Sales Trajectory Podcast

In a tough market, being busy isn’t enough. In this episode of the Sales Trajectory Podcast , Jason Howes challenges sales leaders to look beyond activity and ask a harder question: how much of your sales team’s week is actually spent moving revenue forward? From internal meetings, admin and customer service to unqualified account visits and repetitive tasks, valuable selling time can quietly disa...

In this episode of the Sales Trajectory Podcast , Jason Howes and Violette Bouvier tackle a challenge that catches many businesses off guard: what happens when a long-serving salesperson resigns, retires, or moves on. The discussion challenges a common assumption that a departing employee was the company's "best salesperson." Was their success driven by exceptional selling ability,...

In this episode of the Sales Trajectory Podcast, Jason Howes explores one of the most misunderstood drivers of sales performance: compensation and incentives.  Drawing on more than 37 years in sales, sales leadership, recruitment and coaching, Jason shares real-world observations on why many businesses are investing more in sales talent yet still struggling to achieve the growth they expected. The...

People, process, leadership and technology working together In this episode, Jason Howes and Violette Bouvier explore a challenge many business leaders face: why good people can still struggle to perform. The discussion highlights how sustainable growth is rarely the result of a single hire, a new system or a training course. Instead, success comes from creating the right environment where people...

In this episode of the Sales Trajectory Podcast, Jason Howes sits down with Arrow Executive Sales' newest team member, Violette Bouvier , an experienced ICT Business Analyst, CRM specialist, and operational transformation professional. Originally from France and now based in Australia, Violette shares her journey from working across CRM, ERP, and business transformation projects in Europe to...

In Episode 3 of the Sales Trajectory Podcast series on aligning HR and sales, Jason Howes and Jackie Strachan discuss why onboarding is one of the most critical and overlooked parts of the hiring process. They explain that recruiting the right person is only the beginning. Without a structured onboarding process, businesses risk poor performance, low engagement, cultural misalignment, early turnov...

Many businesses today don't have just a people problem. They have a people and clarity problem. In a rapidly changing market, organisations are often trying to achieve tomorrow's growth opportunities with yesterday's structures. The wrong people in critical roles can certainly hold a business back. But equally, good people can underperform when expectations are unclear, roles are po...

Host: Jason Howes, Arrow Executive Sales Guest: Jackie Strachan, CEO, HR Tactics In Episode 2 of the three-part recruitment and retention series, Jason Howes is joined by Jackie Strachan, CEO of HR Tactics, to explore one of the most costly and critical challenges facing Australian businesses today: selecting the right person and reducing hiring risk. Building on Episode 1, which focused on defini...

Making an ROI on Your Salespeople (Chapter 2) Most businesses don’t actually know if their sales team is profitable. In this episode, Jason breaks down how to turn sales hiring and performance into a measurable ROI engine, so you can stop guessing and start making confident, high-impact decisions. What you’ll walk away with: Clarity on the true cost of a bad hire Understand how a wrong sales hire...

🎙️ With Jackie Strachan, HR Tactics (Part 1) In this episode of the Sales Trajectory Podcast , Jason Howes sits down with Jackie Strachan from HR Tactics to explore what effective HR actually looks like inside SME environments—where resources are tight, roles evolve quickly, and getting people decisions right is critical to growth. The conversation moves beyond theory into practical application, h...

Guest: Naomi Herzog – Director of Growth & Strategy, Marchese Partners Architects In this episode, Jason Howes is joined by Naomi Herzog , Director of Growth and Strategy at Marchese Partners Architects , to unpack the forces shaping Brisbane’s built environment and the future of architecture, housing, and city growth. Naomi shares her career journey—from questioning the quality of housing ava...

This episode aligns directly with Chapter 1 of Crystal Ball Recruiting , where Jason Howes challenges leaders to assess their current sales team capability before making costly hiring decisions. As businesses head toward the end of April and into EOFY, Jason shares a timely update on current market conditions and the pressure leaders are facing, balancing sales targets, budgeting, forecasting, and...

🎙️ Episode Show Notes Guest: Matt McLachlan, CEO – Yellow Couriers Host: Jason Howes In this episode, Jason Howes sits down with Matt McLachlan, CEO of Yellow Couriers, to unpack what strong leadership, sales systems, and operational discipline look like in today’s high‑pressure business environment. With over 30 years’ experience across sales leadership, wholesale, retail in the pet industry and...

