SellMeThisPen podcast

About the episode: In this episode, Michael and Neman dive into the essentials of high-touch onboarding programs in enterprise sales, breaking down why personalization and structured learning are crucial for new hire success. They explore how treating enablement as a competitive edge through detailed onboarding plans and role-specific training can transform new hires into trusted advisors, even in...

About the episode: In this episode, Michael and Brooke dive into the concept of Everboarding and why traditional onboarding isn't cutting it anymore. They explore how continuous learning programs can transform sales enablement, break down common misalignments between enablement teams and sales leaders, and discuss practical ways to create engaging training that actually sticks with sales teams...

About the episode: In this episode, Michael and Adriana dive into the unique challenges of leading engineering enablement after transitioning from sales teams. They explore how measuring impact differs between technical and revenue teams, the importance of letting people fail safely, and why enablement leaders should encourage their teams to be proactively curious about the functions they support....

About the episode: In this episode, Michael and Michelle dive into the realities of rolling out sales methodologies in enterprise organizations. They discuss why getting stakeholder buy-in is crucial before implementation, how to blend new methodologies with existing processes, and why keeping customer experience at the center of methodology choices leads to better outcomes. About the guest: Miche...

About the episode: In this episode, Michael and Nicole dive into the realities of go-to-market team alignment and the crucial role of enablement in driving organizational success. They discuss why enablement should be the central force behind cross-functional initiatives, from SKO planning to CRM optimization, and share practical insights on building effective partnerships across marketing, RevOps...

About the episode: In this episode, Michael and Jon dive into the challenges of building alignment between sales, marketing, and CS teams. They explore why unified metrics and data hygiene matter, how to effectively manage tool adoption, and why both leadership involvement and cross-team compensation plans are crucial for breaking down organizational silos. About the guest: Jon Fraser is a senior...

About the episode: In this episode, Michael and Gordon dive into the realities of effective sales coaching and personal resilience. They explore why truly understanding each rep's unique motivations matters more than one-size-fits-all approaches, how small wins compound into bigger success, and share raw insights about bouncing back after setbacks in today's challenging tech landscape. Abo...

About the episode: In this episode, Michael and Hermann dive into the realities of competitive enablement in sales. They explore why focusing on key competitors is crucial for win rates, how to build effective sales messaging without bashing competition, and which coaching steps are essential for getting reps battle-ready in competitive markets. About the guest: Hermann Handa is a seasoned sales e...

About the episode: In this episode, Michael and Andy dive into building resilience through coaching, drawing from Andy's unique journey from acting to sales leadership. They explore why emotional intelligence and consistency are crucial for sales success, and how managers can create psychological safety while helping teams develop the right mindset to thrive. About the guest: Andy Gillies brin...

About the episode: In this episode, Michael and Gayle dive into the critical role of mental fitness in sales performance and leadership. They explore how building resilience through daily mental practices can transform productivity, discussing practical exercises to manage overwhelm and unlock creativity beyond just data-driven approaches. About the guest: Gayle is a veteran sales enablement profe...

About the episode: In this episode, Michael and Nikki dive into transforming 1-on-1 coaching through the power of choice-driven conversations and effective frameworks. They explore common coaching pitfalls, ways to build genuine curiosity, measuring coaching effectiveness, and how to create safe spaces for team role-plays using the Two By Two framework. About the guest: Nikki Schanzer is a seasone...

About the episode: In this episode, Michael and Mike D'Angelo dive into building resilience in sales through effective coaching. They explore why survival mode often works against us, how to turn setbacks into opportunities, and Mike shares his practical frameworks for helping teams bounce forward instead of just bouncing back. About the guest: Mike D'Angelo is a seasoned sales leader and...

About the episode: In this episode, Michael and Taylor dive into the world of sales role-plays and scaling enablement programs. They explore why role-plays are crucial for sales success and share impressive results from Auth0: 90%+ reps hitting quota, 4% turnover rate, 60-day full ramp time, 90-day average sales cycle, and reps closing their first deals within 6 weeks. They discuss scaling challen...

