THE SECRET TO BUILDING TRUST FAST IN B2B SALES

Some of the same things that make us great salespeople also can make us great sales mentors and leaders. It's all about trust. It's this human connection that we get. And this is something that companies forget about, why they're hiring salespeople. It's not for service. It's not for scaling. It's about connecting with their clients. People want to connect. People want to buy from people. If they could just buy off of a website, they would. But most of the stuff that we sell in B2B, business to business, requires communication, requires an understanding, requires a vision of the future and how their life is going to change. And that requires conversations. It requires trust. It requires empathy and curiosity. All of these characteristics we need to both sell and to lead. Today's interview is a little bit different. We've got a great guy who came over to the US at 16 to play soccer. And I think we all know how those athletic stories end. Most of them end up in sales. And he had a Uh, you know, started in retail. A lot of great people, including me, started in retail, and it's a great training ground, a lot of quick human interaction and dealing with people, and then became a great rep. And then he made the decision. And sometimes this decision— I think the key is, having interviewed all these great sales leaders, comes down to one major thing. What is their motive to get into leadership? And most of us, the motive is, well, it's— we see it as the next step. We see it as the progression in our career. We're socialized to move up in the organization. But that's not the reason you should do it. That's the worst reason you should do it. The best reason is that you really get that reward out of helping people, building something. Mentoring people, developing people, building a team. Now, very few people have that, and that's why we have very few great sales leaders. But having interviewed probably 200 of them, it's the common thread. And I remember through my own personal experience with managers, and I've had some, I'll tell you, a couple of good ones, I'll give it to them. They really people who changed my career and helped me a great deal, but a lot who were just the the carrot and the stick. They were always talking about themselves and how it affects them and their career and their perception within the company and how you're a reflection. It was all about them, and it's like, yeah, okay. Well, I'm out here trying to sell something. I don't know what you're doing. You know, it really doesn't take much to represent the stuff that I do. And that sounds a little bitter, I get it. But the great managers are the ones that really want to develop the team. They think that it's not 100% selfless. Of course they want to move up. Of course they want to be successful. But that is not the primary objective. We're going to get into this now. Even if this may not be your bailiwick or your thing, hear it through. Understand how you can do this with other people. Because even if you're the lone wolf in sales, the people that are going to up your game are going to be other salespeople. Going to get you to look at the world a tiny bit different. To really point out that blind spot. And the question I like to ask great leaders is, if you could just Shake a rep, really just, you know, shake them and tell them what they need to hear, save them years of trial and error going down the wrong route, what would you say? And I'll sum it up at the end with some of the things that I would say, because we all need it.

We do.

We get stuck in our rut, you know, whatever trap we're in, and we need to be, you know, shaken out of it sometimes. And Told the truth. And ideally what we'd like is this person that can come down, tell us what we need to hear, and then leave. And we don't have to live with them every day. But unfortunately we don't get that. But that's what we all really need. We may not realize it yet, but we will. Let's get into the interview. I'll sum it up at the end. And if you're in the courses already, check out the one-on-ones and the office hours. We had a fantastic one yesterday talking about how to keep that momentum going, How to keep control over the deal, how not to fall into the classic traps that our customers just naturally go into where they never even buy, they never solve the problem, and we never get a deal.

So check it out.

It's all in the courses. Office hours are the very— the second to last chapter, and the one-on-ones are the very last chapter.

Here we go.

Hey, Adrian, thanks for joining us today. As a way of getting started, give us a little background on yourself.

Yeah, absolutely, absolutely. My name is Adrian Callaghan. Um, you can tell there's a little bit of an accent, so I'm originally from Wales, the UK. Came over to America many, many moons ago, um, playing soccer. End up staying here and chasing the white picket fence of America, I guess, and jumping into the workforce. But Been in sales leadership for a decade and a half and absolutely love what I do.

How'd you get into sales?

Oh man. So that's a kind of an interesting story. So I was always involved in more of a customer service, right? Work in big box retail stores. And then just an ex-boss came up to me and asked me, he was like, hey, I work for the sales organization. You should come over. You don't have to work 60, 70 hours a week, especially during fourth quarter. Give it a whirl. This is my W-2. Look, look at this great stuff. And I'm like, oh, okay, I could, I could possibly do that, but I'm not a salesperson. I'm like, I, I don't think I'm great at sales. And she was just like, you're a great people person. You're a people person, and that's big in sales, so come give it a whirl. And I did, and I've been in it ever since, and I, I love it. I've grown throughout multiple organizations, um, love the challenge, you know. Ever since playing sports back in college, I was a captain for 3 of my 4 years, and I think that's just part of being a leadership— like, yeah, I think you're born— like, you're born a leader, and that's something you want to take on.

Yeah. And how long did it take before you became good at it?