Special Guest: Luke Irwin, CEO & Principal Consultant, Aegis Cyber Security In this episode, Jason Howes is joined by Luke Irwin , CEO and Principal Consultant at Aegis Cyber Security , to unpack the real cyber risks facing small to mid‑market businesses, and what leaders can do today to reduce exposure. Luke brings a practical, no‑nonsense view of the cybersecurity landscape, drawn from his w...

In this episode of the Sales Trajectory Podcast , Jason Howes is joined by executive leadership coach John Matthews for a deep, practical conversation grounded in more than six decades of combined leadership, coaching, and real‑world experience . Together, they unpack why so many high performers struggle when they step into leadership roles — not because they lack capability, but because leadershi...

In this episode of the Sales Trajectory Podcast – where innovation meets sales execution , Jason Howes sits down with LinkedIn Strategist Kylie Chown to unpack what actually works on LinkedIn today — and what doesn’t. With social selling becoming a critical part of modern sales and recruitment, Kylie shares practical insights on how salespeople, business owners, and leaders can position themselves...

In this conversation, Jason Banks, National Strategy and Development Manager for MIGAS Apprentices and Trainees, discusses the significance of National Apprenticeship Week and his career journey. He emphasizes the importance of recognizing and supporting apprentices, addressing the skill shortage in Australia, and the need for mentorship in the industry. The conversation highlights various initiat...

In this episode of The Art and Science of Complex Sales, Paul Fuller, CRO sits down with Jason Howes of Arrow Executive Sales to talk about his debut book, Crystal Ball Recruiting, and why sales hiring needs a major reset. Jason shares why rushed recruitment leads to costly failures, how leaders can assess current team capability before hiring again, and what it takes to attract, recruit, and reta...

What happens when the science of performance meets the art of human connection? In this episode of the Sales Trajectory Podcast , Jason Howes talks with Michael Larsen – co-host of the Rental Journal podcast and a second-generation leader in the equipment rental industry, Larsen Hire – about building high-performance sales cultures that thrive in today’s competitive market. Michael shares insights...

Jason Howes sits down with Brendan O’Shea, National Sales Manager at Knotwood Australia & New Zealand. Brendan shares his journey from WA to the Gold Coast, the growth opportunities within Knotwood, and the company’s unique culture that empowers its people. Discover how Knotwood solves real-world challenges with aluminium systems that combine aesthetics, durability, and sustainability. From pr...

Jason Howes goes solo on this short episode to update listeners on the past and future of sales recruitment .   Why I left the corporate world in 2018: To solve two persistent challenges—ineffective sales training and over-reliance on industry experience in recruitment. The current sales talent crisis: Average salesperson tenure is 18 months and falling . 50% of hires fail. Many companies settle f...

Season Two of the Sales Trajectory Podcast kicks off with an exciting theme: Where Innovation Meets Sales Execution . Host Jason Howes welcomes Paul Fuller , Chief Revenue Officer at Membrain, to explore how companies can overcome today’s toughest sales challenges through innovation, enablement, and alignment. Paul shares how Membrain is leading the way with new tools like Flow , and advanced CRM...

In this episode of the Sales Trajectory Podcast , Jason Howes sits down with Troy Cleyne , VP of the Australian Deck and Handrail Association and National BDM for Everdeck by Timberlink , to explore the evolution of the composite wood product market in Australia. We unpack the market dynamics , explore why quality assurance matters, and discuss how brand failures can reshape the competitive landsc...

Episode Overview In this episode, recorded back in early 2025, Jason Howes sits down with Jason O’Hagan, CEO of Weathertex, to explore leadership strategies during challenging market conditions. We talk about the importance of mental health initiatives, and how Weathertex continues to innovate and thrive. From safety and sustainability to sales excellence and team culture, this conversation is pac...

Episode Title: Building a Stronger Hire Industry: Insights from Troy Moulder Join Jason Howes on the S ales Trajectory Podcast as he interviews Troy Moulder , National Sales & Marketing Manager at Winch Hire Australia and Queensland President of the Hire and Rental Industry Association (HRIA) . In this episode, Troy shares his 25-year journey in the hire and rental industry, from starting as a...