This is podcast is my full AI Sales Keynote that I delivered in Montreal, Quebec (Canada) at the MicroAge Innovation Conference almost a year ago. This conference was a business growth focused conference for IT Channel MSPs and MSSPs across Canada. There’s a few stats that needed updating but I decided to share it with my podcast listeners anyway. AI has changed a lot in 12 months, but surprisingly most sales leaders and sales pros are still not operating with a full AI Sales Mindset. You can find the entire AI Keynote Video further down in this post.

There was a moment in Montreal at the MicroAge innovation conference that said it all. I looked out at the audience after they watched a video of “me” speaking, except it wasn’t me. It was a hyper-realistic avatar built using HeyGen, speaking in my voice, moving like me, and even delivering my message in French, Mandarin, (or any of 30 languages).

The audience responded with a mix of fascination and discomfort. Some were clearly inspired. Others were visibly uneasy yet still found the humour in it. That one experience summed up exactly where we are with artificial intelligence right now: intrigued and impressed, but also a little unnerved.

We’re fascinated by what AI can do, but we’re also questioning where it will take us. And as sales professionals, we’re asking the biggest question of all. Is AI going to help us or replace us?

AI in Sales: Help or Replace?

The question I hear most often from sales leaders and salespeople is whether AI will assist us or replace us. My answer is simple. It will do both.

AI is already replacing parts of our jobs. Writing proposals. Following up on leads. Translating languages. Analyzing client behavior. These used to be tasks only humans could perform. Now, they’re being done by machines faster, cheaper, and in many cases, better. Salespeople who insist on not using the tools to do this stuff are spending hours on tasks while they’re competitors and increasing real live face time with clients.

So the real question becomes: Will you be replaced by AI or will you be empowered by it?

Automation Isn’t the Threat. It’s the Opportunity.

AI can’t replicate your emotional intelligence, your ability to tell stories, or your intuition when navigating a tough negotiation. But it can do a lot of the heavy lifting.

AI tools can research your prospects before your first meeting. They can draft personalized outreach messages. They can track buying signals and recommend your next move. While you’re sleeping, AI can be generating follow-up content, qualifying leads, and building momentum in your pipeline.

That doesn’t make you less relevant. It makes you more available to do what matters most: building relationships, solving problems, and creating trust.

How I Use AI in My Sales Practice

Here’s what I’m doing right now with AI in my own business:

• HeyGen lets me create a digital version of myself to deliver sales pitches and onboarding videos in dozens of languages.
• Fathom and Quso.ai transcribe live meetings, highlight key themes, and generate content from conversations in minutes.
• ChatGPT is my co-pilot when writing follow-up messages, crafting value propositions, or brainstorming client-specific strategies. In fact I know use 5+ custom AI assistance in my sales process. DAILY.
• AI-powered CRMs give me real-time insights and tell me which accounts are warming up and which ones need more attention.

Every tool I use frees up more time for strategic thinking and human connection.

What I Said on Stage and Why It Matters

Here are some of the quotes from my keynote that got the biggest reactions. These aren’t just soundbites. They’re starting points for the way we all need to think about selling with AI:

1. “It’s not going to be AI or you. It’s going to be AI and you, or just AI.”
2. “If your job is to deliver brochures and follow a script, AI already does that better.”
3. “We’re not competing against each humans anymore. We’re competing against people who are using AI.”
4. “Every seller today must ask, what part of my work should be automated and what must remain human?”
5. “Empathy, trust, and creativity. These are your superpowers. AI can’t touch them.”
6. “Sales leaders need to stop controlling and start coaching their (AI) augmented teams.”
7. “AI is the intern who never sleeps and always has new ideas.”
8. “Adapting isn’t optional. You either drive the change or it drives you.”
9. “The threat isn’t AI. The threat is being left behind.”
10. “If you’re waiting for a better time to adopt AI, you’re already behind.”

What Sales Leadership Looks Like in the Age of AI

Sales leadership today isn’t about checking activity metrics and handing out quotas. It’s about building a team that can think, adapt, and collaborate, with AI as a partner. Everyone on your sales team should be working in tandem with an AI Assistant.

The modern sales leader needs to create a culture of curiosity, experimentation, and execution. This means training your people to use the right tools, not just for the sake of technology, but to get better at the fundamentals: listening, solving problems, and driving value.

Some leaders are resisting this shift. I hear them say things like, “We’ve been doing it this way for 20 years.” And my answer is simple. So did Blockbuster.

Your Humanity Is Still Your Competitive Edge

The tools are changing. The tech is moving fast. But the reason people buy hasn’t changed.

Buyers want to feel heard. They want to trust you. They want a partner who understands their world and can help them navigate it. AI can’t do that. But you can.

The beauty of AI is that it gives us time back. Time to coach. Time to think. Time to show up better in every human conversation. The future of selling is both high-tech and high-touch.

10 Key Takeaways to Move You Forward

1. AI will replace some sellers. It will empower others. The choice is yours.
2. The best salespeople blend technology with authenticity.
3. Speed matters. AI can help you respond with relevance, not just urgency.
4. Let AI handle the mechanical tasks so you can focus on meaningful conversations.
5. If your clients are using AI, your sales approach needs to keep up.
6. AI allows for personalization at scale. Use it wisely.
7. Train your team on how to think with AI, not just how to use it.
8. Sales leaders must evolve from managers to enablers.
9. Focus on the impact AI has, not just the activity it drives.
10. The sellers who win tomorrow are investing in change today.

5 Action Steps You Can Take Right Now

1. Identify Low-Value Tasks
   Make a list of repetitive activities that consume your time. Start replacing them with AI tools like email generators, proposal builders, and scheduling assistants.
2. Build Your AI Toolkit
   Choose two to three AI platforms that align with your workflow. Experiment with them. Start with ChatGPT, Fathom, Zapier, and HeyGen.
3. Create a Culture of AI Literacy
   Run short training sessions weekly. Showcase wins from using AI. Encourage team members to share tips and hacks.
4. Lead by Using AI Yourself
   Model the behavior. Use AI in your prep, follow-ups, and coaching. Let your team see how it enhances—not replaces—your leadership.
5. Measure Results, Not Just Usage
   Look at metrics that matter: shorter sales cycles, increased close rates, better client engagement. AI isn’t just a tool—it’s a performance amplifier.

AI isn’t the enemy of sales. It’s the new playing field. And just like every other shift we’ve seen social media, mobile, video, those who adapt early are the ones who dominate later. Early adoption will have expensive failed experiments attached to them, but no where as expensive as being a laggard when it comes to AI. Being behind by a year will feel like being 10 years behind, and it’s not just up leap frogging with better tech to catch-up because it also requires building an AI mindset and culture in your organization.

AI is here to stay. What’s your game plan? To be more specific… what sales workflows are you automating and elevating with AI?

– Shane

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(Please note this post was written by humans and augmented with AI) Here’s the podcast summary:

The debate between sales leadership and sales management has been ongoing for decades. Which is more important? Which drives results? The reality is, it’s not an “either or scenario.” Success in sales leadership requires a balance of both. I recently sat down with Mike Curliss, President at Maximizer, to break down the nuances between these two roles, and how top-performing sales organizations leverage both effectively.

The Core Differences Between Sales Leadership and Sales Management

Sales managers focus on systems, process, and daily execution. They build and maintain structure, keep teams accountable, and drive short-term results. Their world is the next 90 days. They’re the front line, ensuring every rep stays on track.

Sales leaders, on the other hand, are visionaries. They look beyond the immediate quarter and set a strategic course for the future. They develop people, influence product direction, and anticipate market shifts. Leadership is about crafting and communicating a vision that inspires and aligns the team with the company’s long-term objectives.

The best sales leaders operate in both modes and have the competency tool kit to survive and thrive. Whether you have a formal leadership title or not, balancing management and leadership is crucial.

Why You Can’t Choose One Over the Other

Organizations that over-index on sales management often create a culture of micromanagement. Reps check boxes, follow rigid scripts, and focus solely on KPIs, but lack inspiration. They meet quotas, but they don’t innovate or push boundaries.

On the flip side, organizations that lean too heavily into sales leadership without strong management systems often struggle with execution. There’s vision, but no roadmap and no sales playbook. Great ideas fizzle without action.

The winning formula? A blend of both. As Mike Curliss put it, “As a manager, you build the process box. As a leader, you shape the vision and ensure that box fits into the bigger picture.”

The Role of CRM and AI in Bridging Leadership and Management

Technology, when used correctly, can enhance both sales management and leadership. CRMs provide structure, consistency, and visibility into key performance metrics, helping managers keep the team accountable. But AI-driven tools like Gong, Fathom, and Maximizer go a step further—they provide insights that empower leaders to make informed strategic decisions.

For example, in the Maximizer CRM AI can surface patterns in lost deals, highlight underutilized opportunities, and identify coaching moments. With the right data, a sales leader can proactively pivot strategies rather than react to missed targets.

People work for the managers they like and trust, not AI. – Mike Curliss, President – Maximizer

Why Many Sales Leaders Feel Overwhelmed (And What to Do About It)

Many sales leaders today wear too many hats. They need to input on product roadmaps, collaborate with marketing, coach their teams, and hit aggressive revenue targets—all with fewer resources.

What’s the solution? Either add people or optimize process. In today’s economy, adding headcount isn’t always an option. This is why leveraging sales technology effectively becomes a game-changer. Leaders must drive efficiency through AI-driven CRM systems and automation while ensuring they invest in the right coaching and development for their people.

Should Top Salespeople Be Promoted to Managers?

One of the most controversial topics in sales leadership is whether high-performing sales reps should be promoted into management. The assumption is that if they can sell, they can teach others to do the same.

The reality? Many top salespeople excel because they are self-motivated, competitive, and independent—qualities that don’t always translate into being great managers. Effective sales managers and leaders are process-driven, team-focused, and highly communicative.

Instead of automatically promoting the top rep, look for people who are already mentoring their peers, following process rigorously, and demonstrating strategic thinking. These are the future leaders of your organization.

The Power of Proactive Leadership

A reactive sales leader waits for directives from the C-suite. A proactive sales leader anticipates challenges, drives innovation, and influences company strategy.

Proactive leaders:

• Build a talent pipeline before they need it.
• Align sales strategy with market trends before they become problems.
• Develop sales managers who drive change from the front lines.
• Implement AI-driven tools to enhance efficiency rather than replace human connection.

The best sales organizations are not just managed—they are led. They balance accountability with vision. They build strong sales processes while cultivating a culture of adaptability and innovation.

So ask yourself: Are you managing your team? Or are you leading them? Great sales leaders don’t settle for one or the other. They master both.

Action Steps for Sales Leaders

1. Audit Your Leadership Style – Are you too focused on process and missing the bigger picture? Or are you too visionary without tactical execution?
2. Leverage CRM and AI Effectively – Don’t just collect data—use it to make informed leadership decisions.
3. Develop Your Next Leaders – Identify team members who naturally mentor others and invest in their development.
4. Be Proactive, Not Reactive – Get ahead of market shifts, talent gaps, and technology changes.
5. Create a Leadership Culture – Encourage leadership at all levels, not just within management roles.

Looking for a Keynote Sales Speaker on AI? Contact Shane Gibson

Looking for a CRM made for Sales Leaders and driven by AI? Contact Maximizer CRM today!

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In today’s sales leadership environment, the role of the VP of Sales has transformed significantly, driven by the broad application of technology, data, and AI. As AI continues to reshape the sales profession, sales leaders who harness its power strategically can gain a substantial edge over their competition. This blog post is a summary of this AI for sales podcast transcript. We talk about how sales leaders can leverage AI to boost their success, outlining the essential strategies, tools, and insights discussed in a recent podcast with Shane Gibson (that’s me) and Mike Curlis, VP of Sales at Maximizer CRM. Maximizer has a robust AI tools for sales leaders that they are presently rolling out.

(Please note this post was written by humans and augmented with AI) Here’s the podcast summary:

The Changing Role of Sales Leaders

The VP of Sales role is no longer just about managing a sales team and driving revenue. Today’s sales leaders must be part CTO, part coach, and part strategist, navigating a complex environment that demands a deep understanding of technology, data, and human behavior. This shift in sales competency means that sales leaders need to be equipped with higher levels of technological intelligence (TQ) and emotional intelligence (EQ) to remain effective in their roles.

Mike Curlis points out that sales leaders now face the challenge of integrating a proliferation of sales technologies into their processes. With AI becoming a key component of these tech stacks, the ability to effectively implement and utilize AI tools can make the difference between success and failure. However, the sheer volume of available tools and data can be overwhelming, making it crucial for sales leaders to be strategic in their approach.

AI as a Game-Changer in Sales Leadership

AI SaaS companies and consulting firms are aggressively promoting the technology as a powerful tool that can significantly enhance the effectiveness of sales leaders. The question is “Is AI living up to the sales tech hype?” According to Forrester Research, sales leaders who effectively employ AI are twice as likely to hit their quota compared to those who do not. Moreover, AI-powered CRM systems can increase win rates by 20-25%, while non-AI users spend 20-40% more time on administrative tasks.

