SellMeThisPen podcast

About the episode: In this episode, Michael and Ed dive into sales enablement and the power of tactical support. They discuss the importance of building individual relationships with sellers, understanding their unique motivations, and providing hands-on help rather than just theoretical training. Ed shares his journey from sales to enablement, emphasizing how empathy, timing, and being genuinely...

About the episode: In this episode, Michael and Guy dive into the latest Ebsta benchmark report on sales performance. They explore why just 14% of sellers are responsible for 80% of revenue, how top performers qualify deals earlier based on ICP, and why data-driven consistency across sales processes is the key to transforming B and C players into quota-crushers. About the guest: Guy Rubin is a pas...

About the episode: In this episode, Michael and Jenny dive into the realities of leadership development for mid-level managers. They discuss why embracing both tactical management and true leadership is crucial for company growth, how good mentors can transform career trajectories, and why intentional time management is the secret weapon for today's overwhelmed managers. About the guest: Jenny...

About the episode: In this episode, Michael and Stephen dive into the realities of implementing AI in organizations. They discuss how to drive user adoption through leadership involvement, why starting with practical use cases beats broad implementation, and the importance of creating a culture where experimentation with AI tools is encouraged and celebrated. About the guest: Stephen Smith is a te...

About the episode: In this episode, Michael and Kieran dive into the realities of sales coaching and what it really takes to develop high-performing reps. They discuss why quality questions trump feedback dumps, how true coaching creates psychological safety through self-reflection, and why the fundamentals of curiosity and consistency matter more than chasing silver bullets in today's tough marke...

About the episode: In this episode, Michael and Teri dive into what makes authentic leaders successful in enablement. They discuss why getting your hands dirty with frontline teams is crucial, how leaders who don't have all the answers build stronger organizations, and why AI will enhance productivity but never replace the human connection at the heart of sales. About the guest: Teri Long is the V...

About the episode: In this episode, Michael and Matt dive into the parallels between recruitment and sales processes. They discuss why recruiters are essentially sales professionals selling company vision, how bad hiring directly impacts enablement efforts, and why improving recruitment processes with better questions and AI assistance can help teams hire for roles instead of just filling seats. A...

About the episode: In this episode, Michael and Crystal dive into the realities of change management in sales enablement. They discuss why understanding company culture is critical before implementing new frameworks, how to get leadership buy-in across all levels, and why competency-led frameworks are essential for measuring behavior change and creating effective coaching cultures. About the guest...

About the episode: In this episode, Michael and Steve dive into the real world of sales transformation and leadership. They discuss why modern buyers have fundamentally changed their expectations, how traditional product-focused selling is failing, and why the most successful salespeople approach selling as problem-solving rather than feature-dumping to create authentic value for customers. About...

About the episode: In this episode, Michael and Denis dive into the evolution of sales practices across three decades. They discuss why personalization requires understanding both seller motivations and buyer challenges, the importance of maintaining phone conversations in a digital world, and why building character through resilience matters more than pure sales skills for developing successful r...

About the episode: In this episode, Michael and Nate dive into the reality of change management in organizations. They discuss why successful implementation of change requires understanding both executive and employee perspectives, how leaders must clearly communicate the "why" behind change initiatives, and what happens when the pain of staying the same isn't enough to motivate mean...

About the episode: In this episode, Michael and Gal dive into the realities of buyer enablement in modern sales. They discuss why sales processes should focus on the buyer's journey rather than seller-centric stages, and how reps can become more valuable by helping customers navigate their complex internal buying process instead of just pushing products. About the guest: Gal Aga is a veteran B...

About the episode: In this episode, Michael and Chris dive into the realities of individual coaching in sales. They discuss why effective coaching must focus on understanding customer problems rather than just product knowledge, how to build a coaching culture that avoids toxic group role-plays, and why waiting until reps fail before coaching them is a recipe for disaster. About the guest: Chris N...

About the episode: In this episode, Michael and Pablo dive into the real impact of AI on sales teams. They discuss how implementing SellMeThisPen AI helped Ergeon increase bootcamp graduation rates from 60% to 90%, train 5x more reps simultaneously, and get new hires closing deals faster while allowing human coaches to focus on higher-value support. About the guest: Pablo Jaramillo is a performanc...

About the episode: In this episode, Michael and Yusuf dive into the power of one-on-one coaching in sales leadership. They explore why building personal relationships with team members creates trust that drives performance, how understanding reps' career aspirations is crucial for retention, and why effective leaders should prioritize these individual connections over group coaching sessions....

About the episode: In this episode, Michael and Ashton dive into the realities of running effective sales kickoffs and continuous enablement at scale. They discuss how Slack's successful SKO was built on in-person connections, cross-functional collaboration, and long-term reinforcement strategies, plus why focusing on seller confidence matters more than content. About the guest: Ashton William...

About the episode: In this episode, Michael and Jocelle dive into the realities of sales onboarding and why a one-size-fits-all approach often fails. They explore how enablement's early involvement in hiring, continuous partnership with sales managers, and focus on individualized learning can transform the onboarding experience from a checkbox exercise into a foundation for long-term success....

About the episode: In this episode, Michael and Jay dive into the realities of sales reinforcement and making training stick. They explore why microlearning and executive buy-in are crucial for success, how to leverage top performers as co-teachers, and why certification needs to go beyond just checking boxes. About the guest: Jay Shephard is a seasoned sales leader and value advisory expert with...

About the episode: In this episode, Michael and Eric dive into the realities of internal promotions and leadership development in sales. They explore why high performance alone isn't enough for promotion, how to identify true leadership potential beyond numbers, and why developing people daily beats one-off training events for building successful sales teams. About the guest: Eric Stavola is a...

About the episode: In this episode, Michael and Hamish dive into the art of role-playing in sales. They discuss why practicing before real buyer interactions is crucial, how AI tools are changing the training game, and why group role-plays often do more harm than good. Hamish shares his proven framework for making one-on-one role-plays more effective and explains why coaching isn't a one-time...

About the episode: In this episode, Michael and Jackelyn dive into the art of effective sales coaching. They explore how building trust and asking the right questions trump telling answers, why coaching managers need more development than reps, and what it takes to create coaching sessions that drive both skill growth and mindset shifts. About the guest: Jackelyn Skudra has been in sales for over...

About the episode: In this episode, Michael and Brian dive into building resilient sales teams through coaching, exploring why continuous feedback matters more than one-off training sessions. They discuss how effective coaching requires understanding individual motivations, the importance of leading by example rather than authority, and why partnering with product teams can amplify coaching succes...

About the episode: In this episode, Michael and Amir dive into the realities of working with sales agencies and marketplace dynamics. They explore why companies should embrace both in-house and agency talent, how to set realistic expectations when hiring agencies and why being specific about your business challenges matters more than generic lead generation promises. About the guest: Amir Reiter i...

About the episode: In this episode, Michael and Ryan dive into how different companies approach sales training, from door-to-door at Vivint to enterprise at IBM. They explore why structured training programs work differently at companies of various sizes, and share insights on transitioning from founder-led sales to building scalable sales teams. About the guest: Ryan Ing has grown from selling do...

About the episode: In this episode, Michael and Chris dive into everboarding and the importance of continuous learning in sales teams. They explore why having a strong enablement culture is crucial for revenue growth, how AI can accelerate learning programs, and Chris shares candid stories about leadership mistakes that shaped his approach to building high-performing sales teams. About the guest:...