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”Unless you are the lead dog, your view never changes.” On the Sales Lead Dog podcast, CRM technology and sales process expert Christopher Smith talks with exceptional sales leaders that have separated themselves from the rest and achieved a sales leadership role in their organization. Hear what they did to become the alpha, lead their pack, and how they leverage CRM technology to drive sales for their organization. If your goal is to rise higher in your sales career or you currently are the alpha, this podcast gives you useful insight on how the best-of-the-best achieve success with their team and CRM technology.
Episodes
Monday Feb 08, 2021
Monday Feb 08, 2021
“We are a nation of terrible listeners,” says Bob Paradiso, President of Durasein Solid Surface. For Bob, the best salespeople are really listening to their customers, and working hard to identify and solve the problems of their customer. On this episode of Sales Lead Dog, host Chris Smith talks with Bob about his forty year career in sales, and what he’s learned along the way.
But for Bob, sales wasn’t really on the radar. In fact, he got into sales when his boss called him into his office one day and offered him a sales role in San Francisco. Bob had never considered sales before -- and despite his wife’s skepticism, he eventually persuaded her that life in San Francisco would be a nice change. That moment, where he took a leap into sales, has defined his life.
What has Bob learned as he moved from sales to sales leadership and beyond? First and foremost, he highlights the power of listening, and solving problems. If you can really solve their problem, he says, the customer will always find value in your business. He also discovered that sales leadership is about more than just customers. It’s about striking the balance between customer needs and company needs -- and finding creative solutions so everyone leaves the meeting satisfied.
For more on transitioning into sales leadership, creative problem solving, and the power of getting to know not just your customer but also your team, tune in this week to Sales Lead Dog.
Quotes:
- We are a nation of terrible listeners. We don't listen enough. We are always too concerned about what we want to say … we talk first, and we don't even listen to the reply. (22:28-22:54)
Links:
www.linkedin.com/company/duraseinsolidsurface
www.duraseinusa.com
Podcast production and show notes provided by FIRESIDE Marketing
Thursday Feb 04, 2021
Thursday Feb 04, 2021
“Where do you need to be more courageous this year?” asks Ryan Avery, the Keynote Speaker on Strategic Communication and Leadership. On this episode of Sales Lead Dog, Ryan talks with host Chris Smith about the fundamentals of his leadership program, and how he helps people move from just a leader to the leader.
This episode is full of succinct, actionable tips for success -- from how to be true to best represent your brand on Zoom (hint: consider using a ladder) to working toward confidence by becoming more courageous. With a series of memorable acronyms and tons of energy, Ryan shares the fundamentals of strong leadership, using anecdotes that can inspire people at all stages of their career.
If you’re ready to move from “a” to “the,” tune into this podcast today.
Quotes:
- “Do you want to be a CEO or do you want to be the CEO.” (5:57-5:59)
- “Expand your comfort zone” (11:32-11:34)
- “Our job as a leader isn’t to have the answer, it’s to find the answer.” (26:12-26:19)
Links:
Podcast production and show notes provided by FIRESIDE Marketing
Monday Feb 01, 2021
Monday Feb 01, 2021
How does the transition to private equity change an organization? On this episode of Sales Lead Dog, Doug Vail, Chief Revenue Officer at Industrial Inspection & Analysis, talks with host Chris Smith about his unexpected move to sales leadership as a result of a private equity buyout, and how private equity puts the company focus on continued growth -- even in times of hardship.
Doug, who started his career as a mechanical engineer, never imagined that one day he would be the CRO of a rapidly expanding business like IIA. But he does credit his engineering background to his methodical sales process, and his ability to continually grow and learn from his mistakes. At this point in his career, he admits that what set him apart was his commitment to discipline -- to getting up everyday ready to “practice his craft.”
As for his relationship to CRM? Doug says he can’t imagine running a company of any size without it.
Tune in this week to learn about private equity, unexpected career journeys, and more!
Quote:
- “Private equity is always about: ‘how quickly can you get me to the next level?’” (19:50-19:54)
Links:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/dougvail1/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/industrial-ia/
Empellor CRM Website
https://www.empellorcrm.com
Empellor CRM LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/company/empellorcrm
Podcast production and show notes provided by FIRESIDE Marketing
https://meetfireside.com/podcast-production-service/
Thursday Jan 28, 2021
Thursday Jan 28, 2021
Can a dentist have a fanbase? What about an insurance company? Yes, says David Meerman Scott, marketing & business growth speaker and author of the WSJ bestseller FANOCRACY. In this episode of Sales Lead Dog, host Chris Smith talks to David about his new book, and the idea that really meaningful marketing and selling happens when we turn our customers into our biggest fans.