But how exactly does AI contribute to these impressive gains? The answer lies in AI’s ability to automate routine tasks, provide deep insights, and enable more informed decision-making. By leveraging AI, sales leaders can free up time to focus on high-impact activities like coaching their teams, building relationships with key clients, and developing long-term strategies.

How Maximizer CRM Equips Sales Leaders with AI Tools

Maximizer CRM is at the forefront of integrating AI into sales processes, offering tools designed specifically to empower sales leaders. Here’s how Maximizer CRM is presently equipping sales leaders with AI (some of these functions are part of their roadmap and others are fully deployed):

1. Exception Reporting: AI identifies what’s moving and what’s not in your sales pipeline, surfacing critical information that allows sales leaders to take timely action before it’s too late.
2. Activity Analysis: AI tracks hundreds of daily activities like emails, calls, demos, and social posts, providing insights into what’s working and what’s not, and connecting activities to outcomes.
3. Sales Call Preparation: AI helps sales teams prepare for calls by providing relevant research and generating insightful questions tailored to the prospect’s industry and business challenges.
4. AI-Enhanced Leaderboards: These leaderboards use AI to highlight key performance indicators and flag potential issues, allowing sales leaders to focus their attention where it’s needed most.
5. Proactive AI Actions: AI prompts sales reps to take the right action at the right time, reducing the need for micromanagement and enhancing overall team performance.

Key Insights from the Podcast

Here are the top 10 takeaways from the podcast discussion between Shane Gibson and Mike Curlis:

1. The Evolution of Sales Competency: Sales leaders need to be tech-savvy, emotionally intelligent, and capable of coordinating with various departments like marketing and finance.
2. AI as a Competitive Advantage: Sales teams powered by AI have a significant edge, with higher win rates and greater efficiency.
3. The Importance of TQ: Technological intelligence (TQ) is now as critical as traditional sales skills. Sales leaders must stay ahead of the curve by continuously learning and integrating new technologies.
4. Remote Sales Management: With remote work becoming the norm, sales leaders must use AI to manage and coordinate global teams effectively.
5. Customer Expectations: Today’s buyers are more informed and demand value-added interactions. AI helps sales teams deliver personalized, insightful engagements.
6. AI in Forecasting: AI enhances the accuracy of sales forecasting, helping sales leaders make better strategic decisions.
7. Efficiency Gains: AI reduces the time spent on administrative tasks, allowing sales leaders to focus on coaching and strategy.
8. The Human Element: Despite the rise of AI, the human touch remains essential in building trust and closing deals, particularly in high-risk transactions.
9. AI-Driven Coaching: AI tools like Gong and Chorus provide deep insights into sales calls, enabling more effective coaching and performance improvement.
10. Strategic AI Implementation: Sales leaders should start small, test AI tools in specific parts of their process, measure results, and gradually expand their use of AI.

Action Steps for Sales Leaders

To start leveraging AI in your sales leadership role, here are five actionable steps you can take:

1. Map Your Sales Process: Identify key steps and activities in your sales process where AI can add value, such as research, prospecting, or follow-up.
2. Start Small: Implement AI tools in one part of your sales process, measure the impact, and refine your approach before scaling up.
3. Invest in AI-Powered CRM: Choose a CRM that integrates AI tools, like Maximizer CRM, to enhance decision-making and streamline your sales operations.
4. Focus on Coaching: Use AI to automate routine tasks and gain insights, freeing up more time to coach your sales team and develop their skills.
5. Stay Informed: Keep up with the latest developments in AI and sales technology to ensure you’re always ahead of the curve.

By strategically incorporating AI into your sales leadership approach, you can drive better results, improve team performance, and position your organization for long-term success. The future of sales leadership is here, and those who embrace AI will lead the way.

Listen to Part 2 of this interview series on Sales Management Versus Sales Leadership here.

The post AI Sales Podcast – AI Powered Sales and CRM Strategy appeared first on Shane Gibson's Podcast – AI and Digital Selling – B2B Sales and Influence.

I am going to be delivering a new keynote on AI for Business Growth at the next ChannelNext West Conference in Whistler, British Columbia on October 21st and 22nd 2024.

Here’s the sales podcast summary:

The Importance of Coaching in Tech Sales

One of the key topics we touched upon was the critical role of coaching in sales. Coaching is not just about auditing or ensuring compliance with KPIs; it’s about sitting next to your sales reps, listening to their conversations, and guiding them on how to seize opportunities they might miss. This hands-on, side-by-side approach can transform average performers into sales stars. Without this, even the best sales training programs can fall short.

Teaching Traditional and Modern Sales Techniques

Julian and I discussed the evolution of sales techniques. While traditional methods like objection handling and closing strategies are still relevant, today’s sales environment demands more. Authenticity, empathy, and uncovering the truth behind a customer’s objections are crucial. Selling cybersecurity exemplifies this; if you’re not truthful with your customers, you’re not only risking the deal but also their trust and security.

Hybrid Sales Training Approaches

In our discussion, we highlighted the effectiveness of hybrid training models. These combine self-directed learning with in-person coaching. Online sales courses with quizzes and implementation documents, followed by in-person sessions, ensure better retention and application of knowledge. This method is especially effective in IT sales training, where continuous learning and adaptation are vital.

The Role of Technology and AI in Sales

Technology plays a pivotal role in modern sales training. Tools that automate processes, prioritize leads, and provide customer insights allow salespeople to focus on what they do best – selling. However, while technology equips us with powerful tools, the differentiator remains our people skills. AI and automation are now ambient, but the human touch in sales is irreplaceable.

Embracing Empathy and Authenticity in Sales

Empathy and authenticity are not just buzzwords; they’re essential for building lasting relationships with clients. Teaching these values starts within the company. Sales leaders must create an empathetic environment that reflects in their team’s interactions with clients. Role-playing exercises and holding space without judgment are effective ways to cultivate these skills.

Overcoming Common Sales Objections

A common objection to sales training is time. Companies often struggle to take their sales teams offline for training. Our solution is a blend of asynchronous learning and in-person coaching, minimizing downtime while maximizing impact. Assessing the current sales process and highlighting the cost of missed opportunities can also help justify the investment in training.

Building an MSP Sales Playbook

A well-structured sales playbook is a cornerstone of successful sales teams. It should include ideal client personas, effective approaches, core objections and responses, and critical questions for client interactions. This playbook not only guides new hires but also ensures consistency and efficiency across the team.

Top 10 Takeaways from the Interview

1. Coaching Over Auditing: True coaching involves hands-on guidance, not just monitoring KPIs.
2. Hybrid Training Models: Combining self-directed learning with in-person coaching yields the best results.
3. Importance of Empathy: Cultivating empathy within the team translates to better client relationships.
4. Leveraging Technology: Use technology to streamline processes and focus on human interactions.
5. Authenticity Matters: Being truthful and transparent builds trust and long-term success.
6. Continuous Learning: Regular training and updates keep sales teams sharp and adaptable.
7. Sales Playbook: A detailed playbook provides a roadmap for consistent and effective sales practices.
8. Handling Objections: Address the time objection by integrating asynchronous learning and justifying the ROI.
9. People Skills as Differentiators: In an AI-driven world, human interaction is the key differentiator.
10. Management Buy-In: Ensure that sales leaders are committed to the training and development of their teams.

Check out Julian’s eChannelNews Podcast here

Watch the video from ChannelNext West:

Effective IT and Channel Sales Training are about more than just imparting knowledge. It’s about fostering a culture of continuous learning, empathy, and authenticity. By leveraging technology and hybrid training models, we can equip our sales teams to excel.

If you’re looking for a sales training provider or keynote sales speaker for your next conference – contact us!

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In this episode, we focus on the concept of collaborating with AI, exploring how it can augment human capabilities rather than replace them. We discuss practical applications, benefits, and strategies for effectively partnering with AI in various business contexts.

This is a lengthy episode so with the assistance of AI (Vidyo.ai and ChaptGPT 4o) we pulled the top 10 takeaways from the podcast that you can expect to get from listening to the podcast:

AI Podcast: Top 10 Key Points for Marketers and Sales Leaders:

1. Collaborating with AI to Enhance Human Capabilities

AI should not be viewed as a replacement for humans but as an assistant or partner. This approach amplifies human effectiveness by taking on tasks that are time-consuming or challenging for humans, such as sentiment analysis and summarization.

“AI is here to amplify our strengths, not replace us. It’s about creating an effective partnership where AI handles the grunt work, and we focus on the creative and strategic aspects.”

– Shane Gibson

2. AI’s Role in Ideation and Judgment

AI can assist in the ideation process by providing feedback on ideas. For instance, Bob Bly, a renowned copywriter, uses AI to evaluate the potential of promotional ideas, which helps him refine his concepts by removing biases and enhancing objectivity.

“It’s fascinating how AI can be a sounding board for our ideas, offering an unbiased perspective that helps us refine and improve our concepts.”

– Nick Usborne

3. Summarizing and Analyzing Large Sales and Marketing Data Sets with AI

AI excels at summarizing large volumes of information quickly. Whether it’s a book, customer service transcripts, or interviews, AI can distill key points and insights, saving significant time and effort for humans. Both Adobe Acrobat and ChatGPT 4o are great tools to help you quickly summarize and pull out vital information from dense time consuming documentation.

“Imagine the hours saved when AI summarizes a 300-page document in minutes. It allows us to focus on applying those insights rather than gathering them.”

– Nick Usborne

4. Using Meta.ai for Sentiment Analysis for Marketing and Sales

Sentiment analysis helps marketers and sales professionals understand customer emotions and feedback. By analyzing reviews and comments, AI can identify common sentiments and language used by customers, which can then be mirrored in marketing materials to enhance relatability and effectiveness.

In the podcast Shane walks through Nick’s formula for uncovering sentiment from the voice of community on platforms like Facebook and Twitter using Meta.ai and then turning that sentiment into marketing content and campaigns.

“By tapping into the emotional language of our customers, we can create more impactful and resonant marketing messages.”

– Nick Usborne

5. Improving Proposal Writing and Client Communication with AI

Tools like Fathom.video can transcribe and analyze sales meetings, pulling out key points and client needs. This data can be fed into AI tools like ChaptGPT to draft tailored proposals that resonate with the client’s specific language and requirements, improving the chances of closing deals.

“Using AI to draft proposals means we can respond faster and more accurately to client needs, increasing our chances of success.”

– Shane Gibson

6. AI Enhanced Efficiency and Speed in Business Processes

AI can significantly reduce the time required for repetitive tasks, such as creating proposals or marketing campaigns. This allows professionals to focus on higher-value activities that require human creativity and judgment.

“With AI handling repetitive tasks, we can dedicate more time to strategic thinking and innovation.”

– Nick Usborne

7. The Importance of Human Judgment in AI Collaboration

While AI can handle many tasks, human oversight is crucial to ensure the output is aligned with the desired outcomes. Humans need to refine and polish AI-generated content, adding the nuances that only human experience can provide.

“AI gives us a head start, but it’s the human touch that polishes the final product and makes it truly effective.”

– Shane Gibson

8. The Role of AI in Professional Self-Discovery

Using AI can help professionals identify their own strengths and weaknesses. By offloading routine tasks to AI, individuals can focus on what they do best, enhancing their unique skills and expertise.

“AI can act as a mirror, showing us where we excel and where we can improve, ultimately helping us to become better professionals.”

– Nick Usborne

9. The Future of AI in Marketing and Sales Workflows

The development of AI agents and advanced workflow automation will further integrate AI into business processes. These agents can perform complex tasks independently, but human oversight remains essential to ensure quality and relevance. Workflows (which we will cover in episode 3 in more depth) enable us to create a repeatable result in our AI process.

“As AI agents become more advanced, our role will be to guide them, ensuring they operate within the parameters we set to deliver the best results.”

– Shane Gibson

10. Balancing Automation and AI with Human Interaction

Despite the efficiency of AI, human interaction remains valuable for building relationships and trust. Businesses need to find the right balance between leveraging AI for efficiency and maintaining meaningful human connections.

“AI can streamline many processes, but it’s the human touch that builds trust and solidifies relationships.”

– Nick Usborne

Here’s this AI Podcast episode on Youtube:

Action steps to help you partner and collaborate with AI:

In this episode, we explored how AI can be a powerful tool for enhancing business efficiency and effectiveness. By collaborating with AI, professionals can offload routine tasks, allowing them to focus on more strategic and creative activities. Here are some actionable steps to implement these insights:

1. Identify Routine Tasks: Look for repetitive tasks in your workflow that can be automated with AI, such as data analysis, summarization, and sentiment analysis.
   
2. Leverage AI Tools: Utilize tools like Fathom for meeting transcriptions, Meta AI for sentiment analysis, and ChatGPT for proposal writing and content creation.
   
3. Maintain Human Oversight: Always review and refine AI-generated content to ensure it aligns with your objectives and maintains the necessary human touch.
   
4. Enhance Skills: Focus on developing skills that AI cannot replicate easily, such as creative thinking, strategic planning, and emotional intelligence.
   
