviews, and back-channel information. Utilizing levers In his book, Transparency Sale, Todd tells the story of a rep who was selling something to an oil company. He explained the concept of levers, which he has become famous for. If you search Google for tips on negotiating, you'll find countless pointers that destroy trust. It's like a Texas Hold ‘Em tournament. But if you want to build trust through the goal line, you lead with what is important to you as an organization. You create buyers who are actually able to negotiate their own deals. In the case of the oil company, Todd was pulled into a last-minute negotiation with a group of procurement people. Before they even started, he asked for permission to write four things on the board. He listed four levers on the whiteboard. Volume, or how much they buy Timing of cash, or how fast they pay Length of commitment, or how long they commit Timing of deal, or when they signed Discount The people in the meeting immediately asked for 30 percent off. Instead of offering to do 15 percent and initiating that song and dance, he acknowledged that it might be doable and then suggested using the four concepts on the board. These concepts represent four things Todd's company was willing to pay for in the form of a discount. The notion immediately disarmed the people in the meeting. “Commit to more technology and because that's valuable to us, we'll pay you in the form of a discount.” “Since we have a three-year commitment, pay us for years two and three and we'll pay you in the form of a discount.” “Extend your deal to five years and we'll discount an extra 5 percent for years four and five.” Todd's company got something in return for every dollar they gave away, and the oil company loved Todd's company at the end. Remember that you aren't negotiating hostages. You're negotiating agreements with products. Be upfront Commit to being as transparent as possible. Every person simply wants to feel that they've been heard and that they've gotten a good deal. Get rid of one-sidedness. You'll bring humanity back to the conversation. You'll have the confidence of interacting with people as human beings. So few companies have a framework for the way they negotiate. You could implement this concept right now. It doesn't require a three-day class. [Tweet "Transparency sells better than perfection. With the proliferation of feedback and reviews, transparency is a requirement. #SellerTransparency"] "Leading With Your Flaws" episode resources You can connect with Todd on LinkedIn or at his website, transparencysale.com. Grab a copy of his book, Transparency Sale. If you haven't connected with me on LinkedIn already, do that at Donald C. Kelly and watch the things I'm sharing there. You've heard us talk about the TSE Certified Sales Training Program, and we're offering the first module free as a gift to you. Preview it. Check it out. If it makes sense for you to join, you can be part of our upcoming semester. You can take it on your own or as part of the semester group. If you and your team are interested in learning more, we'd love to have you join us. Call (561)578-1729 to speak directly to me or one of our team members about the program. This episode is also brought to you in part by mailtag.io, a Chrome browser extension for Gmail that allows you to track and schedule your emails. You'll receive real-time alerts anyone opens an email or clicks a link. I hope you enjoyed the show today as much as I did. If so, please consider leaving us a rating on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Stitcher, or wherever you consume this content and share it with someone else who might benefit from our message. It helps others find our message and improves our visibility. Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound.

Sometimes as sales reps we don't bring enough value to the table and there are 3 crucial signs you need to add more value so you won't be judged only on price. Dion Travagliante runs Madison One Consulting, a consulting practice where he solves problems for SAS businesses. He said he loves the fact that sellers have latitude in their careers and he loves the chase of finding the potential customer and then uncovering the issue and working to solve it. People have a preconceived notion that sales is just talking with no science, rhyme, or reason behind it, but he calls it a challenging world that you can train yourself to succeed in. COMMODITY Sellers often struggle to stand out against other competitors and they struggle against being viewed as simply a commodity. The key is to become the winner of the account. Dion defines value as improvement in a client or prospect's individual situation. That centers on solving problems. Any company that is selling something originated around the idea of solving someone else's problem. That means as a sales rep, you're a steward of your company's solution in the marketplace. That should free you to talk to anyone about the challenges they are facing. Flip the script. There will always be people who perceive salespeople as slick operators who try to jam products down people's throats. No one wants to have that persona. Instead, approach every customer as someone with a pain point whose problem you'd like to solve. If you do, you'll be better than 95 percent of the sellers out there because you'll be thinking about someone else.   