About the episode: In this episode, Michael and Coach K (Jonathan Kvarfordt) dive into the practical realities of AI in sales teams. They break down the most valuable AI use cases for revenue teams - from automated data entry to sales simulations - and explore how finding the right balance between AI capabilities and human connection will shape the future of buyer-seller relationships. About the g...

About the episode: In this episode, Michael and Jake dive into the reality of building high-performing BDR teams through everboarding. They discuss why continuous learning beats one-off training, how to adapt to new tools without burning out your team, and Jake's approach to transforming cold calls by selling conversations instead of products. About the guest: Jake Hollis has been in the trenc...

About the episode: In this episode, Michael and Jared discuss building effective partnerships between enablement and frontline managers. They explore why early collaboration is crucial for success, how to get buy-in from high-performing teams, and why enablement needs to be more than just a checkbox exercise. About the guest: Jared Balzer has a wealth of experience in sales, leadership, and enable...

About the episode: In this episode, Michael and Alex dive into how AI is transforming the workplace and why it's similar to past industrial revolutions. They explore why investing in employee upskilling beats replacement, how to measure AI implementation success, and share practical frameworks for leaders to drive technological adoption while maintaining human value. About the guest: Alexander...

About the episode: In this episode, Michael and Darren dive into the real talk about toxic leadership in sales and why 'no a-hole policies' are often the biggest lie in SaaS. They explore how toxic environments crush team performance, why fear-based management fails, and what it really takes to create psychological safety for reps to thrive through vulnerability and authentic leadership. A...

About the episode: In this episode, Michael and Roderick dive into the real talk about AI in sales enablement. They explore why embracing AI is crucial for modern sales teams, how to smartly leverage it across your go-to-market teams, and why AI should be treated just like a productivity tool to work smarter, not harder. About the guest: Roderick Jefferson is a globally recognized expert in sales...

About the episode: In this episode, Michael and Nicole dive into the realities of sales enablement and management alignment. They discuss reasons why misalignment happens, practical ways to build rep buy-in, get manager alignment, and measure enablement ROI beyond just training numbers. About the guest: Nicole Plant has been on both sides: BDR leadership and Enablement. She has helped some amazing...

About the episode: In this episode, Michael and Ivan dive into the realities of implementing AI for large enterprise orgs. They discuss why consulting sellers before buying AI tools is crucial, how to avoid costly implementation mistakes, and why a data-driven approach beats gut feelings. About the guest: Ivan Pozgaj is a former elite hockey player with over 15 years of sales experience, primarily...

About the episode: In this episode, Michael and Stephanie discuss the evolution of sales methodologies, the importance of aligning them with company culture, and why successful implementation requires a partnership approach across teams. About the guest: Stephanie White is a Senior Director of Sales Enablement in tech and the founder of Enablement Reimagine. She's been recognized as a two-time one...

About the episode: In this episode, Michael and Graeme chat about how to sell when you don’t have flashy features to fall back on. They break down why how you sell is often more important than what you’re selling, especially in competitive markets. Graeme shares some cool stories from his time as a fuel trader and how those lessons shaped his approach to tech sales and enablement. About the guest:...

About the episode: In this episode, Michael and Ben chat about upskilling sales teams, how sales methodologies are often overhyped, and why focusing on the basics might be the real key. They also talk about finding those ‘wow moments’ with buyers and making the whole process way simpler and more effective. About the guest: Ben Stokes is a seasoned VP of Sales. He's been building high performing te...

About the episode: In this episode, Michael and Andy talk about the common mistakes companies make during the sales onboarding process, the pressure it puts on new hires, and how to create a more effective and supportive environment for sales teams. About the guest: Andy has over 20 years of experience leading enablement for notable companies like Oracle, Impact, and 8x8. Now, he's the founder of...