5. Experiment and Iterate: Continuously experiment with different AI tools and workflows to find what works best for your specific needs. Be open to iterating and improving your processes based on feedback and results.

By integrating AI thoughtfully into your business processes, you can enhance productivity, improve client engagement, and stay ahead in the competitive landscape. Keep exploring and adapting to the evolving capabilities of AI to unlock its full potential in your business.

About Shane Gibson Keynote AI Speaker on Sales

Shane Gibson is an international keynote speaker, author and trainer focused on B2B Sales, Social Selling, and AI Sales Technology. He has spoken to over 200,000 people on stages across five continents. His clients include Ford, Coast Capital, Wesgroup Equipment, US Bank (Elavon), The Canadian Armed Forces and hundreds of other organizations globally.

About Nick Usborne

Nick has worked as a copywriter for over 35 years, and have been training digital writers for over 20. His work has included running in-house seminars and training events for companies and organizations in North America and Europe.

Today he trains freelance writers how to combine AI with Emotional Intelligence. Nick has recently expanded on that program to create a AI for marketing training series for marketing groups within companies and organizations.

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That’s right… the guest host of this podcast episode is an AI.

As a keynote speaker and author, I have been delivering keynotes on AI for sales since 2018 – 6 years ago I would not have conceived being interviewed by an AI for my own podcast as being possible in such a short time.

Video: ChatGPT 4o Hosts Podcast and Interviews Shane Gibson, Keynote AI Speaker

This is arguably one of the first times an artificial intelligence, specifically OpenAI’s ChatGPT-4o, has conducted a podcast interview – it’s definitely the first for a sales podcast.

My goal with this pioneering approach was not only to showcase the capabilities of modern AI but also to show how we can creatively leverage technology in impactful ways as sales professionals.

In this unique episode, I share with the interviewer (ChatGPT-4o) how AI is transforming sales, helping evolve skill sets required for success, and also dig into the future trends that will shape the industry. Here are the key takeaways from this interview:

Will AI Help Sellers or Replace Them?

AI will both help and replace sellers. It’s about leveraging AI to automate and augment our intelligence while doubling down on human skills, aptitudes, and creativity. If sales professionals focus on rote activities and administrative tasks, AI will replace them. However, those who embrace AI to enhance their capabilities will thrive.

The Changing Sales Landscape

I discussed the significant decrease in sales positions over the past few years. Despite fewer opportunities, these positions offer better pay for those who are qualified. This shift can be attributed to the convergence of trends, including AI and automation, multi-channel selling, and the growing need for technical skills.

“The skill set that got us here is not going to be the skill set that gets us to where we want to go in our sales career.”

– Shane Gibson

Adapting to a Multi-Channel Approach

Today’s buyers use over twenty channels to make decisions. I emphasized the importance of adapting to this multi-channel approach by understanding the nuances of each platform and leveraging AI tools to automate and optimize communication across these channels.

“We are now looking at a 20-plus channel universe for a business-to-business buyer.”

The Competency Map for Modern Sales Professionals

In “Real Results in a Virtual Economy,” my co-author Denis Cauiver and I developed a competency map for modern sales professionals. Key competencies include:

• Traditional Selling Skills: Rapport building, objection handling, and closing.
• Right-Brain Sales Skills: Creativity, problem-solving, communication, and empathy.
• Technical Intelligence (TQ): Understanding and utilizing technology, creative prompt writing, and curiosity about new tools.
• Emotional Intelligence in Digital Platforms: Adapting communication styles to different channels.
• Social Networking: Building community and adding value both online and offline.

“Doubling down on creativity and right-brain selling skills is crucial in an AI-driven world.”

Right-Brain Selling

I explained that right-brain selling focuses on creativity, empathy, and innovation—skills that are harder for AI to replicate. As AI automates analytical and process-oriented tasks, sales professionals must excel in these human-centric areas to remain relevant.

“These are the right-brain sales skills around creativity and connecting and working outside of the box, breaking the rules, humor, kindness, giving.”

Ensuring Inclusion in New Job Growth

With AI expected to make millions of jobs redundant but also create new opportunities, I highlighted the importance of combining technical knowledge with emotional intelligence and core people skills. Sales professionals who embrace continuous learning and adaptability will be well-positioned to benefit from new job growth.

“It’s about combining technical knowledge and the willingness to learn new tech tools with emotional intelligence and core people skills.”

The Ironman Analogy

Using the Ironman analogy, I illustrated how AI can amplify sales professionals’ abilities. By leveraging tools like Fathom, which listens to Zoom calls and provides detailed summaries, salespeople can improve their listening skills, create more client-centric proposals, and significantly increase their productivity.

“It’s not about hiring a robot; it’s about taking your humanness and stacking on technology to amplify who you are and what you’re good at.”

AI’s Transformative Potential

Many salespeople use AI for basic tasks like content creation and data analysis. However, I pointed out that AI’s true potential lies in making salespeople smarter. AI can provide data-driven insights, coach salespeople on who to call and when, and enhance overall sales performance. Both Hubspot and Salesforce have extensive use cases and data showing that CRM powered with AI can coach your salespeople to increased win rates of 20% or more.

“AI can actually coach us in the background and make us more effective as people.”

Favorite AI Tools

I shared some of my favorite AI tools that significantly enhance sales and marketing efforts:

• Fathom: AI-based note-taker that summarizes key points from meetings.
• Vidyo.ai: Creates short, shareable video clips for social media.
• Crystal: Analyzes personality profiles to tailor communication strategies.
• ChatGPT: Used for generating ideas and refining content.

“Vidyo.ai helps me do 20 hours of marketing in a week with only two hours of effort.”

Future Trends in Sales

I identified several key trends that will shape the future of sales:

1. Digital-First Selling: Most client interactions will start on digital platforms.
2. Hybrid Selling: Combining online and offline interactions throughout the sales process.
3. Curious Self-Developers: Sales professionals must take responsibility for their own learning and development.
4. AI and Emotional Intelligence: Marrying AI with emotional intelligence will drive sales success.

“Only curious self-learners need to apply for sales.”

Advice for Sales Professionals

My advice for staying ahead in the AI-driven sales landscape includes following thought leaders, trying out new AI tools regularly, and continuously investing in personal development.

“Follow great thought leaders, try out one to two new AI tools every single week, and stay curious.”

Conclusion

This historic podcast episode (at least I think it is) , Shane Gibson (that’s me), and ChatGPT-4o showcases the innovative potential of AI in sales. By leveraging AI tools and focusing on right-brain skills, sales professionals can stay ahead of the curve and thrive in an ever-evolving marketplace. The insights shared provide a roadmap for navigating the future of sales, emphasizing the importance of continuous learning, adaptability, and the integration of AI with human intelligence.

For more insights and discussions on AI and the future of sales, follow my podcast at ClosingBigger.net and explore my sales training resources at SalesAcademy.ca. Connect with me on Instagram and Twitter at @ShaneGibson for updates and valuable content.

To book Shane Gibson to deliver his “AI and the Future of Sales” Keynote Contact Us.

The post ChatGPT 4o Hosts Podcast and Interviews Shane Gibson, Keynote AI Speaker, on the Future of Sales appeared first on Shane Gibson's Podcast – AI and Digital Selling – B2B Sales and Influence.

Our topic on this AI Podcast focuses on The Marriage of AI and Messy Humans and why the imperfect human element is vital for successful AI use in sales and marketing.

As always, I’d like acknowledge that both the video and audio editing as well as some of the blog content you’re reading was created with the assistance of AI.

Our Top 10 AI for Business Insights from Shane Gibson and Nick Usborne

In this podcast we discussed a lot of AI implications, challenges and tactics for sales, marketing, and business. With that said here were the 10 big takeaways:

1. Leverage AI for Productivity, Not Replacement: Utilize AI to handle repetitive tasks, freeing up human creativity for strategic thinking and relationship building. This approach ensures that AI enhances rather than replaces human roles, leading to more effective and emotionally intelligent business practices.
   
2. Balance Automation with Human Insight: While AI can streamline processes and increase efficiency, it’s crucial to maintain a balance where human insight plays a key role. Emotional intelligence cannot be replicated by AI, making it essential for tasks requiring empathy and deeper understanding.
   
3. Be Transparent About AI Use: Transparency in using AI tools builds trust with customers. Clearly communicate when AI is being used, helping customers understand the context and ensuring they don’t feel deceived by thinking they were interacting with a human when it was AI.
   
4. Develop AI-Enhanced Personalization: Use AI to analyze data and personalize marketing and sales efforts without losing the unique voice of the brand. This helps in avoiding the “sameness trap,” where brands lose their distinctive appeal by relying too heavily on generic AI outputs.
   
5. Focus on Emotional Intelligence Training: Invest in developing the emotional intelligence of your team. This training helps in understanding and managing one’s own emotions and effectively responding to the emotions of others, which is critical in customer interactions.
   
6. Utilize AI for In-Depth Analysis: Employ AI for complex data analysis, allowing human workers to engage more in decision-making and strategic planning based on insights provided by AI. This partnership can lead to more informed and nuanced business strategies.
   
7. Encourage Human-AI Collaboration: View AI as a collaborative partner rather than just a tool. This mindset encourages ongoing interaction with AI systems to refine outputs and ensure they align closely with human expectations and business goals.
   
8. Guard Against Over-Automation: Monitor the extent of automation to prevent a reliance on AI that could detract from customer experience. Excessive automation, especially in customer-facing roles, can lead to a decrease in customer satisfaction and brand loyalty.
   
9. Promote AI Literacy Among Staff: Ensure that all team members understand the capabilities and limitations of AI. This knowledge empowers them to use AI more effectively and identify opportunities for its application within their specific roles.
   
10. Innovate Responsibly with AI: Always consider the long-term impacts of integrating AI into business practices. Responsible innovation involves assessing potential ethical concerns and societal impacts, ensuring that AI deployment aligns with broader corporate responsibility goals.

Join us for our next who AI Podcasts in the series where we will discuss “How to Collaborate with AI” and “How to Lead and Execute with AI.

Here’s the Video of our AI Podcast Episode:

About Shane Gibson Keynote AI Speaker on Sales

Shane Gibson is an international keynote speaker, author and trainer focused on B2B Sales, Social Selling, and AI Sales Technology. He has spoken to over 200,000 people on stages across five continents. His clients include Ford, Coast Capital, Wesgroup Equipment, US Bank (Elavon), The Canadian Armed Forces and hundreds of other organizations globally.

About Nick Usborne

Nick has worked as a copywriter for over 35 years, and have been training digital writers for over 20. His work has included running in-house seminars and training events for companies and organizations in North America and Europe.

Today he trains freelance writers how to combine AI with Emotional Intelligence. Nick has recently expanded on that program to create a AI for marketing training series for marketing groups within companies and organizations.

The post AI Podcast – The Marriage of AI and Messy Humans appeared first on Shane Gibson's Podcast – AI and Digital Selling – B2B Sales and Influence.

Most of my sales keynotes have been focused on AI over the past six months. There’s a huge interest in investing in AI sales tools but many organizations are missing the exponential sales mindset and organizational DNA required to truly benefit. A quick disclaimer: Parts of this sales podcast summary were written with the assistance of AI and then edited by me.

In this sales podcast episode hosted by Shane Gibson (that’s me), w delve into the importance of this mindset in conjunction with AI technology. The exponential mindset itself is just as crucial as the technology when it comes to driving sales success.

Linear Thinking vs Exponential Thinking in Sales Organizations

There’s a big contrast between linear thinking and exponential thinking within sales organizations. While linear thinking revolves around improving customer satisfaction, exponential thinking is all about building customer communities and leveraging network effects. It also is often focused on growing in one direction incrementally versus expanding in multiple directions and channels at once. In the past this was of course a recipe for fragmented attention and sales disaster – today with AI sales tools this is possible.

Here’s the Youtube version of this AI for Sales Podcast:

Here are some of the key differences between linear and exponential sales strategies:

• Market Approach: Linear companies market where the customer already is, while exponential companies leverage omni-channel expansion to seek out new and untapped opportunities.
• System Management: Linear companies dedicate their efforts to building and managing systems, while exponential companies prioritize automation and scalability of systems.
• Partnerships: Linear companies tend to form traditional industry partnerships, while exponential companies actively seek out uncommon alliances outside their usual channels.
• Market Outlook: Linear companies anticipate market trends, whereas exponential companies seek to disrupt and create market change.
• Sales Departments: Linear companies typically operate with siloed sales departments, while exponential companies foster a sales culture that permeates the entire organization.
• Training: Linear companies focus on training individuals, while exponential companies prioritize collective team learning and sharing of best practices.
• Evolution: Linear companies evolve incrementally, while exponential companies continually reinvent and disrupt themselves.
• Decision-Making: Linear companies possess hierarchical decision-making processes, whereas exponential companies empower distributed decision-making across the organization.

