The Sales Revolution

In this milestone 50th episode, Ingrid explores a fundamental shift in the sales process – moving from pushing a sale to creating an environment where customers naturally want to buy. She breaks down four essential elements that help sales professionals shift from hard-selling to guiding the customer’s decision-making process. Drawing from real-world experience, Ingrid shares key insights from a c...

Ep53 Why Sales training alone isn’t enough Sales training is often seen as the ultimate solution for improving sales performance – but is it really? Ingrid explores why training alone won’t deliver lasting results without the right foundation. From business context to leadership effectiveness, internal processes, and customer experience, she breaks down the key elements that determine whether sale...

Incentives drive action. But what makes an incentive truly irresistible? Today, we’re diving into the world of incentive strategy with a powerhouse in the field – Mercedes Ibbett, Managing Director and Owner of EVT Incentive Marketing. With 23 years of experience, she’s been shaping the way businesses motivate and reward their top performers. This year, EVT celebrates an incredible 40 years of suc...

While chasing more revenue seems like the obvious way to boost profits, the real game-changer is optimising the entire business equation. Ingrid offers practical ways to maximise profitability, from quick wins like tapping into customer service insights and strengthening existing accounts to smarter pricing strategies and cost-saving tactics. She says there a way to reduce costs without sacrificin...

If you are looking to foster growth and innovation – and these days, who isn’t? – an important key is to align your organisation’s culture and creativity. So says Julian Canny, social entrepreneur, comedian (yes, that’s right!) and CEO & Co-Founder of Euphorium, a community of innovators. Julian says storytelling is important for enabling people share experiences and identify important histori...

The modern workplace faces a host of challenges, including compressed roles, remote work, and insufficient induction processes, which hinder trust and engagement. It’s important, therefore, for leaders to foster connections, offering structured career pathways, and tailoring development to individual goals. Trudy MacDonald – Founder and Managing Director of human resource consultancy TalentCode HR...

Sales leadership is about more than driving results through your team – it’s about serving multiple customer groups. Beyond your direct team and their pipeline performance, your “customers” also include the company, directors, and other internal leaders. Each requires you to deliver measurable value, whether through coaching, proactive issue resolution, or fostering cross-departmental collaboratio...

Building long-term relationships with potential hires ensures better cultural fit and faster recruitment for key roles. That’s according to Jerry Kleeman, CEO & Director of Kleeman International, and Chair of Vistage for 20+ years. Jerry has conducted close to 20,000 hours of one-on-one coaching, and has consulted some of Australia’s most successful businesses. This is Jerry’s second episode o...

Gerard Higgins is the managing director of Higgins Coatings, Australia’s largest painting contractor, leading the company to success with 27 branches and 1500 painters nationwide. Having worked in every aspect of the business, from mixing paint to overseeing operations, Gerard has built a legacy centred on family values, balancing his professional achievements with a deep commitment to his wife, c...

Ingrid Maynard’s talks about her new book, The Sales Revolution, which offers a fresh perspective on sales and business strategy. It’s not about traditional sales techniques; it’s a transformative approach to address today’s unprecedented challenges. Economic shifts, a decline in sales skills, and superficial strategies have created a gap that businesses must bridge. Her book highlights the need f...

The Geraldton Fishermen’s Co-operative (GFC) exemplifies the cooperative model, focusing on community, sustainability, and long-term value. Rooted in cooperative principles, GFC strengthens local economies by employing people across Western Australia and fostering deep ties with small towns. Its sustainability initiatives, like achieving MSC certification, highlight its forward-thinking approach t...

Jeanine Batchelor has spent her career in the construction industry, starting as one of the youngest client advisors at CBUS Superannuation Fund before working alongside her father in his successful commercial electrical business. Now co-owning a boutique home construction company and a Summertime Pools franchise in the Murray River region, she brings a customer-centric approach and a wealth of in...

In a changing market, sales practices must evolve, focusing on resilience and returning to tried-and-tested principles. Ingrid Maynard suggests sales professionals adopt four key practices: in-person connections; going above and beyond; doing research to demonstrate genuine interest in prospects; and being practiced in conversation planning and objection handling. Mastering these skills will build...