David has written over twelve books, four of which have been international best-sellers. In FANOCRACY, David explains how growing a fanbase is contrary to many of our widely held beliefs about selling -- it’s about being a community builder, not the stereotypical “hunter.” But though it takes a leap of faith, it really works. “We found examples in all kinds of different marketplaces of people who have been able to build fans,” David explains -- from the success of a skateboarding dentist to Duracell’s 10-million battery giveaway.
At the end of the day, it’s hard to argue with this compelling strategy, which flips selling and marketing on its head. But it’s actually pretty simple; as David says: “If you bring passion to what you do, that passion is infectious.”
Quotes:
- “All humans, you and me and everybody who’s watching and listening to this, is hard-wired in our brains to be part of a tribe of like-minded people.” (11:11-11:26)
- “If you bring passion to what you do, that passion is infectious, and people are more likely to want to do business with you.” (29:33-29:41)
Links:
https://www.fanocracy.com
https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidmeermanscott/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/freshspot-marketing/about/
Podcast production and show notes provided by FIRESIDE Marketing
Monday Jan 25, 2021
Monday Jan 25, 2021
What role should marketing play the sales cycle? “Every role,” says David "Rev" Ciancio, Head of Revenue Marketing at Branded Strategic Marketing. Rev and host Chris Smith take a new approach this week and look at sales leadership from a marketing perspective, exploring how marketing and sales can work together to acquire and retain customers.
Rev realized sales wasn’t his calling early in his career. He wasn’t a bad salesman, but much preferred coaching other members of his team and looking at the big picture. He used his experience in sales to jump into marketing strategy, and has been working to integrate the marketing and sales departments in every company he’s worked for since.
Rev offers actionable steps to build a strong relationship between marketing and sales teams, with a focus on every step in the process from lead generation to customer retention. From co-writing sales sequences to encouraging sales teams to guide marketing content, Rev has solutions that you can implement tomorrow to get great results.
Quotes:
- “I’m a believer in understanding the customer journey and aligning all of your efforts towards that” (11:06-11:18)
- “Any department that touches revenue... should have a dotted or even a direct line to marketing” (18:27-18:35)
Links:
https://www.brandedstrategic.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/branded-strategic/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/revciancio/
Podcast production and show notes provided by FIRESIDE Marketing
Thursday Jan 21, 2021
Thursday Jan 21, 2021
“Yeses are great. Nos are great. Maybes will kill you,” says Skip Miller, Founder and President of M3 Learning, a sales management training and coaching program that helps start-ups build their sales process to meet sales goals. Skip shares his philosophy on sales training -- which revolves around data, forecasting, and good use of CRM. His number one takeaway? If you want to optimize your time, you need to know how engaged your customer is -- and the best way to do that is to stay in control, and ask them to give as much as they get.
Skip and Chris talk about common CRM pitfalls, the tools you can use to measure customer engagement, and all the reasons your sales managers should be jumping in long before your deals are ready to close. If you’re looking for an inspiring and unique sales philosophy to shake up your team, tune into this episode!
Quotes:
- “I am on a mission to destroy the term ‘decision-maker.’” (6:02-6:05)
- “Yeses are great. Nos are great. Maybes will kill you.” (12:06-12:10)
Links:
www.m3learning.com
https://www.linkedin.com/company/m3-learning/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/skip-miller-a7243/
Podcast production and show notes provided by FIRESIDE Marketing
Monday Jan 18, 2021
Monday Jan 18, 2021
A sales leader is also an educator according to Chris Palmisano, Founding Chief Operating Officer / Chief Revenue Officer at Rocket Dog, a financial services startup specializing in alternative investments. He talks with host Christopher Smith about the role that learning plays in every element of the sales industry, from hiring to advancement to using CRM.
For Chris Palmisano, a passion for learning is what differentiates a bad sales rep from a good one, and it’s also an indicator that someone will be a great sales leader. When he’s hiring, he looks for people who have been successful at something, because it shows that they have a hunger for learning, and the follow-through to make it happen. And he also builds learning into his own work, every single day. For example, he always hires two people at once, so if it doesn’t work out he can determine whether they don’t have the right skill set for the job, or whether he needs to improve as an educator and leader.