The Mindset and Behaviors of Exponential Sellers:

• Differentiated Buying Experience: Exponential sellers focus on creating a differentiated buying experience, going beyond simply providing a better one.
• Value per Customer Interaction: Exponential sellers prioritize adding more value per customer interaction, rather than simply making more calls.
• Selling to the Entire Buying Network: Exponential sellers understand the importance of selling to the entire buying network, not just the decision maker.
• Proactivity and Leadership: Exponential sellers take a proactive stance and lead the sales process, rather than simply reacting to customer inquiries.
• Discovery Conversations: Exponential sellers prioritize powerful discovery conversations that uncover broader solutions, rather than solely focusing on closing deals.
• Continuous Networking and AI: Exponential sellers continuously network and leverage AI technology to identify new opportunities and expand their pipeline.
• Value-driven Follow-ups: Exponential sellers focus on adding value through follow-ups, going beyond persistent follow-ups that may lack substance.

Amplifying Results with an Exponential Mindset and AI-Powered Sales Tools

Combining an exponential mindset with AI-powered tools has the potential to produce extraordinary results for salespeople and sales organizations. Core sales strategies we need to employ and then embed AI into include:

Focus on the Top 20%: Concentrating efforts on the top 20% of accounts that drive 80% of results maximizes efficiency and effectiveness.

Selling to the Entire Buying Network: By engaging with the entire buying network, salespeople gain valuable insights and influence that can significantly impact sales outcomes.

Mastering Discovery Conversations: Developing the ability to conduct powerful discovery conversations uncovers broader solutions and opens up new avenues for growth.

Continuous Networking and AI: Embracing a proactive approach to networking and leveraging AI technology allows salespeople to continuously expand their pipeline and discover new opportunities.

Automation and Augmentation: Automating mundane tasks and augmenting them with AI capabilities frees up valuable selling time, enabling salespeople to focus on high-value activities.

The key message here is don’t fall in love with AI tools themselves. The real value lies in amplifying the value delivered to customers through an exponential mindset. By combining technological advancements with a transformative exponential sellers mindset, sales organizations can unlock their true potential and achieve remarkable success.

By shifting from linear thinking to exponential thinking, sales teams can tap into a world of possibilities and achieve ambitious goals. It also sets the stage to truly scale using AI. Embracing a differentiated buying experience, prioritizing value per customer interaction, and continuously networking with the support of AI technology are just a few examples of how an exponential mindset can drive unparalleled growth.

The future of sales is AI driven and exponential in its thinking, and those who embrace it will reap the rewards.

Looking for a Keynote Speaker on AI for Sales for your next conference? Contact Shane Gibson here.

The post AI for Sales Podcast – the Exponential Selling Mindset appeared first on Shane Gibson's Podcast – AI and Digital Selling – B2B Sales and Influence.

Below you will find the video version of the podcast and an abridged version of the transcript. If you’re looking for a keynote sales speaker for your next sales conference you can contact us to book a quick discovery call.

Sales Podcast – Keynote Sales Speaker Shane Gibson on Strategic Sales Performance

[transcript begins]

Transcript:

I want to talk about strategic sales performance improvement today. Many of our sales performance improvements come down to tactics—slight shifts in interactions or key steps in our sales process. When I think of non-strategic sales performance improvement, I think of merely improving or increasing the numbers.

Instead of focusing on numbers, orders, or specific tactics, I want to delve into how we can impact performance improvement within our sales team, ourselves, or individual salespeople by emphasizing a shift in our strategic thinking. I’ve identified three levers that can alter the way we think or approach the marketplace and consistently impact our overall sales performance. While in many cases we’re thinking tactically, I want us to transition into strategy.

Strategy can also be influenced by tactics. For instance, if your organization aims to focus on larger accounts or more intricate, profitable deals, yet our salespeople still employ tactics suitable for the small to medium-sized industry, we won’t achieve our strategic result. This discrepancy shows how tactics can sometimes drive strategy. If we find ourselves able to close specific types of accounts due to the responsiveness of our marketing and sales processes, it might seem like that’s our ideal market. But often, it’s our tactics which target a specific segment.

So, when we strategically consider new targets or opportunities or evolve our external perspective on clientele and brand, it’s vital to ensure our sales tactics align with our sales strategy shift.

The three sales performance management levers I’ll focus on today are:

• Business acumen building: What does a robust business acumen building system look like? Building acumen in our sales team can be a pivotal strategic shift in our sales performance.
• A-Zone Pipeline Management: Those familiar with my seminars or podcasts know I discuss the A-zone or the 80-20 rule frequently. Here, I’ll delve deeper into how we can strategically approach our pipeline with an A-focused mindset and its effects on our sales productivity and performance.
• In-between meetings: One area to enhance our performance, pipeline, referrals, deal size, and renewals is by systematizing and emphasizing what I term “in-between meetings”. These are value-added interactions over time with key accounts outside of and amidst the essential steps in the sales process.

Building Business Acumen in Your Sales Team:

Discussing the first lever—acumen developing system—what is a system? A system encompasses a process, methodology, technology, and accountability. A reliable system has a clear process, robust methodology for each step, is technologically driven, and incorporates accountability to ensure each step is executed correctly. Acumen is often the missing ingredient for potential value sellers and trusted advisors. If my client possesses vast industry knowledge and I only understand the basics, how can I add value to our conversation? It’s nearly impossible. Building acumen is crucial to execute most modern sales strategies. These strategies center around transitioning salespeople from mere order-takers to valuable partners for clients, a shift that can’t happen without honing business acumen.

Too many salespeople believe they need more leads, and often, sales management assumes we need more leads in the funnel. However, the real issue may be the inability to convert, not the lack of leads. A significant cause of this problem can be a lack of business acumen, leading to reduced credibility in customer conversations. Thus, building our business acumen is a continuous process, not a one-time event. It’s not about just learning about our company’s products or market but making acumen building an integral and ongoing part of our process.

So when I think about business acumen, let’s start even with discovery conversations. Number one, before I start picking up the phone or reaching out to clients, do I know our key market segments? And then, do I know their business, their clients, their industry, and their market intimately? As a sales professional, do I understand their top five to ten goals, challenges, and hurdles? And that is of the typical client in my industry. I’m going to drill down through conversation and find them specific to that client.

But let’s say I’m focusing on the telecommunications industry for small to mid-sized telecom companies throughout the United States. For those types of companies, what are the typical five to ten major goals, challenges, and hurdles they’re facing right now in the marketplace? And then, do I know how we solve those challenges uniquely or which of those challenges we solve better than anybody else in the marketplace? So, do I know this? Have I spent time to educate myself? Have I, as a sales leader (and we’ll talk about how to do this later on), provided my team with the insights, resources, and tools to discover these things? And helped them develop the principles and expectations that they’re continually educating themselves as sales professionals around this?

The key, once you know all these things, for me, when I’m doing discovery conversations or meetings, is I want to build questions that unearth those top five to ten things that we can impact in a unique, powerful, and competitive way. So, I’m going to do a needs analysis or discovery meeting. I’m going to ask some of the typical questions a salesperson asks, but not too many.

What I really want to do is focus on asking the questions that unearth those drivers. I’m also going to be continually looking for industry authorities and really geek out on trends, technology, news, and advancements on a regular basis. So, great salespeople today, I believe, are great students of their client, their industry, and their marketplace who self-educate on a nearly daily basis. And that’s how you move from being a four out of ten in knowledge trying to sell to a nine out of ten, to a peer or above who’s specialized in industry insights and knowledge.

So how do we do this? I’m going to give you a real quick shopping list of all the ways that you, as an individual salesperson or as a sales leader, want to put together for your team.

Number one, industry and persona-specific training for our team. I have a client that sells assessment tools into specific industries. One of the things they do with new salespeople is they actually get those salespeople to go through fundamental training around how to be successful in the role of their customer. So, if you were selling into, let’s say, a service manager at a car dealership, they would actually put you through a training program on Service Manager 101. Why? So that you can see through their eyes, have true empathy, and understand not just my product and how it benefits them but understand holistically the day in the life of our ideal decision-maker within our ideal client. Then, our overall business or industry ongoing education. So, do we have that set up? We should have a series of resources, conferences, webinars, you name it, that they can access.

Then, what I’d suggest, something a couple of my clients do, is they hold a state of the industry or region stand-up meeting once a week. Each person on the sales team is responsible for sharing new insights they’ve garnered in the marketplace. It could be shifts from a competitive perspective, regulations, marketplace changes, or consumer shifts—anything that impacts their customer. This includes attending conferences, reading industry magazines and portals, and, at the end of the day, getting to know our clients intimately.

One of the best ways to figure out how your solution impacts your clients positively is to sit down with your happy clients who’ve implemented your solutions long after you’ve closed the deal.

We do this by having client focus and use case meetings. One of the best ways to figure out how your solution impacts your clients positively is to sit down with your happy clients who’ve implemented your solutions long after you’ve closed the deal. Interview them to understand how they’re using your solution, how it’s impacted them, and what you could do better. By doing this regularly with our key accounts, we start to understand and collect great case studies and stories that we can use in our sales process later on.

Listen to calls of other team members, have lunches with our internal team members and experts. As a salesperson, if I’m selling technology for my company, when was the last time the sales team had lunch with the CTO and their product development team to discuss what they’re seeing in the marketplace and what they’re working on and why? This helps in developing a real intimate understanding of your product and your solutions and where it’s evolving to. Additionally, maintain a list of must-follow industry leaders. As a sales leader, do I have a top ten or top five list of industry leaders that my salespeople should follow regularly?

Systemizing Business Acumen Development

So how do I build an Acumen system out of this? First, how do you take this from a great idea to systematizing it, making it part of your training and development?

1. Know your knowledge and competency map. What do your people need to know? What do they need to be experts in and learn continually?
2. Quiz them on industry knowledge. You can do this formally and informally, through written quizzes, questioning them in stand-up meetings, or even role plays to see how well they use industry insights in a sales scenario.
3. Listen to their calls and meetings, check for the application of principles, and even have a scorecard or at least a checklist they need to handle.
4. What are the things they really need to know and check in on a regular basis with them and then make it a KPI or key performance indicator. Then make it part of their compensation and progression plan where they need to stay updated and continually educate themselves.

So why do this? And as a salesperson, if you’re listening to this going, “that’s a lot of pressure on me here”, and do I really want my management leaning on me with my acumen?

They’re doing you a favor! If you can expand your knowledge, become an expert, and a true resource to your client everything from prospecting to opportunity and development to networking, to your discovery calls, to your demos, to your ability to take what they’ve told you and show them why your solution can impact their business in a way that makes them want to do business with you all happen from building that business acumen. So that’s the big one, that’s lever one. And they’re all built upon this in my opinion.

AZone Pipeline Management

The second lever, which I’m not going to spend as much time on here, is the AZone Pipeline management. So we look at our entire pipeline, a lot of times it goes, “how much money or deals is in your sales pipeline?” And I say, “well, I’ve got a million dollars in there potential business.” But then when I start to look at, let’s take a look at everybody who stalled or hasn’t moved in the pipeline, and you kind of shave those off, and you look at who is progressing and moving on, and I’m staying engaged with on a regular basis. That’s a bit more of a realistic look on who’s really in our pipeline. In many cases, some of them are just stuck and they’re going to stay there forever or fall out.

But then on the next level is what’s our strategic pipeline? When I think of strategic pipeline, when I’m really looking at what’s the likely value of this pipeline, one of the biggest indicators for me isn’t the number of dollars, it’s the number of A category opportunities and the dollars associated with them. So our A’s, of course, are 20 percenters. They give us 80% of our business. We should understand who those are within our CRM but also within the marketplace.

And I want to know, if I’m managing performance, I want to actually look at focusing on the A’s. And that means how many do we add on a monthly basis to our pipeline, that salesperson? How many A’s have you taken from a suspect to a prospect to at least booking a first meeting with them? How many have you added to the pipeline at that stage? And then how many have we moved through a fulcrum step?

Your fulcrum sales step in your pipeline

And what I mean by a fulcrum step is depending upon your organization, you’ll have a certain step in your sales process where things begin to flow. So in my business, almost always a fulcrum step is the needs analysis. If I get a client on the phone for a discovery call, if it’s a deal, if there’s a match, if they’re a true A, there’s a high likelihood it’s going to move forward. So that’s a fulcrum step. So how many people have I moved through that step now? For a client of mine it doesn’t matter how many of those beautiful discovery meetings, where we are happy and things seem like they’re going to go well happen – For them, it’s actually the number of quotes and proposals they ship on a monthly basis. That’s their key performance indicator that they can tell in X weeks they’re going to have revenues on the board. So I would look at those two KPIs only and really work as a team to focus on them: how many A’s were adding and how many were moving through that fulcrum step, not how many deals, not how many C’s and B’s, not how many kind of truly not qualified prospects, but the true A’s. And that will give you a better idea from a forecasting perspective.

