K2 Sales Podcast

Sales people thrive in the weeds. We are busy, head down  feeling like we are in demand. When we really look at it, we can’t see the forest through the trees. Yet, we stay there. There is something about if we stay in the discomfort and mundane long enough we will get rewarded. In my conversation with @aislinglalor, Founder of Aisling Lalor Dental and Skin she suggests taking a break from the dail...

In life we experience times of frustration, fear, imposter syndrome and the list goes on. It’s if we allow these feelings, thoughts and  experiences to take us over that will make the difference.  Do they paralyze us? Or do we use them as a catalyst for change? Tune in to our first of a 2  part series with  @Aisling Lalor, founder of Aisling Lalor Dental and Skin.  Aisling shares her story of frus...

When we think of 2024 are we planning our new playbooks, new list of ICP’s, revamped discovery questions? While these are important, are we considering how we show up first? Buyers are expecting an experience, but what kind are we prepared to provide?  Has our well run dry? Has our focus shifted? Do we look and sound like everyone else? Tune in to my podcast where I share 3 areas to help us start...

When we take time to prepare out negotiation strategies  as well as consider those of our counterparts, we show respect for the process, our counterparts and the desired outcome. Consider time as currency. Yet, how many of us take the time to: 1) Prime ourselves: get in the right state of mind 2) Prepare:  Clearly articulate what a successful outcome looks like 3) Practice: Put in the reps Tune in...

How can we redesign our selling approach? As we move closer to 2024 AI is front and center.  While it is useful to drive efficiencies, we can’t lose sight or our ability to engage in a meaningful and humanized way to connect with our prospects. Tune in to my solo podcast where I share the importance of  starting with the OPP, other person’s perspective. Flipping the script to see things through th...

What does it take to break in to sales? What are interviewers looking for? How do I prepare? Sales is a tough but rewarding career. Many are on the outside wondering it it’s for me, others are tirelessly knocking on doors trying to get in. Kristie Jones Founder of Sales Acceleration Group, Speaker and author joins me. She provides answers to  the above, shares insights from her own sales journey a...

Our job has been and remains to create an experience for our buyers. With the economic environment looming, supply chain issues, resource shortages how can we as sales professionals make the difference? We know from Challenger more than 53% of the reason people buy is because of us. How can we be more intentional, empathetic and creative to make it a “No Brainer” for our audience to choose us? Tre...

In this episode of the K2 Sales podcast, host Karen Kelly emphasizes the importance of being problem-centric. She advises salespeople to understand the problem before pitching a product, and to dig deeper to uncover the root cause of the problem.  Karen also highlights the need for alignment among all decision-makers in the purchasing process. She shares her experience in the healthcare industry,...

In this sole podcast episode, host Karen Kelly celebrates Women in Sales Month by sharing her own sales journey and lessons learned.  She discusses the importance of mindset, belief systems, and inclusive language for female sales professionals. Karen also addresses the challenges women face in sales, such as maternity leave, and emphasizes the need for a supportive workplace.  She encourages wome...

How many of us play sports now or played in high school or college? Perhaps your kids play? How often are you driving them or did you get driven to practice?  Quite often. We had a rule in volleyball, if you missed practice you didn’t start the next game. There was so much emphasis on practice. Why is Sales any different? A time to learn and apply new skills, put them together in a game situation....

#salesleaders who have been promoted from an individual contributor role have most likely not been trained on having a difficult conversation. Even tenured leaders, have you been given a framework to use? role-play with a trusted advisor/ coach? Do we understand the components of a difficult conversation and the impact it can have on our audience and our team if delivered incorrectly? Tune in to m...

Tune into this solo podcast where Karen shares 3  areas of focus to finish the year strong and align our energy with the changing of seasons  Are we dialed in to our Mental,  Physical and Spiritual game? When we focus on these areas we show up different. We become the exception for our buyers and we are more fulfilled.  For our mindset, are we taking time to connect with ourselves, check in to see...

