Podcasts for Practice and Perfecting Process
New episodes from some of my favorite podcasts to help sharpen the saw and tweak your process
Pods and Sodes…
For whatever reason - this week’s curated content all ended up as podcasts.
For me, whether I’m running, commuting (not much of that anymore) or multi-tasking, podcasts are a great way to learn from others in quick, impactful sessions at whatever speed and time allotments I can muster up.
In this week’s edition of Stretch Weekly, I highlight three podcasts that cover:
How to Create a Weekly Sales Meeting Agenda That Drives Actual Results courtesy of Dan Martell
Rediscovering the Art of Sales With Jeff Hoffman and John Barrows
Secrets of Success Among the Top 1% of Sellers with Scott Ingram and Jeremy Donovan
So add these “pods” to your queue and see if anything stands out. Definitely did for me. And if you’re real lazy and need a quick blinkist version - I summarized them in bulleted form (I’m looking at you David)!
Plus snippets of course from experts across the internet - as well as a revised Top 13 SaaS Podcasts a First-Time VP of Sales.
And lastly - as always, if you find this newsletter valuable- consider sharing it with someone who might as well 👊.
STRETCH SHARES
Secrets of Success Among the Top 1% of Sellers
I’ve referenced Scott’s podcast: Sales Success Stories before and find it a fascinating way to share best practices with my team and to keep us in check.
So…combine Scott’s knowledge from interviewing hundreds of top sales reps and John Barrow’s Hey People Podcast and you have an amazing episode to help you see where you and your team can improve.
Here are a few points that stood out to me on what Scott believes separates the top 1% of sellers:
Not necessarily a social rockstar. Doesn’t always equate to revenue in the door.
Maniacal focus on _____ (craft, hobby, something…)
Mindset. Belief in yourself and what you are selling.
Process. Have and follow a consistent process (Sales Process, Personal Productivity etc…)
Repetition. You can train grit - dig in. No quick way to work your way to the top.
Money doesn’t drive success, but a commitment to serve and help buyers out.
Love to win or hate to lose? (hint: doesn’t matter)
Listen to the 19 minute episode HERE
Rediscovering the “Art” of Prospecting with Jeff Hoffman
I asked John Barrows a while back who he thought of as a mentor - and he said Jeff Hoffman. So when I saw this webinar with Jeff’s take on the “Art” of Prospecting - I had to dive in.
Hoffman's WYWYN. Why You? Why You Now? Great story on the background on this...
You can't replicate a technique until you've mastered it.
Parachute into the buyer... (journey never starts with the buyer)
Our Closes are only limited by your creativity.
Genuine curiosity! (Wanting to know something at a greater level than the embarrassment of not knowing it)
Impact CTA: "I see you do this....and I don't understand"
Social Value. Behave as you believe (fake it, til you make it).
How to Create a Weekly SaaS Sales Team Meeting Agenda That Drives Actual Results
I’m sure everyone already has a process and structure for their weekly sales meeting. But here me (Dan actually) out and give this a listen. There are a few things here that are table-stakes for any sales meeting, but I really liked the structure of this and will be tweaking my own agenda to give some of these a try.
Wins. Let team share wins.
Pipeline Review (table-stakes). Focus on activity to uncover who’s behind on follow up and activity.
Roadblocks. Ask reps ahead of time to provide input. How can you as a leader remove these?
Buyer Feedback (I like how he uses buyer and not prospect). What are buyers asking for? Wha feedback are reps getting?
Metrics. Quota, goals, progress to capacity, deal cycle, ACV, Close Ratio etc.
Announcements. Company, product, roadmap announcements. Invite CSM or others.
Competitors. Teach and train how to overcome objections and combat competitive daggers.
Training. I actually have a separate day set aside each week for training, but Dan recommends a quick 10 min training on something. I’m going to give this a try as well.
Listen to quick 9 min episode HERE
STRETCH VP POST 👇
Updated: Top 13 SaaS Podcasts For a First-Time VP of Sales
Since this newsletter edition focused on Podcasts - thought I should include an updated version of a prior post on my Top 10 SaaS Podcasts For a First-Time VP of Sales.
STRETCH SNIPPETS
💪Loved this Remarkable People episode: The Art of Perseverance - Guy Kawasaki with his top 10 tips to persevere during this pandemic.
😁Mike Bosworth of Solution Selling - joins Rob Jeppsen to discuss Creating a Sales Experience Your Customers Will Thank You For
🔑Scott Barker with Sales Hacker hosts an insightful webinar on building a repeatable sales process
⛳️Who doesn’t want to hear from Tony Finau on 5 Tips to Becoming a Better Golfer and Close More Deals (XANT Webinar Aug 25th)
👀Lemkin turns to Twitter yet again to give us 50 Top Tips to take friction out of your sales process.
🔦Jason Bay (Blissful Prospecting) shines a light on outbound email sequences and best practices.
⁇ Scott Leese answers a common question from ambitious sales reps on how they can get to the next stage of their career.
🚨Anthony Iannarino reminds us what leadership sounds like in a crisis.
🧠 Mindset Matters
Thanks for reading!
My hope is if you find this valuable, consider sharing it with friends (or signing up if you haven’t already).
— Grant 👋
About stretch vp: confessions, learnings and insights from sales leaders in SaaS
Compiled and aggregated from a network of sales leaders in SaaS, Stretch VP showcases learnings, insights and experiences as well as best practices to overcome common hurdles, obstacles and setbacks in your quest for excellence as a sales leader in SaaS.
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