Now. Why A’s? For me, an A doesn’t mean the biggest prospect, it means one that truly is ideal. You’re ideal for them as a supplier, and they’re ideal for you as a client. This is a truly good fit. And when you find those types of clients, number one, they convert more often, they convert quicker, it’s easier to drive customer success and success stories, they’re easier to maintain. And almost always, a happy A who’s ideal for you is also often our best referral source. So it has this knock-on effect that ah, not only are they larger and more profitable deals in most cases, but they convert more often and quicker and they also precipitate into better referrals and less stress on our customer service system or our actual delivery side of our business, whatever solution we’re selling.

So how do we strategic and tactical with implementing this one performance improvement piece?

1. Define our A’s: understanding who our true A category prospects and clients are.
2. Invest in acumen around those specific A segments. So it’s not about knowing the whole marketplace but becoming an expert in our A category prospects, their clients, their target market.
3. Lock in our calendar from a time perspective, a proper amount of time to actually go after these accounts. I’ve talked about this before, but for me, I think 25% or more time from a conquest perspective should be in our schedule on a weekly basis, but also not just time.
4. Time blocking is important, but allocation of resources. So what I mean by this is that what resources do I need to allocate as a sales leader? What resources do I need to lobby upper management or the marketing team or production or whoever it might be to support the sales team in actually selling to these A’s? Is it getting them to the right events? Is it giving them more resources from a marketing perspective? Is it getting a sales admin person to help the team, a full-time researcher, whatever that might be, what resources they need to focus strategically, and then compensate more for A’s.
5. I would look at even within my performance management from a rewards perspective. It’s great that they brought in a million dollars of revenues, but a certain percentage of it has to be conquest or new business. And within that, a certain percentage should be A accounts based upon the definition you give them. They get a bit of a top-up or additional bonus for focusing on our ideal client that fits where we want our business model to go.
6. And lastly, fine tune collateral budgets and mentorship on this segment. So that’s the second big lever.

In-Between Meetings

So the in between meetings, this is the last one, and this kind of piggybacks on the first two is that many deals are closed and decisions are made outside of the sales or buyer steps in informal meetings, sidebar conversations, the meeting after the meeting, or even bumping into someone accidentally on purpose in the community or an organizational event. Relationships take more effort and frequent engagements than most sales processes allow or need.

So you’re in between key steps of the deal. You’ve got everything. Now there’s this sort of radio silence for a month. what are we doing to fill that silence? Sometimes it’s the in between meetings. It’s value added, just nurturing. But even after a deal is closed and they’re going to buy from us again a year from now or six months from now, are we leaving it till month five? Or do we have in between meetings or value added interactions that actually help increase our mind share, therefore our wallet share and expand the relationship.

When you have meetings that are outside of the typical sales process, you’re actually allowed to or you’re able to practice deep listening without an agenda and build trust. Also, space changes context, mood, and relationship dynamics. So what I mean by this is often in the sales process, maybe I’m always on a zoom call with them and it’s timed and it’s my sort of very this brick background behind me. And from this perspective, there’s not a lot to go on here. There’s no warm fuzzies we get out of this.

What happens if I can take that same client and just let them know I’m going to be in their area, and do they mind if I pop in for 20 minutes and say hello or invite them out for lunch or a coffee or to an event? These types of things where I can move someone out of the office space or a formal, rigid environment and into a more casual, relaxed atmosphere, actually can change the dynamic in the relationship.

One of the things I’ll do is if there’s major events in town occurring that I feel my clients would find valuable, I buy a ticket for myself, but I always buy an extra ticket. Invite out a key client who I know is open to maybe expanding the relationship, and that there would be value in building a relationship for both of us. And I often bring them to event with me. So I never go to event alone, if at all possible.

But many times those in between meetings, those conversations, the casual ones, actually help me understand them better and what motivates them in life and their business. And it really just makes it easier to grow the account, retain the account. And actually, for me, as a sales professional, it makes it more worthwhile. actually people like to do business with people who they like. And that goes for the seller too. I get to know people, I enjoy them, and it just makes it easier and my work more value added as well.

So make it part of your activities. So invite clients to lunch on a frequent basis. Actually set a goal or a KPI for that. How many of my key accounts or potential key accounts am I inviting out on a monthly or weekly basis? Maybe suggesting a meet up between steps of a long sales cycle to review notes, check in, confirm things haven’t changed, make sure that we’re on the right path.

Do an after sales service audit. So this is something we can do, I mentioned this earlier is set a goal that with each account at certain milestones after you’ve sold them, that the salesperson checks in with them again. Even if there’s a Customer Success Team, I think it’s important the salesperson that started the relationship originally does this. Because that’s going to drive maybe a different perspective. Maybe they’ll get some different information than the Customer Success Team gets. They want to share that, of course, but also what it also does in many cases is it plants the seed for referral business as well.

Attend industry events where you can bump into them. So this is another way that you can kind of manufacture these sidebar or informal conversations is making sure you’re out at industry and community events where your key accounts or key prospects are on a regular basis. Engage them on social media often. So you know that I’m a big advocate of social selling and these little casual, quick conversations or messages that we send to people or we congratulate people on stuff and we ask them key questions sometimes that can actually precipitate into a deeper conversation and a really valid reason to pick up the phone and say hello.

And then of course, participate in client events if they’re doing things in the community, if they’re holding festivals and conferences and trade shows, if the CEO is invited to speak at another conference, find a way to be there to engage them and meet their team. And again, create some more in between casual but vital meetings with your key accounts.

Manage these in between meetings by measuring it as part of your cadence. Give people a time and money budget they must spend on A’s. So this is important. Like, here’s your budget from a time perspective. I expect you to be spending 25% of, your proactive time on A’s. In addition to this, here’s your budget per A that you should be spending from a dollar perspective on entertaining them. Lunches, value added interactions, you name it.

And then make a list of gifts, value added tools, meeting types your team can use to engage sort of less formally and have a pre meeting question sheet built. Or at least get them in the habit of pre planning these get togethers so that although it’s a casual meeting, are there two or three key questions I’m going to ask that key account or client that might move the conversation in a certain direction?

So here’s the summary for our sales podcast today:

1. Strategic improvement is not just about improving our activities or tactics, but changing the way we think. And so this podcast is really devoted to thinking like a business person and being strategic about who we engage in, deepening those relationships, but not just as a principle, but developing habits and processes and measurements and rewards around that new thinking. So it’s really about investing, becoming more valuable and credible. That’s about tracking education and it’s application with your team. Making sure that they’re continually educating themselves and that you’ve given them the tools to improve their business acumen continually.
   
2. Switch your focus to your A pipeline. So yeah, you might have a million or 2 million in the pipeline as a salesperson but how many of those are a’s and how many of them have you been in touch with on a regular basis? And this will give us a better idea of our true value of our pipeline. And we switch our focus also by prioritizing time, resources and building that Acumen on our A’s.
   
3. And lastly, we want to establish a deep relationship and better positioning through in between meetings by making them part of our process. So versus a nice to have or an afterthought. With my key accounts and my CRM, I actually want to schedule and look for opportunities to put in between meetings in the calendar. This will allow me to shift from pitch artist to value added and trusted advisor.

[end transcript]

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(Video) Keynote Speaker Shane Gibson on Non-Negotiable Sales Truths

[Begin sales podcast transcript]

Today, I want to talk about twelve non-negotiable sales truths. There are also twelve not-so-popular sales truths. When we discuss sales truths, one of the things we consider is our desire for success and what it means to be a successful sales professional. As sales professionals and sales leaders, we’re always seeking an advantage, trying to find a shortcut, and aiming to reduce the time it takes to move from point A to point B. However, in many instances, there are core sales truths and principles that can’t be sidestepped. They’re a reality if we aim for long-term success in sales. I will delve into these in today’s podcast. This is available on YouTube @Shane Gibson. Clips/reels will also be shared on Shane Gibson’s Instagram (@ShaneGibson), as well as @ShaneGibsonLive on TikTok. You can of listen to Shane Gibson’s Sales Podcast on platforms ranging from Spotify to Apple Podcasts and many others.

(Please note that Truth #9 was omitted in the podcast and added to the text below)

Let’s dive into these twelve non-negotiable sales truths.

Sales Truth #1 – You can never be too busy to prospect and work your funnel.

It’s crucial to understand that you can never be too occupied to prospect and manage your funnel. Prospecting is an investment for our future that we must consistently make. Often, I’ve observed (and experienced in my business) professionals getting overwhelmed with inbound tasks, client service, meetings, administrative duties, and other work commitments. We sometimes forget that prospecting is our lifeline. Part of this oversight is because results from prospecting aren’t immediate, especially with sales cycles ranging from three weeks to six months. However, top performers who secure deals regularly were consistently prospecting and maintaining their funnel weeks or even months prior. It’s essential to set aside dedicated time for prospecting and funnel management.

Sales Truth #2 – An inquiry is not necessarily a lead, regardless of their “sentiment.”

An inquiry doesn’t always equate to a lead, no matter the sentiment behind it. It’s easy to get overly enthusiastic about someone filling out a form. Still, the debate between sales and marketing teams regarding what constitutes a marketing-qualified or sales-qualified lead is ongoing. Merely because someone shows interest or belongs to a targeted company doesn’t mean they’re a genuine lead. Various other factors determine an ideal prospect. Therefore, before adding someone to the funnel, ensure they meet the qualification criteria. Sometimes, an immediately available person isn’t the right fit. By effectively filtering these inquiries, we can focus our energies on filling the funnel with the right prospects.

Sales Truth #3 – Discovery is much more than just asking questions.

While client needs analysis and discovery processes emphasize asking pertinent questions, there’s more to it. Some professionals mechanically go through the process: asking a set of questions, nodding, jotting down notes, understanding core pain points, and then drafting a proposal. However, when there’s no callback from the potential client, we must ask ourselves if we established trust and rapport during the meeting. Effective listening, responsive interaction, deeper probing when necessary, and even assertiveness can build trust and credibility. An effective discovery call or client needs analysis involves discerning when to listen, interject, lead, or follow. Ultimately, our aim during discovery is twofold: to understand the client’s deepest business motivations and to establish genuine credibility, rapport, and trust. This requires more than rote learning a script. It calls for empathy, curiosity, and confidence in our abilities to conduct the discovery process efficiently.

Sales Truth #4 – Conversations outside of the sales and buying process are where the magic happens.

Conversations outside of the sales and buying process often yield significant results. While I emphasized the importance of questions during discovery, much of the progress in fostering relationships with clients often takes place outside official meetings. It’s the impromptu conversations after providing a solution, the moments between formal meetings, the chance encounters at social events, and other unexpected engagements that make a real difference. These interactions solidify your role as a trusted advisor and partner, establishing deeper value, credibility, and connection. Genuine relationships often blossom outside the confines of a structured sales or buying process, making it crucial to invest time in understanding both the client and their organization.

Sales Truth #5 – You rarely are talking to “the” decision maker.

More often than not, you aren’t interacting with just one decision maker but multiple buying influencers. This is backed by Gartner studies which, over the years, indicate a steady increase in the number of individuals influencing B2B decisions. A few years back, this number averaged around five and a half, but today it’s closer to seven. The notion that connecting with a single “right person” or “champion” is sufficient is misleading. To truly grasp a client’s needs and make a sale, it’s essential to identify, understand, and engage with all the influential stakeholders. This involves time, trust-building, and navigating gatekeepers. Moreover, once a network is established, it’s imperative to consistently nurture all these relationships to ensure not only acquisition but also the retention and growth of key accounts.

Sales Truth #6 – You don’t get good sales results by scaling the mediocre.

Achieving substantial sales results isn’t about magnifying mediocre efforts. This principle is glaringly evident in the current scenario, especially on platforms like LinkedIn, where many are resorting to automation and mass messaging. Sending generic messages to large numbers with a minuscule response rate isn’t an effective strategy. While such an approach may yield some positive replies, it simultaneously alienates a vast majority who feel the outreach lacks personalization and relevance. The key isn’t necessarily to increase efforts exponentially. While a certain level of commitment and discipline is crucial, refining one’s approach is even more vital. Resorting to a strategy that relies on bombarding the marketplace in the hopes of securing a handful of positive outcomes is short-sighted and harms the brand reputation in the long run.

Sales Truth #7 – Practice does not make perfect; repeating and training in what works does.

Practice does not make perfect. I learned this as a martial arts lesson from my teacher, Fred Shadian, many years ago. Practice doesn’t make perfect; it’s perfect practice that makes perfect. If I repeatedly practice the wrong thing, use a cheap imitation of a good sales approach, or recite a mediocre script, I won’t improve. Instead, I’ll become more deeply ingrained in the wrong method. What’s truly important is that repeating and training in proven methods helps us improve. This entails investing in best practices, sharing them, seeking external benchmarks, and adopting processes that have been shown to work. It isn’t merely about repetition or endlessly making calls hoping to improve. There’s a more effective approach that prevents us from forming bad habits or enduring terrible sales experiences.

Sales Truth #8 – They’re not your leads, customers, or territory.