Um, I never think I'm good at it, just, just to be real. Um, I think you're always, whether it's listening to podcasts, reading books, you're always trying to improve. Um, you know, you're always striving to be great, get better. And then, then it changes, right? It's COVID. Think what's happened the last 2 years. They're all of a sudden now virtual selling becomes a thing. And then you're listening to other authors and podcasts and Trying to carve out your own unique skill. So do I think I'm good at it?

Yeah.

Do I think I can be better? Absolutely.

Yeah. And why'd you move into leadership? Was it just a natural progression or did you get pulled into it?

It was—

I mean, it was a natural progression. I think the team I was working with, with peers, saw me as the next leader type deal. So I just went with it, but I love leading people, right? And I think it's not a case of, hey, you become a leader, let's see what you can do. I think all leaders have to be able to walk the walk as well. So whatever I'm rolling out, whether it's new technology, new talk tracks, whatever, I've got to be able to walk them. Don't, don't just hand it down and demand. So walk the walk and talk the talk. And I think that's what strong leadership is about.

And what do you think differentiates those great reps from the okay reps from your perspective?

Being adaptable. Like, truly everybody, you know, listening to your podcast and talk, ultimately you should all be self-motivated, right? Like whether you're doing your vision boards and talking about the Porsches you want to drive or the basement you want to remodel. Okay, what's underneath that and how do you get there? You should be self-motivated. But the best, I think, can turn on a dime. Like whether there's— think COVID, right? And all of a sudden you get shifted from an office environment to a virtual environment. Can you adapt quickly? And those who are willing to adapt and be resilient, I think those, they work out longer.

And do you think moving to a new country kind of built up that muscle?

Um, it may have, right? Like 16 years old, being forced into living in dormitories. And, but that was hard. But I was also from a very hard background, right? Like, we lived in council housing, which is kind of like Section 8 housing here. It's, it's a lot different. You grow up different times, different places. But yeah, being 16, living in a dorm with 8 other 16 to 17-year-olds, But then you also see 12, 13-year-olds from Russia in the same place, and you're like, how do they do it? I'm 16. Um, so yeah, you get thick skin. I did get thick skin fast. I have a child, uh, and he, he turned 16, actually turned 17, and I think of sending him to another country, I'm like, there's no way. But social media, and it's, it's a different world now than it was 20 years ago, 25 years ago.

And when you were offered that chance, if you can remember when you were 16, how did you view it? Was it like an incredible adventure or was it overwhelmingly scary or?

Um, it was, I was 16 years old and I didn't get offered a professional contract. Um, I actually got cut from a team. Um, it was a Premier League team, so big soccer. Um, and I thought my world was done. Like I'm 16 years old, this is done. What else am I going to do? All right, I can go do roofing or plumbing or carpentry with my uncles and brothers, which no shame on that whatsoever. That's how we got by. But I always thought I was destined to do something different. And next thing you know, the opportunity come up, family remortgaged their house, and I moved and I did it. And I've been able to be successful and do everything I can to pay them back. And I also ultimately want to do the same now to a niece and nephew of mine back in the UK and bring them over.

Yeah. And why do you stay at the same company? You've got a great run.

Because I love what I do. Like, I truly love what I do and I love my team. I don't— and whether it's right, wrong, or different, I work for me and my team. Right? Like, the logos, the who you're working for is fantastic, they pay you, but ultimately my team works for me. And I know there's that big saying that people leave their managers, and I, I take that to heart. When someone leaves, that's on me. That's not on my company, it's on me. And I think that's what sometimes separates good leaders from very average leaders. Yeah.

And how do you keep that morale It's it's been it's been tougher, right?

Especially the last two years. So you've got to keep it going. You've got to keep it fun. You got to keep active. But my team knows I I don't believe in micromanaging. Like yeah, put in your honest forty those type things, but never miss your your kids' game. If you got to put them on the bus at eight thirty, that's okay. Let me know. Hey, can we move our meeting? Right? If we have a one on one, those type things. I'm not. checking in on you every hour of the day. Like, there may be a day goes by where I don't even speak to you. I expect you to reach out to me if you need help. And that's the way I want to run my team. Like, you're adults, you're self-motivated. But yeah, we're in sales as well, and there's numbers tied to everything. So there's going to be peaks and valleys. But when you're in that valley, let's, let's work together on getting you out.

Yeah. And Does that leadership still motivate you today, or do you want to move up, or do you want to stay kind of people management?

I want to move— of course I want to move up. Um, I want to have a bigger impact over more people, and I want to lead leaders, right? Um, so yeah, without a doubt, my, my goal is to get promoted within my organization and continue to grow, develop, and those type things. And who knows, maybe move abroad and Help, help over there as well.

Yep. And when you look at hiring reps, what do you look for?