Talk about benefits and not features. If you can solve the customer's problem, move forward and have a conversation. If you can't, you're saving both of you time by moving on. #ValueProposition CLICK TO TWEET   Watch for these 3 crucial signs you need to add more value. 1. NEGOTIATING PRICE When you're talking with a prospect and they start negotiating price during the sales cycle. Do not go down the rabbit hole of arguing price. The worst position you can be in as a sales rep is negotiating against yourself. If the prospect wants to lower the price, it becomes a game of limbo: how low can you go? Instead of just acquiescing, you want to push back on that. They are telling you that they don't see the inherent value in the price you've determined for your product. You can never negotiate against your own price, but you can flip the script. If, for example, a single client averages $60,000 and your product costs $20,000, the purchase pays for itself three times over. If your product can speed up the process, the relevant issue is how much money they'll derive from using your solution. If the person you're dealing with is an intermediary and they insist on dropping the price, what they are saying is that they don't feel confident taking this solution at this price point to the decision makers. The quicker path is to lower the price. Instead, arm them with more things so they look like the hero when they show up to present it. 2. SEEKING REFERRALS When your prospect asks you for a referral, what he's really saying is that he's interested in what you're selling and he wants to continue down the path, but he wants external validation. Mike Brooks, who calls himself Mr. Inside Sales, wrote a book called The Ultimate Book of Phone Scripts where he shares 500 scripts that you can use to address objections. He suggests acknowledging that you'd be happy to connect the customer with a host of satisfied customers but then asking what sticking points still exist. They want someone else to verify that they should buy this because we're all somewhat tribal in nature. Get out in front of it. Your own self-limiting beliefs can prompt you to negotiate with a client instead of seeking to provide enough value to get them across the finish line. Practice saying that phrase so that it becomes second-nature. Because 90 percent of decisions are made with the subconscious mind, you should train your mind to respond this way automatically. Courage isn't the absence of anxiety or fear; it's acting in spite of it. The people who improve are those that put themselves in uncomfortable scenarios. Human beings learn by pain. 3. STATUS QUO When you've done the discovery call and you're in the demo and the prospect says, “You know, I think we're going to stay with our current solution,” that's an indicator that you haven't provided enough value. The prospect is telling you that it seems like a lot of work to transition to your option, so they are going to stay where they are. They are telling you that you haven't exhibited enough value to drive them to switch. Sales decisions are made emotionally and then justified logically. Todd Caponi, in his book The Transparency Sale, talks about the psychology of sales and the fact that if your customer's logic is preventing them from closing the deal, you need to stoke some emotional flames. You must provide enough value to make switching worthwhile. BEST SALES REPS The best sales reps try new things. They put themselves into difficult scenarios that allow them to learn. They also end up selling more. Always think about the prospects and their solutions. Get out of your own way and help your prospect solve a problem and better his solution. Ask pointed questions. Figure out the plight. You'll come off as more genuine than if you toss around buzzwords. “3 CRUCIAL SIGNS YOU NEED TO ADD MORE VALUE” EPISODE RESOURCES You can connect with Dion at madisononeinc.com and you can email him at dion@madisononeinc.com. Grab a copy of the two books Dion recommended: The Ultimate Book of Phone Scripts by Mike Brooks and The Transparency Sale by Todd Caponi. You've heard us talk about the TSE Certified Sales Training Program, and we're offering the first module free as a gift to you. Preview it. Check it out. If it makes sense for you to join, you can be part of our upcoming semester in April. You can take it on your own or as part of the semester group. The program includes 65 videos altogether, and we just completed a beta group that helped us improve the program and maximize the information in it. If you and your team are interested in learning more, we'd love to have you join us. Call (561)578-1729 to speak directly to me or one of our team members about the program. This episode is also brought to you in part by mailtag.io, a Chrome browser extension for Gmail that allows you to track and schedule your emails. You'll receive real-time alerts anyone opens an email or clicks a link. I hope you enjoyed the show today as much as I did. If so, please consider leaving us a rating on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Stitcher, or wherever you consume this content and share it with someone else who might benefit from our message. It helps others find our message and improves our visibility. Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound.