This point is crucial. From a managerial perspective, I’m somewhat irked when I hear salespeople claim “my leads,” “my customer,” or “my territory,” suggesting that they don’t need to share information because it’s all about them. In reality, those leads, customers, and territories aren’t theirs. If you’re employed by a company to work in that market and are compensated with a salary and commission, those leads and customers belong to the company’s CEO or its shareholders. Your role is to cultivate opportunities for the organization. I mention this because salespeople often become possessive, which hinders teamwork. This possessiveness can cause them to miss broader opportunities to utilize the entire organization to serve clients. It’s essential to think as a team player, focusing on providing the best solutions and retaining clients for the long term, rather than as a lone wolf.

Sales Truth #9 – Sales isn’t fair; opportunities are given to those that convert.

Sales isn’t fair. Within sales organizations that have inbound leads, a common comparison occurs among the sales team. Salespeople tend to “sniff around,” trying to discern if their colleagues receive more or perhaps larger account leads than they do. The prevailing notion is that every salesperson should get an equal distribution of leads or lucrative opportunities. However, in practice, sales organizations often adjust their lead distribution, directing more leads to those who have proven to convert them effectively. For example, if I spend $100 on a lead, and one salesperson can generate $100,000 from 100 leads, while another only produces $20,000, it’s clear that distributing the leads equally isn’t the best strategy. Sales professionals should realize that success isn’t just about accumulating more leads, but rather maximizing the potential of each lead they receive. Often, management observes and prioritizes lead distribution based on the demonstrated ability to convert. Any sales manager not allocating the most promising opportunities to the best converters is effectively leaving money on the table. It may not seem fair, but this is the economic reality of sales.

Sales Truth #10 – Expertise beats tenure in sales.

In sales, expertise holds more weight than sheer tenure. Duration alone doesn’t ensure top performance. My father once pointed out an intriguing perspective regarding someone with “20 years of sales experience”. He asked if the individual truly had two decades of varied experience or just one year’s experience repeated 20 times. Had this person genuinely evolved and learned over time? This reminds me of an experience with a high-end car dealership, where a newcomer to sales, previously in marketing, outperformed many seasoned professionals. This person was eager to learn, thoroughly studied the products and market, and was receptive to innovative sales techniques. Merely having years of experience under one’s belt doesn’t guarantee success. As the marketplace and competition evolve, it’s imperative to continually hone one’s expertise.

Sales Truth #11 – Reaching your sales goals will be more challenging than anticipated; expand your understanding of effort.

Attaining your sales goals is likely harder than initially expected. I’ve found this in my own endeavors, such as when I embarked on writing a book. I tend to form a mental picture of the effort it would take to complete a project within a given timeframe. Yet, based on my past experiences, I’ve often underestimated the time, effort, obstacles, and energy involved. Thinking about my major clients over the past two years, I’ve realized that the effort I had initially anticipated was consistently 25-30% short of the actual requirements. Recognizing upfront that ambitious sales targets will typically demand more resources, effort, and learning than initially expected can set one up for success.

Sales Truth #12 – AI isn’t a magic bullet, but neglecting it will hamper your competitiveness.

AI, while potent, isn’t a panacea. I’ve noticed that some professionals believe they can solely depend on AI for tasks such as writing emails, conducting research, or even drafting blog posts. Often, the result, sans personal input, is generic content that melds into the marketplace background. This content can lack the human touch or the distinct creativity that sets an expert apart. However, on the flip side, AI offers remarkable advantages. For instance, when I use AI-powered plugins in my CRM, what previously took 10 minutes of manual research now takes mere clicks. With AI tools like “fathom” during my Zoom calls, note-taking has become automated. It prepares summaries, lists action items, and with minor edits, I can share these with a client, saving me about 20 minutes per meeting. These benefits, ranging from competitive intelligence to automating tedious tasks, are invaluable in daily sales and client service activities.

[end sales podcast transcript]

The post Sales Podcast – 12 Non-Negotiable Sales Truths appeared first on Shane Gibson's Podcast – AI and Digital Selling – B2B Sales and Influence.

Here’s the transcript:

Transcript for “Sales Leadership – leading behavioural change through coaching and powerful questions”

I’m shifting to both video and audio, so you’ll be able to find the video of this podcast on YouTube. But I’m also going to be sharing those on my Sales Academy website as well. You can find that at Salesacademy.ca.

So, my goal, of course, is to take this content I’m creating in my podcast and distribute it further and in different mediums depending on how you like to learn. I’m also going to be throwing these onto my Instagram channel @ShaneGibson and my TikTok channel @ShaneGibsonLive if you want to access this content in sound bites versus a long podcast.

Today, I’ll be focusing on the fundamentals of leadership sales coaching, particularly the coaching process tailored for sales leaders. Now, if you’re a salesperson listening to this and you start to check the boxes around what your leader isn’t doing for you, this is really not what it’s about. In no organization is the coaching process perfect. It’s constantly evolving. And sometimes, as a salesperson, you have to step up to the plate and proactively seek that coaching from your peers and your sales leader in your organization. By no means is this meant to be an exhaustive list of criteria you should use to judge whether your leader is any good, but rather an indication of what gaps exist in your organization and where you might need to seek help. And of course, for sales leaders, I’m hoping this gives you a foundation to build upon, so you can have a more solid process in your sales coaching.

The Future of Sales Leadership – Coaching, Technology, and Management Skills

Let’s talk about leadership in general, particularly in behavioral training for sales teams. Sales leadership, first and foremost, is all about driving results. And at the end of the day, driving results is often about behavioral change. So, as a sales leader, the better you become at sales leadership, the better you really are at driving behavioral change, whether it’s in your leaders, if you’re managing a group of sales managers, or your direct line salespeople, if you’re a sales manager yourself. Leadership truly builds people who then build the business. That’s the real core. Leadership also fosters innovation, accountability, momentum, and organizational growth. One of the most powerful parts of leadership is the coaching skill set—the ability to develop people. By integrating behavioral training for sales teams, sales leaders can better inspire and cultivate the skills and behaviors necessary for sustained success.

With that said, I also know great leaders and great coaches who fail to meet their potential or sustain their organizational growth and success because they lack management skills. A great sales leader is one part coach, one part manager, and, I would argue, one part CTO or Chief Technology Officer. But we’ll delve into that at another time. Today, our focus is on coaching.

Before we delve deeper, let’s consider management skills. Managers maintain systems that sustain the vision. They create systems that grow that vision, and they manage both people and processes. Great managers are often excellent communicators, and they excel at developing systems and processes. It’s also about accountability. Thus, effective managers often have robust systems in place and demonstrate habits and disciplines centered on accountability. They are acutely aware of return on investment and adeptly organize their efforts around their goals. They also bring stability, credibility, and consistency to the table.

It’s not just enough to be a visionary leader or an exceptional coach; one must also develop these fundamental management skills. Many of us, having transitioned from Salesperson to Sales Manager, then to Director of Sales and eventually VP of Sales, might have bypassed these traditional management skills. We might rely heavily on our ability to sell and inspire others. But there’s a threshold we’ll inevitably hit unless we commit to a more systematic approach to sales leadership.

90% of Motivating Your Sales Team is the Why

In my opinion, a significant portion of success in sales, as mentioned earlier, revolves around facilitating both behavioral and organizational change, primarily because we always need to address and adjust to the dynamics of the marketplace. And if we’re going to effectively communicate our vision, we should remember that understanding the ‘why’ comprises 90% of achieving any goal.

90% of getting your salespeople to shift their behaviors, habits, or to implement new disciplines or processes is often about effectively communicating the “why.” When we communicate our vision, I think the first step is asking, “Is it SMART?” Of course, SMART means Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timely. However, what’s missing in the SMART acronym? It also has to be contextual. How do I relate what’s beneficial for the salesperson with the impact it has on the organization and the significance of the team overall?

To succeed merely because “upper management wants it” isn’t enough. We truly need to understand, inspire, communicate, and contextualize significant shifts in the organization. Are you, as a leader, inspired by it? If you’re going to communicate your organizational sales vision or a major goal or initiative, you are the first person that needs to buy into it. Have you linked it to their individual needs? And is it easy to understand? A famous quote suggests that if it’s too complicated to explain, it’s too challenging to implement. If you can’t explain it succinctly, you probably don’t understand the topic well enough.

So, when I’m communicating a sales vision or goal, I aim to contextualize it in such a way that I can rally my team around it. If my communication feels top-down and isn’t tied to their values or the overarching “why” for them or their team, I’ve missed the mark. I won’t get buy-in from the team.

Coaching for Sales Leadership Success

Now, let’s talk about coaching. This is one of the fundamental tools I’ll use to communicate vision and induce behavioral change. It’s intriguing how many sales leaders claim they are “too busy” for coaching. In my opinion, they’re not too busy; they’ve simply deprioritized it. They would never skip a meeting with their company’s CEO, yet many often neglect or postpone scheduled one-on-ones with their sales team.

A healthy sales organization’s key performance indicator suggests that the sales leader doesn’t just check numbers and projections but also conducts meaningful one-on-one developmental meetings. I challenge many sales leaders to move beyond coaching to a spreadsheet or dashboard. That’s not coaching; that’s ensuring compliance. Instead, focus on generative coaching which involves skill development and specific deal insights.

Coaching should align with the process. Successful sales coaching emphasizes the qualitative aspects of your key performance indicators. For instance, the quantitative aspect of a discovery call might involve asking seven key questions. The qualitative aspect, however, focuses on the manner of questioning, depth of understanding, and efficient note-taking. By integrating these qualitative aspects, we can offer a structured learning regimen to the whole team.

Sales scorecards and a corresponding sales playbook can help. By documenting best practices and scoring each step, we can produce projections based on how well the sales team executes these steps. Being formal is vital. Drawing a parallel with martial arts, I’ve realized that just as training requires regimented processes and timed check-ins, so does sales coaching.

The Martial Art of Structured Coaching

My martial arts mentor, Fred Shadian, taught me this importance. Fred Shadian actually lives on Saturna Island. No matter how you look at it, it takes about 5 hours to reach him from my home, involving a couple of ferries, some driving, and other logistics. Because of this, we started doing Zoom check-ins. These are at a specific time each week. I have a series of specific activities I undertake, which he evaluates, measures, and coaches me on.

The combination of accountability and structured practice with specific exercises in a short period has refreshed and sharpened my skills. I had been pondering the idea for a while and practiced sporadically on my own for several months. But the moment I incorporated structure and accountability, I noticed improvements in my skills, awareness, and other aspects. My confidence also increased due to a consistent feedback loop. Good sales coaching operates similarly. As sales leaders, we need to prioritize formality.

Sales Coaching Self-Assessment

One thing worth mentioning is the SalesAcademy,ca sales coach assessment. If you go to Salesacademy.ca/Salescoachassessment, there’s a downloadable PDF available for free. This document allows you to evaluate your sales coaching skills and the processes of your organization to identify areas needing improvement.

Here are steps to proactively formalize your approach:

1. At the start of each month, proactively schedule one-on-one meetings in your calendar with each team member. I’d recommend doing this bi-monthly. But if you’re managing a large team, perhaps over six to eight people, you might only manage monthly sessions.
   
2. Organize brief, targeted weekly sessions, possibly just 15 minutes each, for regular check-ins.
   
3. Utilize a coaching prep form. My form prompts responses to questions about achievements, challenges, and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). Salespeople fill this out before our sessions, ensuring they are engaged in their growth while also allowing me as the coach to prepare adequately.
   
4. It’s vital to track your commitments and proactively remind and encourage your team. Have the salesperson note down promises made during the meeting and send them to you via email. By systematizing this process, you ensure follow-ups, which often get overlooked due to busy schedules.

It’s also worth noting that as salespeople, and even entrepreneurs, begin to reap the benefits of coaching, they often attribute all the success to themselves. They may neglect the behavioral shifts brought about by the coaching. Hence, as a leader, it’s crucial to summarize the impacts of the coaching sessions on their sales results. This isn’t about claiming credit but highlighting the value of the coaching relationship.

Being an effective sales coach

On the subject of coaching, it’s about inducing behavioral change. Trust is foundational. Questions of credibility, integrity, and a proven track record in sales or sales leadership are paramount. Beyond this, the sales team must feel that their leader supports them. If coaching isn’t systematic, you’ll struggle to maintain momentum. Establishing routines, utilizing assessments, employing forms, maintaining credibility, and setting a consistent cadence are pivotal to the success of your coaching endeavors.

Being an effective coach means:

1. Setting clear goals and success criteria.
2. Transparently communicating while respecting privacy boundaries.
3. Being versatile enough to switch between task-focused and person-focused coaching.

In essence, while the process and business side of sales is vital, personal aspects like mindset, empathy, and personal challenges equally impact performance. A skilled sales coach comprehends this duality and acts accordingly.

Now, not saying you need to be a therapist, but there are times when issues arise that are beyond our competency set. In such instances, referring someone to professional help might be the best course of action. However, at the bare minimum, we should be good listeners, exhibit empathy, and provide constructive feedback.

Unfortunately, I can’t delve into this deeply today, as this podcast episode is already jam-packed. That said, “Radical Candor” is an insightful book on delivering direct and effective feedback. Both leaders and their teams can benefit from its teachings. If everyone agrees to approach each other with candor and empathy, trust and transparency will thrive. Effective feedback fosters an environment where individuals can be both vulnerable and direct, eliminating the fear of treading on eggshells or suppressing feelings and thoughts.