Take a close look at sales with a focus on training -- and learn from a top performer in the startup world -- in this episode of Sales Lead Dog!
Quotes
- “Believe it or not, things like ‘what’s the forecast look like,’ get discussed in the boardroom.” (22:35-22:42)
- “As sales professionals we can either evolve, or we can die, and there isn’t really an in between anymore.” (26:32-26:40)
Links:
www.rocketmortgage.com
https://www.linkedin.com/company/rocketdollar/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/cmpalmisano/
Podcast production and show notes provided by FIRESIDE Marketing
Monday Jan 11, 2021
Monday Jan 11, 2021
What does it take to succeed? If you ask Andrew Ettinger, Chief Revenue Officer at Astronomer, the answer is hustle and curiosity. As a leader in open source and data-focused startups, Andrew stands by his belief that working hard and learning everything you can about your industry can take you as far as you want to go.
Learning was the real driver behind Andrew’s conversation with host Chris Smith, as they dive into Andrew’s career story and how he found himself at Astronomer. When he took the job with his boss and mentor Joe Otto, Andrew knew almost nothing about data pipelines. But Joe was confident he was the right person for the job, and Andrew was passionate about learning. Ten years later, Andrew has taken a lead role in this rapidly growing company, and has become an expert not only in the industry, but in sales and executive leadership.
Andrew and Chris talk about tracking losses in CRM, giving your team room to fail, and what it really means to hustle. At the end of the day, Chris’s definition of working hard is all about customer satisfaction - if the customer is happy, he knows he’s done his job right.
Quotes:
- “Are you willing to go the extra mile to make sure your customer gets what they need?” (19:16-19:22)
Links:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewettinger23/
Empellor CRM Website
https://www.empellorcrm.com
Empellor CRM LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/company/empellorcrm
Podcast production and show notes provided by FIRESIDE Marketing
https://meetfireside.com/podcast-production-service/
Monday Jan 04, 2021
Monday Jan 04, 2021
Does 50/50 ad revenue sharing on social media sound impossible? For Chris Emme, Chief Revenue Officer at Tsu, Inc., it’s the norm. Chris Emme talks with host Christopher Smith about Tsu, a new startup that’s helping content creators get the most out of social media, with a platform that reflects the symbiotic relationship between social media platforms and their most influential users.
When social media started, we were just trying to connect the world. Then we thought about how we could use it to maximize distribution of things like news, media, products, and services. But according to Chris Emme, Social Media 3.0 is all about commercializing content creation - and developing a more democratic model for platforms to share revenue with their creators. It’s all about using social media effectively - and that starts from the top down.
Chris shares important lessons he’s learned about resilience, mentorship, and leadership in sales. His primary takeaway? Make it personal, make it real, and meet people where they’re at. If you can take a personal approach and walk in your customer’s shoes, you are already ten steps closer to success than most of your competitors.
Quotes:
- “We face no all the time” (11:33-11:36)
- “Persistence breaks down resistance” (12:42-12:45)
Links:
https://www.tsusocial.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/cemme/
Empellor CRM Website
https://www.empellorcrm.com
Empellor CRM LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/company/empellorcrm
Podcast production and show notes provided by FIRESIDE Marketing
https://meetfireside.com/podcast-production-service/
Monday Dec 28, 2020
Monday Dec 28, 2020
“You always go into a situation to learn,” says Kevin Armstrong, Global Enterprise Strategy Leader at ENAVATE. He talks with host Chris Smith about his passion for sales leadership, and how he cultivates an atmosphere of learning, growing, and striving for success.
What are the lessons Kevin tries to impart on his team? You have to want to learn, and you have to go all in to succeed. But despite his passion for going all in, he knows that the key to sales success is being efficient with your time -- and sometimes that means saying no to opportunities that just aren’t right for you or your company. As he tells Chris, there are two winners in every sale: the one who wins and the first one out.
Tune in to hear more of Kevin’s surprising lessons on sales, sales leadership, and how to balance intuitive selling with CRM.
Quotes:
- “You always go into a situation to learn” (3:18-3:21)
- “Ask the person, what is it both personally and professionally that drives you?” (21:49-21:54)
Links:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/armstrongkevin/
Podcast production and show notes provided by FIRESIDE Marketing