Tune in where Tom shares how to be truly buyer centric and ditch the legacy, rigid sales process.  He walks us through the stages of the revenue zone as well as an updated look of who is making the B2B decisions. Millennials are at the helm and their approach is not the same as what we know as traditional sales. Their intolerance  will easily  disqualify early and fast. Tune in to sharpen your sal...

Tune in to my conversation with author of Buyer First Carole Mahoney where she shares the importance of mindset in our sales motions. We timed this episode well, Today is the day Buyer First is available any where you buy books!  Carole unpacks the impact mindset has on our selling motions. Have you ever been told, " you’re extraverted, you’re going to be a great sales person” without experie...

In this podcast episode, Karen Kelly speaks Jaime Diglio, founder of inFirst Consulting, member of Women Sales Pros  and partner at Slalom. They discuss the importance of communication in sales and how it is often overlooked.  Jaime emphasizes the significance of understanding human behavior and connecting with prospects on a deeper level. They also talk about the lack of curiosity and understandi...

"74% of leading companies site sales coaching & mentoring as the most important role of sales leaders”. How many sales leaders are taking time to coach their time? Scheduling time on a regular basis to to hold a coaching call with their team. Allowing their team to select an area of focus. Isolate and go deep. Understand why we do what we do. Look for patterns, triggers, thoughts, behavio...

When our deals stall, we get ghosted or we surprisingly lose what we think was a sure in, we can ask ourselves... did we engage both Below the Line and Above the line buyers? Too often as sales people, we are focused only on solving the problem right in front of us. Sharing the features and benefits of our product that  address their immediate need, within their budget and timeframe - this is how...

In this solo podcast episode, host Karen Kelly discusses the process of getting your first sales role. Or for those already in a job,  switching companies or departments to sales. She emphasizes the importance of understanding the parallels between the selling process and the skills used once in a sales role. They are the same. This begins with targeting the ideal company and demonstrating your va...

In this podcast episode, Karen Kelly and Chris Orlob former Head of Sales @Gong, current CEO of PClub.io discuss best practices in demos. Chris emphasizes the importance of mapping demos to the customer's pain points and solving their specific problems.  Chris introduces his "FAVORITE" framework for demoing a single capability successfully, which includes Frame the pain, Ask a Quest...

How many of us are winging our discovery calls and expecting a follow up call…. Sorry to say, It won’t happen We must be exchanging value for time. There are fundamentals that must take place for an effective discovery. Prospects want to feel they are in good hands. They are aware of the purpose What do they want to get out of the call How the call will unfold How long it will take and  what outco...

As sales professionals, we unfortunately don’t have as many negotiation strategies  in our tool belt as we would like. In some instances, we walk in unprepared, are being played by our prospect and only when we figure out what’s happening it’s too late. Tune in to my conversation with Patrick Tinney author of Unlocking Yes and Founder of Centroid Training and Marketing where he shares his Negotiat...

In this solo episode of the K2  Sales podcast, host Karen Kelly shares four effective strategies to improve outbound prospecting: 1) Reach out to past customers who have had a positive experience and nurture those relationships. 2) Ask for warm introductions from first-degree connections who are already in discussions with your target audience. 3) Actively seek reviews and testimonials from satisf...

#salesleaders who have been promoted from an individual contributor role have most likely not been trained on having a difficult conversation. Even tenured leaders, have you beed given a framework to use? role-play with a trusted advisor/ coach?  Do we understand the components of a difficult conversation and the impact it can have on our audience and our team if delivered incorrectly? Tune in to...

Amanda Vicinanzo has over 15 years of experience in the cybersecurity sector, managing large IT Security projects. She leverages her extensive knowledge of cybersecurity to improve services, while advocating strongly for women and diversity within her team and the sector. Her years of experience, advocacy for women and leadership was recognized as IT World Canada’s top woman in cybersecurity 2022....

Many sales professionals are frustrated and struggling to get their buyers attention. Some are relying solely on Chap GPT which is not good for the sales profession, we still need to screen it with our human lens. Tune in to Karen’s solo podcast where she shares best practices from email, phone, video and other areas she is finding success capturing her audience attention. It is tough, this is whe...