Richard Forrest is the chairman of Forrest Contact, which he founded in 2006 to provide B2B sales outreach and lead generation to Australian businesses. With more than 30 years’ experience managing and coaching sales teams worldwide, Richard’s expertise is the foundation of Forrest Contact’s success and his book, ‘The Ultimate Guide to B2B Sales Prospecting’, which outlines his four-step process f...

David Marshall has more than 25 years’ experience driving innovation in B2B sales and sales technology. Based in Melbourne, he has successfully launched multiple software companies, including Performio, and is now leading SalesGRID, an AI-powered sales productivity tool designed to help sales teams excel in complex deals. David outlines the evolving role of AI in sales, focusing on how it can impr...

Who would have guessed? The ultimate sales lesson from the most unlikely source: a taxi driver. Ingrid shares a story from a business trip to Sydney where, despite challenging weather, the cab driver’s professionalism, curiosity, and service made the experience memorable. He booked future rides, showed genuine interest, and even offered an umbrella, embodying Alex Hormozi’s sales principles of pro...

Dan Allen and Ed Ross are two lifelong friends and skilled carpenters who have transformed their passion into purpose. Following the tragic loss of Dan’s close friend to suicide in 2015, they set out to create two innovative organisations that have since had a profound and measurable impact on mental health awareness and support in the community. They are the founders of the social enterprise work...

Rob Kruber is the CEO of leading manufacturer, Summertime Pools and Halo Spas. His deep passion for business and Australian manufacturing has driven him to build and lead successful companies that prioritise quality and innovation. With 25+ years in the industry, Rob shares insights into overcoming challenges, such as supply chain disruptions, economic fluctuations, and shifting customer demands,...

Sarah Cincotta mentors BDMs ready to elevate their performance, purpose and passion. Founder of RISE, she directly impacts the lives of other BDMs and reframes the current industry beliefs attached to the title. BDMs deserve to be recognised as the dedicated, innovative, effective operators at the heart of their company’s growth, and she knows exactly how to get them there. Focusing on training be...

Trust is a critical component in building strong customer relationships, whether the customer is external, paying for a product or service, or internal within an organisation. Host Ingrid Maynard insists that in professional relationships, trust is shaped by three main factors: reliability, credibility, and intimacy. Reliability involves being dependable and consistent in both actions and demeanou...

John Broons is a globally recognised family business expert and one of only three Australians to hold the prestigious Fellow of the Family Firm Institute title. With more than 40 years of experience, John has successfully guided family businesses, drawing from his own experience of buying and selling a family business. He explains how history, values, and personal connection can shape a business a...

The ability to communicate is one of the wonders of the business world. And storytelling is very much a key that. Andrew Griffiths is a storytelling maestro – he’s written 13 books, including ‘Someone has to be the most expense, why not make it you?’ He’s also a sought-after keynote speaker and mentor to business leaders. He says that storytelling should be genuine and consistent across all platfo...

While many businesses haven’t fully realised the impact of AI, its benefits are already proving valuable. That's according to the colourful Graham Arrowsmith, Managing Director of Finely Fettled, and host of The Next 100 Days Podcast. An advocate for AI and technology in business strategy, Graham discusses the power of tools like MetclabsAI, which aid in refining digital strategies, building effic...

Sales leaders are squeezed from both ends – by their teams who are struggling to achieve sales outcomes, and by senior leadership demanding results. Ingrid Maynard believes that with customers delaying buying decisions or becoming more selective, it’s tougher than ever to close deals. Ingrid shares three key strategies to help sales leaders manage this pressure: transparency of activity, clear com...

Dana Walton is an accomplished sales professional with a background in owning and managing gyms, and experience with major brands like Motorola. Currently a sales and marketing specialist at REI Super, Dana is known for her authentic approach and emphasis on adding value. She discusses with host Ingrid Maynard the critical role of clear expectations in achieving success and how unclear goals can l...