The Exceptional Sales Leader Podcast

Just about every sales person and sales leader on the planet is looking for tactics and strategies to fast track their sales results. How can they get access to the key decision maker quicker, be able to add value to the buyer, and in the process, shorten the sales or buying cycle. In today’s episode, I enjoyed a terrific conversation with Chris Beall, CEO at ConnectAndSell. Chris has an ext...

It’s often been said that the higher you rise in terms of success, the less competitive it is.  Why is that? Many people, teams & companies throw in the towel too early. When the going gets tough, they stop and look for other opportunities hoping for better results. What separates exceptional teams and exceptional leaders is the acknowledgment that achievement takes consistent and persist...

One of the great privileges of being a Podcaster is the opportunity to have conversations with some phenomenal people. Today’s conversation is another beauty. Jamie Shanks is the CEO of Pipeline Signals and Sales For Life, and the inventor of Social Selling. From beginning his sales career as a commission only sales person, Jamie has built a very successful sales career and his organisation...

As a coach, mentor and facilitator, I have the privilege of working with a wide variety of teams, as well as many different types of leaders, helping them make positive progress, and ultimately become exceptional in their role and in their industry. What’s really interesting is how quickly I can identify the leaders and the teams who will differentiate themselves from their competition and hence w...

In reflecting on a number of conversations and interactions I have had with people over the last couple of weeks, I have come to the realisation that I have been making numerous assumptions. Assumptions such as my message being crystal clear, of my requests being accepted and actioned, and unfortunately it has become apparent, that they have been anything but. It feels as though I have been on a c...

So pumped to have the AFL Season kick off again, and as a diehard Melbourne supporter, I was especially pleased that they were able to again come out on top in their first game of the 2022 season. It didn’t come without challenges though, which is the topic of today’s episode. When challenged, what do you do? This has particular relevance to us as Sales Leaders, because how respond to...

A thought provoking question in this episode – ‘In order to be exceptional, are you prepared to quit?’ What is interesting as I observe leaders, especially in sales, is that many of them are driven by certainty, have a need to follow a proven formula and possess a relentless focus on achieving the numbers. Many of them unfortunately do not acknowledge that this approach is, in many cases, ac...

As a Podcaster, I often get the opportunity to have conversations with some phenomenal people, and today is no exception. In today’s episode, I sit down with Tiffanee Cook, a speak, storyteller, high performance coach, fellow podcaster, and all round great human. We discuss learning how to embrace uncertainty, getting out of our own way, stepping outside of the comfort zone and everything in...

On the back of yesterday’s episode, I thought I would share some thoughts on becoming a mentor, and in helping to create a shortcut for others. Mentoring is a privilege and it certainly comes with responsibility, and not everyone is either open to it, or up to it. Hence, we must be very clear on why we would like to become a mentor. Would love your thoughts.

If you have followed me for a while, you know that I am passionate about leadership, coaching and mentoring, and firmly believe that as leaders, we must be constantly coaching, mentoring and developing. However, I’m staggered at the number of leaders who do not have a mentor, or do not seek a mentor. In today’s episode, I share some thoughts on the benefits of mentoring, as well as tal...

Like most sports loving fans around the world, I woke to the tragic news on Saturday morning that Shane Warne had tragically passed away. The sobering realisation as I tried to comprehend the news was that Shane was 52 years of age, only a year younger than me. I then reflected on the age when my father passed away – he was 54, & it prompted some significant reflection & thought over...

With bigger and bigger expectations being placed on leaders today, especially in sales, it is not uncommon for leaders to become almost robotic and clinical with their approach to either process or the numbers. And often the result is a team culture that lacks cohesion, lacks trust, and ultimately fails to deliver sustainable results. In today’s episode, I had a wonderful conversation with M...

For many people, sales can be very challenging, carrying high expectations and being subjected to constant pressure to perform and deliver the numbers. Sales does not have to be complicated though, and as sales leaders, we have a big role to play in creating an environment that either enhances a level of complication or simplicity. When your sales team is behind target, where do you focus your att...

If you have been following me for a while, you would know that I absolutely love facilitating and coaching, interacting with people and helping them reach their full potential. And every so often I will have a workshop participant who is unsure, who lacks confidence, who externalises and perhaps does not take full responsibility for their actions. In this episode I discuss this, along with mindset...

Another phenomenal conversation today, this time with Andy Paul, a very successful sales professional, Author, Podcaster, Speaker, and #8 on LinkedIn’s list of Top 50 Global Sales Experts. Andy’s approach to sales is counter intuitive, it goes against the ‘salesy’ mantra that many sales organisations across the world operate by, and through this approach, he has been incred...

Irrespective of where you are currently in your leadership career, you are on a Hero’s Journey. You will encounter obstacles, you will be invited to enter a new world and refuse the call. You will meet mentors along the way who will help guide you and prepare you for your greatest challenge, and each step is a necessary step in your development. In today’s episode, I had a phenomenal c...

In my experience, many sales leaders focus very heavily on process, the mechanics of sales. Driving the behaviours that will deliver the results, and this is definitely required. Why is it then that many teams are not achieving their potential – where you can have 2 teams of equal talent and equal opportunity, and yet one achieves amazing results and the other team flounders? It comes down t...

Sales leadership is not for everyone – it comes with great responsibility, great ambiguity & complexity, challenges and opportunity. We are all products of our environment which often results in sales people being promoted into sales leadership roles & the only model they have to follow is their sales manager & what they have seen in the environment. Hence the focus is on the har...

As a leader, are you expecting your team to take risks and push the envelope, and yet you are operating quite conservatively? In other words, you don’t take risks and push the envelope? I see this often – the sales leader sets the expectation, encourages their team to take affirmative action, and yet when mistakes are made, instead of celebrating them, they chastise and criticise. It is as i...

Following on from yesterday’s podcast where I discussed leading upwards and developing the courage to have the conversation, I thought that I would delve a little deeper into what I believe is at the heart of curiosity. And this skillset is something that all sales people and sales leaders can continue to improve in, and when they do, it can exponentially improve not only their confidence, b...

As a Sales Leader, there are many times when targets and kpi’s are distributed, policies are implemented, and objectives changed – all of which can leave you scratching your head & potentially feeling disempowered. The company, and the senior leaders have simply made the decision and often made promises to the market. Whether we like it or not, it is part of the game. How we deal w...

Why did you become a leader? If you are not a leader today, but have aspirations to become a leader, why? When I ask that question of leaders, many of them do not have a genuine or specific answer. For many leaders, especially sales leaders, it can be the allure of ‘rock star’ status – having the position, the influence, the power, and having a massive following of raving fans, w...

In working with leaders, I often get the opportunity to observe them in action and it is really interesting the wide spectrum of reactions and responses to situations I observe. Some are as cool as a cucumber, whilst others are hot heads, going off the deep end based on the slightest trigger. As leaders, we must continue to understand that our team is a reflection of us, and therefore we must be s...

In working with Leaders and their teams, it is fascinating to observe the number of people who see themselves as being highly emotionally intelligent, and yet their behaviour indicates there are significant gaps. In today’s episode, I discuss the 4 categories of Emotional Intelligence, based on the work of Daniel Goleman, and then delve into the one skillset that I believe will elevate your...

If there is one trait or attribute in sales that we must get really good at, it is learning to be more self sufficient. I am staggered at the number of people who either get everything handed to them, or expect everything to be handed to them. As sales leaders, we must be very conscious of the environment we are creating and maintaining, especially if that environment is one of co-dependency. This...