So, what makes for an effective coaching process?

Starting with a Benchmark: Begin with an assessment, plan, or benchmark. A strategic sales plan for the year or quarter is an ideal starting point. Incorporate a mindset plan, assessing aspects like confidence, personal development, communication skills, empathy, and emotional intelligence. Determine developmental goals for the next 6 to 12 months.

Understanding Connection: Every individual is unique. Recognizing their learning style, personality profile, motivators, and energy drainers is essential. This insight will allow the coaching process to adapt to each individual’s specific needs.

Setting Clear Criteria: Coaching must be goal-oriented, aiming to make impactful shifts both personally and professionally. Short-term objectives should hone in on specific competencies, attitudes, or behaviors.

Having a Structured Timeline: Regularly scheduled monthly coaching sessions, punctuated by laser-focused coaching sessions, can make a difference. These sessions delve deep into major challenges and also provide quick tactical solutions.

Using a Formal Process: Implement templates for feedback and tracking progress.

Contrary to what many believe, coaching isn’t just doling out advice based on personal experiences. Rather, it’s about molding someone’s thought process, shifting their perspective. The art of questioning plays a pivotal role here. While it’s impossible to run through all the valuable questions in one session, introducing a few of these during coaching can induce profound shifts in a salesperson’s mindset.

Here are 40 Sales Coaching Questions for Sales Leaders:

1. What went well in that specific meeting or what went well this week?
2. What didn’t go as planned?
3. What factors do you think contributed to that?
4. If it went well, why did it go well?
5. What could you do differently next time?
6. If you were in the same situation next time, what would you have done differently in advance?
7. Where do you think you need more coaching or support on that?
8. Are there any products or services you don’t feel 100% comfortable talking about within our company that we’re selling?
9. What was the best sales interaction you had this week?
10. What were some of your toughest sales or customers this week?
11. What did you learn from it?
12. What would you change?
13. What are you trying to achieve on these 30 calls you’re making?
14. How can you create more personally developed leads within your existing activities?
15. Outside of the business, outside of the store, outside of the location?
16. In the last meeting you were with that client, what type of buying signals were they giving off?
17. In that meeting, you didn’t ask for the next step, and you’re now trying to set that appointment. What happened where you weren’t able to set the next appointment?
18. Can I make a suggestion for next time?
19. At what point did you feel the meeting got away from you?
20. What do you think happened?
21. What could you have done instead?
22. Let’s take a look at your calendar for the next week?
23. Look at your calendar last week. What could we shift for next week to make your time management better?
24. When was the last call with that particular client?
25. Who was on it?
26. Have you identified the key decision makers?
27. Do you understand the three to five goals related to their business goals?
28. Which next steps did you agree to?
29. What are you discussing next?
30. Have you talked about pricing yet?
31. What is your process for whatever it is?
32. Let’s map out your next 120 days for this account. What does that look like?
33. What is it going to take to close this large account?
34. What do you need from me to help you land this deal?
35. Let’s take a look at your most wanted list. Top clients. How many moved a stage in the sales process in the last month?
36. What are you doing to move them forward next month?
37. What factors might hold this deal back?
38. How can we mitigate them?
39. What can we do now?
40. How can I support you?

These questions are a mix of tactical and strategic inquiries aimed at understanding, guiding, and assisting salespeople in their roles.These, among many others, can become instrumental in steering conversations towards growth and development.

An essential point of discussion is the idea of being coachable. Dr. Denis Cauvier, author of “Coachable,” stresses the importance of leaders being open to coaching themselves. If a leader isn’t growing or evolving, it seeps into the team’s morale and productivity. Leaders should continually seek out new learning opportunities, mentors, and coaches, ensuring they remain relevant and valuable to their teams.

This has been Shane Gibson’s podcast from closingbigger.net. [end sales podcast transcript]

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Here’s a hard sales leadership truth we need to realize:

You can’t get A-level results with C & D players on your team. You need a team full of A-level players or players that are willing to pay the price to become an A.

It’s my belief that we can talk about A-level goals and exceeded targets but if we tolerate C and D level mindsets and behaviours it will erode the momentum and sales productivity of the entire team.

In this sales leadership podcast I dive into how to segment your sales team and where to invest your time. I also dig into when you want to move people up, across or out QUICKLY.

Identifying the Players:

A Players: The Absolute Performers A players represent the top 20% of your team, contributing to 80% of the sales results and energy within the organization. These individuals possess a growth mindset, are eager to develop personally and professionally, and understand the importance of teamwork. They strive for more than just closing deals; they seek to contribute to something larger, making them invaluable assets to your team.

B Players: The Beneficial Team Members B players are open, aware, and show significant potential for growth. They may face challenges such as lack of confidence, newness to the market, or a need for skill development, but they are receptive to growth and improvement. Investing in B players can yield substantial returns as they have the potential to ascend to A player status with the right guidance and support.

C Players: The Convenient Players C players tend to be complacent, content with their current status, and lack the desire to grow. They may not actively harm the team’s performance, but they do not contribute to innovation or energy either. For C players, the choice is clear: grow or go. As a leader, it is crucial to help them make this decision swiftly to maintain team momentum.

D Players: The Disengaged Sales Team Members D players are in urgent need of change; they either need to adjust their attitude and performance quickly or exit the team. Their negative impact can erode team morale and drain energy from leaders that could be better invested in A and B players. Swift action is required to address the issues posed by D players to preserve the team’s integrity and performance.

Understanding the different types of players in your sales team is crucial for effective team management and success. By identifying and investing in A and B players, addressing the issues posed by C players, and swiftly dealing with D players, you can create a high-performing, motivated, and energetic sales team. Remember, the key is not just to manage but to lead and inspire your team towards growth and excellence. This also means making the hard decisions to protect your A’s and B’s from being pulled down by a C or D level sales culture.

The post Sales Leadership Podcast: Building A High Performing Sales “A-Team” appeared first on Shane Gibson's Podcast – AI and Digital Selling – B2B Sales and Influence.

As a sales kick-off speaker and B2B sales trainer, I get to see how sales organizations are thinking as they prepare for a new year, a new quarter, or a new growth mandate. The best teams are not looking for motivation alone. They are looking for alignment, resilience, better business acumen, and a repeatable plan for execution.

Sales success this year is not going to look exactly like last year. Buyers are more cautious. Decision-making groups are more complex. Competitive pressure is high. Even when the market is strong, your competitors may be acting as though it is harder — and that changes the playing field.

Tough and competitive markets are when great salespeople and great sales cultures are built. The companies that win are the ones that take disciplined action while others wait for conditions to improve.

Here are nine B2B sales kick-off strategies to help your team build momentum and execute with more consistency.

Following is my outline covering the key points in this B2B Sales Podcast:

9 B2B Sales Kick-Off Strategies:

1) Revisit your ICP (Ideal Client Profile)

• Your market has changed
• Your existing client needs have changed

2) Drill down on your ICP needs, risks, missed opportunities, and align them with your solutions.

3) Improve your lead nurturing game

• More contact
• More variety
• Better context
• Better timing
• More relationship
• More discrimination

4) Expand while your competitors and contracting.

• Your competitors are hunkering down and hatching, take advantage of this.
• Get out and make some noise
• Look for who has laid of salespeople – unhappy customers and abandoned leads

This includes knowing why people leave suppliers and scan the market for:

• Change in executives
• Supply change problems
• Change in salesperson
• Lack of innovation or broad solutions
• Do your price, quality, function grid

5) Go broad on lead awareness and monitoring and invest in tools like Sales Navigator to look for signals

• Hiring
• Financing
• Mergers
• Product launches
• News

6) Build your own in-bound marketer, brand, resource, hub, & community member

• Curate and Create content
• Engage in conversations
• Be a fan
• Get out in the community

Tell stories using video, most industries don’t have a well known salesperson that is building a brand using short-form video such as TikTok’s, Reels, and Shorts. These videos also get a lot of engagement on LinkedIn. Short-form video can include:

Advice

Events

Personal stories

7) Commit to daily outbound omnichannel disciplines at all stages of pipeline:

• Leads / Suspects
• Prospects
• Discovery
• Proposal follow-ups
• Contracts
• Customer engagement

8) Build your business acumen – clients are more sophisticated, opportunities are larger, and you need to differentiate:

Educate yourself on your clients

• Know their clients
• Know their solutions
• Know their competitors

Know the regions and markets

• Politics
• Industries
• Culture

Know your own solutions, applications, history, limitations, and the future direction. What vision would your CEO or CMO paint for the company. Get good at telling that story.

9) Have a strategic sales plan or personal sales playbook

• Map your process
• Know your best practices
• Reverse engineer your quota down to daily disciplines
• Commit to and share your KPI’s with your leader and peers and track daily

These 9 things you can focus on to make sure your B2B Sales efforts are successful in the coming year. If you’re looking for a sales keynote speaker or sales training for your team you can reach Shane Gibson at shane@salesacademy.ca.

Planning a Sales Kick-Off? Questions Sales Leaders Should Ask Before Booking a Speaker

1. What should a VP of Sales look for in a sales kick-off speaker?

A VP of Sales should look for a speaker who can connect the company’s growth strategy to practical sales behaviours. Motivation matters, but it is not enough. The speaker should understand B2B selling, pipeline pressure, complex buying committees, account growth, outbound discipline, and the realities of leading a team through change.

2. How do we make sure the sales kick-off produces action instead of just energy?

Start with the business outcome. Decide whether the priority is pipeline creation, account expansion, sales discipline, resilience, business acumen, or sales culture. Then build the keynote and agenda around one or two core behaviours the team must execute after the event.

3. What are strong sales kick-off themes for a B2B sales team?

Strong themes include disciplined growth, winning in a tougher market, building resilient sales teams, expanding strategic accounts, improving business acumen, sharpening outbound execution, and becoming more relevant to executive buyers. The best theme should match the actual market conditions your team is facing.

4. How early should we involve the sales kick-off speaker in planning?

Involve the speaker once the leadership team has defined the business objectives for the event. A good speaker can help shape the message, identify gaps in the agenda, and align the keynote with the sales leader’s priorities. Waiting until the agenda is already locked can limit the impact.

5. What information should we share with a sales kick-off speaker before the event?

Share the team’s goals, sales challenges, market conditions, buyer objections, pipeline issues, competitive pressures, sales process, strategic priorities, and the behaviours leadership wants reinforced. The more context the speaker has, the more relevant the keynote will be.

6. What makes a sales kick-off speaker credible to experienced salespeople?

Experienced salespeople respond to speakers who understand the field, not just the stage. Credibility comes from practical insight, real-world examples, clear business language, and respect for the pressure salespeople face. A credible speaker challenges the team without talking down to them.

7. Should a sales kick-off include both a keynote and sales training?

Yes, when the goal is behaviour change. A keynote creates alignment, urgency, and shared language. Sales training allows the team to practise, apply, and personalize the ideas. Many organizations benefit from pairing a keynote with a workshop, breakout session, sales manager session, or post-event reinforcement.

8. How can a sales kick-off help with pipeline growth?

A sales kick-off can support pipeline growth by resetting expectations around prospecting, lead nurturing, account targeting, trigger-event monitoring, and outbound activity. The event should help salespeople identify where new opportunities will come from and what daily actions are required to create them.

9. What should sales managers do after the sales kick-off?

Sales managers should turn the event message into coaching conversations, pipeline reviews, team meetings, and activity standards. If the keynote focused on outbound discipline, managers should inspect outbound activity. If it focused on business acumen, managers should coach stronger account research and better pre-call planning.

10. How do we know whether a sales kick-off speaker was successful?

Do not measure success only by audience feedback. Stronger indicators include improved clarity around sales priorities, manager adoption of the message, increased prospecting activity, better account planning, stronger pipeline conversations, and visible behaviour change in the weeks after the event.

The post 9 B2B Sales Kick-Off Strategies – Keynote Sales Speaker Shane Gibson appeared first on Shane Gibson's Podcast – AI and Digital Selling – B2B Sales and Influence.

In this sales podcast I dig into how much sales has moved from a “skill set” to a true profession, one where today you can even become a certified sales professional.

True sales professionals are no longer about tactics and explaining the value of their product. The sales professional today knows they need to partner with their clients to create value. It’s a collaborative process and in many cases the customer knows just as much about the topic as we do.

Here’s the original TikTok Sales Video:

@shanegibsonlive Sales is not like dating. It’s an innacurate analogy. #sales #dating #b2bsales #salestips ♬ original sound – Shane Gibson

The post Sales Podcast: Moving from Extraction to Collaboration Based Selling appeared first on Shane Gibson's Podcast – AI and Digital Selling – B2B Sales and Influence.

Unproductive mindsets are often what is holding back exceptional people from reaching their true potential. Developing an empowered mindset can you produce greater results, consistently.