Many sellers discover that their perfect pitch is not working because, as they work to build value, they are appealing to logic rather than emotion. We're devoting the whole month to a discussion about building value, and some of today's information comes from the book The Transparency Sale written by Todd Caponey. Todd will visit with us on the podcast in the near future, but today we'll talk about the decision-making process and the role our brains play. Brain power Every day, we engage in activities every day that are so routine that we don't even think about them. When we drive to work, we put a seatbelt on without even thinking about it. When we back the car up, we put our arms over the seat beside us and then look backward. You're able to listen to this podcast while you're driving because you don't even have to think about driving. Todd talks about three levels of the brain, which you may have heard of before. The reptilian part, the limbic part, and the neocortex. The reptilian portion is the core or center, and it's the oldest part of the brain. It prompts us to do things without thinking. It drives our instincts. It's the part that prompts us to react to pain without thinking, and it's part of our survival. The limbic portion is more intricate and it helps deals with feelings and emotions. It helps us make decisions and motivates our behaviors. The neo- or frontal cortex is the newest part of our brain and it's associated with information and logic. It's the largest part of the brain and it ties with math and reasoning and justification. [Tweet "We make decisions emotionally and justify them logically, and it's our brain that makes it possible. #brainpower"] Sales standpoint We typically show up to our prospect meetings with PowerPoint presentations, charts, spreadsheets, and graphs of all the amazing things our product or service can do. We show up prepared to sell to the customer's neocortex -- the logical part. Remember, though, that the logic part of our brain isn't where decisions are made. Decisions form in the middle portion of the brain, where our feelings and emotions reside. You must help people make a decision emotionally, and then justify it logically. You can build value as a sales rep by using stories to tap into the emotion or pain that the prospect is experiencing. Unless there is some kind of pain, your customer won't make a decision. Status quo The reptilian part of our brain wants us to stay where we are. If nothing is harming us, why would we move? Leave things as they are. Until someone points out the reason we need to make a change and appeals to our emotion, we'll never see a need to move. If a seller use emotion to prompt the customer to move and then help him justify the move logically, he'll be much more likely to make a change. Tie the emotion and the logic together to help your prospects understand the need to make a change. Making it work I recently met a guy who sells water filtration systems in Florida. He begins by asking people whether people drink water, and many people say no because it tastes bad and it's unclean and unhealthy. He points out that taking a shower in the same water can be just as unhealthy because your skin is your body's largest organ, which presents a pain point for his prospects. The seller never mentions price or facts about his product. He focuses on the emotion of wanting to be healthy. Do it with stories or by asking the buyer questions that tap into emotion. Defining sales I define sales as helping people persuade themselves to make a change. If we try to persuade them, their guard immediately goes up. Great sellers leave the buyer in charge of the decision. If your demos are flopping or your presentations aren't working, you're probably focusing too much on logic. Don't sell to the logical part of the brain. Sell to the emotional part. "Perfect Pitch Is Not Working" episode resources Grab a copy of the book The Transparency Sale written by Todd Caponey for more information about the role our brains play in the buying process. This episode is brought to you by the TSE Certified Sales Training Program. I developed this training course because I struggled early on as a seller. Once I had the chance to go through my own training, I noticed a hockey-stick improvement in my performance. TSE Certified Sales Training Program can help you out of your slump. If you gave a lot of great presentations and did a lot of hard work, only to watch your prospects choose to work with your competitors, we can help you fix that. The new semester of TSE Certified Sales Training Program begins in April and it would be an absolute honor to have you join us. This episode is also brought to you in part by mailtag.io, a Chrome browser extension for Gmail that allows you to track and schedule your emails. It's super easy, it's helpful, and I recommend that you try it out. You'll receive real-time alerts anyone opens an email or clicks a link. Mailtag.io allows you to see around the corners. You can see when people open your email, or when they click on the link you sent. Mailtag.io will give you half-off your subscription for life when you use the Promo Code: Donald at check out. I hope you enjoyed the show today as much as I did. If so, please consider leaving us a rating on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Stitcher, or wherever you consume this content and share it with someone else who might benefit from our message. It helps others find our message and improves our visibility. If you haven't already done so, subscribe to the podcast so you won't miss a single episode. Share it with your friends who would benefit from learning more. Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound.  

This episode I speak with Todd Caponi, Author of “The Transparency Sale” and Principal at Sales Melon. Todd pulls from his vast experiences as a sales leader at companies like Power Reviews and Exact Target (Salesforce) to help modern sellers understand the importance of transparency in closing more deals with customers. What you'll learn from our conversation: >> Showing what your product is not good at can actually help you increase trust and shorten the sales cycle >> The Review Economy's influence on how b2b buyers make decisions today >> The importance of knowing the content about your product on 3rd-party websites >> Buyers are not good at assessing their own pain and need sellers to act as personal trainers to help them find their true business issues Music/Production: Chris "KID" Robinson, Hitmakuzz Productions