Here’s a list of common negative sales mindsets and a set of empowered mindsets that can help you take your sales career to the next level:

The post Sales Podcast: 10 Mindsets for Sales Success appeared first on Shane Gibson's Podcast – AI and Digital Selling – B2B Sales and Influence.

I don’t understand why deals aren’t closing, I haven’t changed my approach!?

People just aren’t getting back to me, they were excited but now they have disappeared.

Many of my projected deals aren’t going to close this quarter like I thought they would.

I have a lot of new deals stuck at the proposal evaluation stage.

The client is going to buy but the order is going to be much smaller.

Do any of these sales pipeline pains sound familiar?

In this B2B sales podcast I cover 7 common reasons why opportunities get stuck or die prematurely and key strategies we can deploy to breath life into your sales pipeline.

Following are 7 common reasons why our pipeline is failing:

1. Wrong or no targeting criteria
2. Failure to evolve target market criteria
3. Dead air or no follow-up
4. Poor discovery calls or lack of curiosity
5. Failure to book the next step or “micro-close”
6. Not enough prospecting (it needs to be a daily discipline)
7. Lack of context, expertise and business intelligence

In the podcast we discuss these challenges and how sales professionals can overcome them preemptively.

The post B2B Sales Podcast – 7 Big Sales Pipeline Challenges and How to Fix Them appeared first on Shane Gibson's Podcast – AI and Digital Selling – B2B Sales and Influence.

Jay Conrad Levinson author of the Guerrilla Marketing series of books said this about consistency:

“Mediocre done consistently beats brilliant done once every time.”

When I am delivering my sales training or sales keynotes I find many people are excited to learn what’s new in the world of sales success, only to be surprised to learn that they already “know” the best practices. What most need to do to improve their success is simply be more consistent with their best practices in sales.

In today’s sales podcast we also talk about:

• Peter Thomas’ paperclip or 18-6-3 rule for sales success
• Top habits from an 8-figure sales producer
• The importance of focusing on both sales KPI’s and personal wellness KPI’s
• The power of commitment and follow-through

The post Sales Podcast: Daily Disciplines for Massive Sales Success appeared first on Shane Gibson's Podcast – AI and Digital Selling – B2B Sales and Influence.

Selling to senior decision makers or the “C-Suite” requires that we truly understand how our solution can impact their business. Not only that but we need to understand how we do it in a unique way that adds value over and above what competitive solutions do. Everything from our first conversation, to discovery calls, presentations, proposals and delivery needs to highlight how you’re driving positive outcomes in a unique and advantageous way.

Senior executives and business decision makers are results-orientated. Both tangible results and intangible results appeal to them.  In order to be seen as a resource and potential supplier you must tap into their desire to produce results.

The kind of tangible results that appeal to C-Level decision makers  are:

Raising Revenues:

Show them how their overall volume can be increased; in other words, an increase in sales.

Increase Efficiency:

If they see that their employees, or their equipment, or other capital  will be more efficient, then the chance of their buy-in is higher.

Keeping Shareholders and Stakeholders Happy:

Top level decision makers are the ones who have to answer to the Board of Directors and to the Shareholders in a large corporation. Keeping the Board or shareholders happy is their main priority.

Lowering Cost of Production:

Lowering costs equal better margins and bigger profits. There’s many ways our solutions can do this directly and indirectly.

Increasing Market Share:

They are interested in advertising, marketing and business development strategies, tactics and methods to increase market share.

Higher Return On Investment:

Can you show them how they will get a bigger return on their investment for the money they invest with your services, products, ideas and concepts?

Dealing With Market Changes or Regulations:

If you come with solutions for  market changes that affect them, then they will  take the time to explore the possibilities with you.

Intangible Results that Motivate Senior Decision Makers:

The types of intangible results that appeal to top level decision makers are:

Lower the Risk And Worry:

Anything that you can do to lower or eliminate the risk makes them feel better.

Personal and Corporate Pride:

Senior executives and top level decision makers are at the top because they have personal pride and are proud of the business results that they achieve.

Image – Personally And Corporately:

Yes the car they drive reflects their success level. The suits, the shoes they wear, the house they live in, the office address, and the image their marketing material portrays are all examples of personal and/or corporate image.

ESG (Environmental Social and Governance) and EDI (Equality, Diversity and Inclusion) improvements and outcomes:

One could argue that these are tangible, there is a lot of data that shows that organizations that embrace these types of initiatives have lower staff attrition, more corporate goodwill, and have access to opportunities that organizations that score lowly in these areas can’t access. Are there ESG an EDI advantages and benefits to using your solution or partnering with your company?

Retaining And Attracting Good Employees:

The top level decision maker knows that you win when you have exceptional people working with you.

This is by no means an exhaustive list but I hope it gets you started. The key is for you to understand at a forensic level the top challenges and goals of your key prospects and accounts and how you can effectively and uniquely solve them – then put that into terms that resonate with their specific values, perspective and context.

5 Action steps to help you sell to senior decision makers:

1. Brainstorm the key challenges and goals a potential client may have
2. Look at how many of problems you can solve or goals your products or services can achieve for your clients
3. Develop a series of sales discovery questions that can help unearth the challenges and goals you brainstormed
4. Develop a unique way to present these results you produce including customer case studies, stories and gathering data
5. Commit to memorizing and practice presenting those core results statements that you will use with senior decision makers.*

*IMPORTANT NOTE: Don’t present outcomes and solutions generically, use your one-on-one conversations and research to customize your value proposition.

–

The post Sales Podcast: Selling to C-Level and Senior B2B Decision Makers appeared first on Shane Gibson's Podcast – AI and Digital Selling – B2B Sales and Influence.

There are many comprehensive and highly detailed guides out there on how to build a sales playbook, but I wanted to focus on a format that can get you started quickly.

In this podcast I cover the key components of an effective lean sales playbook. Here’s a quick list of what I cover:

The 10 Components of a Lean Sales Playbook:

1. Defined target market, including micro niches and personas
2. Map of key steps to your sales process that are aligned with your buyers process
3. List of core sales tech tools and where or from whom to learn about them
4. A “Discovery Cheat Sheet” on each vertical
5. A well-documented sales discovery (qualification) and demo process
6. Templates or processes for outreach and client nurturing (cadences)
7. Talking points on key objections and closes
8. Ready to use stories and UVP talking points for key segments
9. A 3Q sales scorecard that measures:
   1. Quantitative – Numbers and steps
   2. Qualitative – Effective actions within the steps
   3. Quantum – Multipliers like acumen, mindset, and technology use
10. KPI’s broken down from annual to monthly to weekly and daily disciplines

Tips on writing your lean sales playbook:

Each can be less than a page or can include everything from in-depth sequence information to product case studies. I would suggest starting lean and keeping each section down to one page, if possible, the playbook doesn’t have to include every piece of information on your sales process and tools BUT it should tell them where to find the information and how they will be measured.

How should you use your sales playbook?

This document can also be a great framework for your sales onboarding process, as it provides a checklist or road map of what they need to learn to effectively execute their role.

For sales managers, leaders and coaches the Sales Playbook becomes a reference guide and coaching tool. We want to train or team over time to refer to the playbook and self-assess using the score card before coming to us with a sales challenge.

In many cases I have found that building the habit of self-reflection helps salespeople get more out of their coaching sessions and builds the discipline of self-directed learning and improvement. Yes, we want them to come to us for help but we also want them to take ownership and self-direct and adjust as much as possible. The sales manager and sales leader should direct and lead not be a walking sales encyclopedia, our job is tell people where to look not to give them all the answers.

One last point and a warning about sales playbooks:

Playbooks don’t replace coaching or training. They also don’t replace job shadowing or peer mentoring. Their role is document and define best practices and processes and give the sales team a true understanding of what they need to get good at to succeed.

If you’re looking for consulting, training or Sales Playbook development visit SalesAcademy.ca

The post Sales Podcast: How to Build a Lean Sales Playbook appeared first on Shane Gibson's Podcast – AI and Digital Selling – B2B Sales and Influence.

In this podcast we discuss:

• 2022 remote and hybrid selling trends
• Remote work and recruitment trends
• Technology shifts that will impact your business in 2023 and beyond
• How leaders can become digital reinvention leaders and profit from these shifts

Following is my slide deck (Click on the image to download)

The post Digital Sales Podcast – Growing Your Business in a Digital-First Economy appeared first on Shane Gibson's Podcast – AI and Digital Selling – B2B Sales and Influence.

1. Social Media Fact: @Banff_Squirrel has more Twitter followers than most marketing experts.
2. Social Media Tip: Content is not King [or Queen :)] Connection rapport and trust are today’s currencies.
3. Social Media Tip: build the community, contribute to others success, be authentic and people will line up to help you as well.
4. Social Media Tip: treat likes, followers, and connections on any network like gold. Those are votes of trust and confidence.
5. Social Media Tip: Contrast keeps the conversation fresh. Vary your update and blog formats. Use multiple media to engage.
6. Any social media activity that involves deception, trademark or copyright infringement isn’t guerrilla marketing. It’s lazy marketing.
7. Social Media Tip: it’s not old versus new media — it’s about integrating the right media for the right market.
8. Social Media Tip: In the “Thank-you Economy” don’t outsource or automate your thank-you’s.
9. Social Media Tip: People will read your Tweets and blog posts in the context of their goals and needs. See through their eyes.
10. Social Media Tip: Social media marketing is not a fad. BUT social media consultants now need deeper business knowledge.
11. Social Media Tip: Blogging is not dead, but recycling content and cut-and-paste mentalities are getting old.
12. Social Media Tip: social media strategy needs to be in-line with your business culture and integrated with your business processes.
13. Social Media Tip: Having a Twitter account is like having a telephone. It’s just a tool. How are you going to use it to win?
14. Social Media Tip: Being an early adopter is not enough. You need to evolve with your market and the tools to stay relevant.
15. Social Media Tip: Your rules of engagement will be in context with your goals and your target market’s culture/etiquette.
16. Social Media Tip: Activity doesn’t equal profitability. Activity that builds relationships = mindshare = walletshare. Build relationships.
17. Want to increase the number of people that follow you back on Twitter? Try taking an interest in them. Marketing is a conversation.
18. Social Media Tip: All of the engagement and trust you have built evaporates when your community finds out you outsource your conversations.
19. Social Media Tip: You can go it alone, brave the storms and reach great heights by yourself. BUT half the joy is in bringing people with you
20. Social Media Tip: hiring the wrong social media help can be worse than not doing it. Be prepared. Assess them & where you are starting from
21. Leadership Tip: You don’t need to make someone else irrelevant to raise your profile. In fact you’re usually only hurting your brand.
22. Remember it’s not a about blogging, Twitter, Facebook or the next great thing. It’s how you use it. Wisdom comes from mistakes. Experiment.
23. Social Media Tip: You are never too popular to be humble. In fact no matter who you are eventually the web will humble you
24. Being on a path of integrity isn’t a one time choice. It’s a lifetime of commitment and daily decisions.
25. Social Media Tip: Use hootsuite to flag DM’s from other people in Twitter for future follow-up. They can often get buried.
26. Social Media Tip: Subscribe to your twitter searches as RSS feeds in your feed reader so that you only have to do the search once…ever.
27. Social Media Trend: Community building skills are becoming more important than pitching or selling.
28. Good things come to those wait — but they’re usually the things left behind by those who hustle. Giddy up!
29. Social media monitoring is vital. The opportunity is in engaging at the right time with the right person on the right topic.
30. Leadership Tip: You can never lose by investing in good people. Err on the side of generosity. It will pay in efficiency and loyalty.
31. Social Media Tip: Educate and equip all staff to be social… it provides less headache and greater ROI than policing them.
32. Social Media Tip: The longer you try to contain social media use to one department the further behind you will be from the marketplace.
33. Good publicity is about doing the right thing and getting the word out. Integrity is about doing the right thing when no one is looking.
34. Social Media Tip: If you are more aware of the community gossip than you are of the community needs then you’re going the wrong direction.
35. Social Media Tip: Stop seeking recognition from the cool kids… instead strive to be significant to the/your community
36. Social Media Tip: The more open we are with other people the more willing they are to share with us.

Shane Gibson (@ShaneGibson) is a sales and social media speaker who has addressed over 100,000 people on stages on three continents over the past 15 years.  He is also co-author of Guerrilla Social Media Marketing and Sociable! How Social Media is Turning Sales and Marketing Upside-down.  When he’s not speaking or Tweeting he is in the social media trenches working with his clients as Chief Social Officer for Socialized! Ltd. a social media agency and training organization.

The post 36 Social Media, Leadership and Life Tips in 140 Characters or Fewer appeared first on Shane Gibson's Podcast – AI and Digital Selling – B2B Sales and Influence.

You may be a business leader that’s transforming an industry, a teacher who does things differently in the classroom, or a blogger that pours your heart out for the world to see.

Today’s podcast is about you, and how you can tackle this challenge.

– Namaste

Direct File Link to Listen

The post Dealing with the Dark side of business criticism and failure appeared first on Shane Gibson's Podcast – AI and Digital Selling – B2B Sales and Influence.