Um, so there's this old cliché like you've got to run people through so many interviews and hey, you gotta do this, that. Like, at the end of the day, if people are looking right now and if they're a good fit, they're probably looking at many organizations, so you better be quick. hire them, or is they going somewhere else? But I, I obviously look at the background, right? You try and spy a little on social media, you look on LinkedIn, those type things. You want to make sure they're not a job hopper. Um, you know, I think everybody knows, especially in leadership, hey, sometimes maybe the fastest way to get a bump in pay is jumping ship. Like, everybody knows that. Um, but I, I don't want to hire someone who's hopping ship every year. Because I think in sales, um, you've gotta build your database. You, you build that camaraderie, you talk to folks, they move in different organizations, you follow them, those type things. But self-motivated, and, and truly, I want folks who are going to outwork anyone else.

Yeah. And how about ability? How do you judge that? Because a lot of people you know, can be order takers in a hot company.

Right, right. Yeah, and I'm definitely not an order taker, right? It's the, uh, the ability is— everybody's gonna have that ability, which, you know, you're self-motivated, you get involved, you're gonna have to learn, um, new talk tracks. And I said that before, but every organization has a different way of doing things. But you've also got to put your spin on it. And my team, I opened up like, hey, if, if I'm bringing something down the pipeline and you don't think it's going to work, bring that back, let me know, let's talk about it as a team and develop our own way. And that's okay, um, you know, as long as we're still getting to the same end goal. Um, but ability is hard to track, right? Like, you can keep Your spreadsheets and hey, they're red, they're green, they're yellow, all this stuff. But ultimately, you gotta you gotta have faith that they're gonna do the job. You gotta know what what their vision board, their family is all about, and that that's certain ways you can kind of dig or poke at them. Be like, hey, you said you want this. Well, you gotta do this, this, this. Are you continuing to grow? Are they asking for feedback? You know, if our one-on-ones are pure silence, it's not a good thing. Yeah.

What do you look for in a one-on-one?

Um, I want them to bring topics, right? Like, I will put together, hey, these are what went well last week, what went— what maybe didn't go well, what are you working on, um, those type things, but also development needs. What do you want? And when they're coming into the one-on-ones and saying, hey, I need help with this, can you show me? Absolutely, I'd love to show you my perspective and go through whether it be a role play, those type things. But now I want you to also reach out to a few of your peers and tell me how they role play with you, right? Because my way isn't always the right way, right? Um, but learn from multiple people and come up with your own. Um, but it's about being open 100%.

And how do you maintain that openness? Because the natural thing is to tell the manager what they want to hear so you can go back and do your job, right?

It is. So I have that very, whether it be dark British sense of humor, um, so I'm pretty dark. Yeah, I, I can be, I can be a little dry as well. Um, so sometimes newer folks take a little time to get used to me because it might come off the wrong way, but it means like, no, like I truly care about you, but Why? Like, show me why. Hey, you want this, but then why are you doing this, right? Hey, you want to work hard, you want to close these deals, all right? Why are you updating Facebook and all these likes during the call session? Um, so there's, there's many different ways, uh, that I can come across it, but ultimately I want, I want my team to work hard for themselves and their family, right?

Mm-hmm.

And know that there is a growth path, whether you want to get into leadership, Some people just want to stay in sales, right? Like, some people absolutely love it, and that's great. Okay, well, let's see what we can do to be the best at it.

Yeah, and a lot of people don't know how to manage that because, you know, people— because management is completely different than sales, right?

And again, I think a lot has changed right now because Individuals have more options right now, right? Like the, the market's tight, people jump ship, those type things. So I think some leaders are maybe scared to push the, push the button a little bit, um, because, oh well, they can go join someone else, uh, or whatever it may be. But you've got to be open with them. And if, if your team believes in you, that they'll stay through good and bad, that they will 100% work for you.

Yeah. And why do you think that is? Is it because you, you show that interest in them, that you're not this autocratic, uh, taskmaster?

No, like, no, like, you just can't be— like, you can't be a know-it-all. You've got to know— you've got to— whether you meet their spouses, significant others, they meet my wife, my kid, um, you know, I send them pictures when my kid's playing volleyball, soccer, and I expect them to do the same. Like, it's got to be family-focused. And, you know, then there's empathy. And we had— we have deaths, right? Like, where the family members, and we're sending flowers and crying together. It's— that's what it's about.

Yeah.

Um, like, it has to be much more than the badge you're wearing.

And why do you think a lot of managers don't get that?

That they, they don't want that level of Sometimes I think it's because they're working for the next job.

Yeah.

That makes sense, right? It's a case of, hey, this is my stop for, for a little bit, but I ultimately want to get to the next step, to the next step. Okay, well, master your craft right now, and it'll eventually happen if it's meant to happen. Um, but in some other— especially in sales, right, there's high turnover. Maybe they don't want to get emotionally involved with people because they're scared they're gonna lose them or open up too much. But that's not me. I think you gotta show empathy, you've got to be involved, you've got to know what's going on in their lives because that could have a dramatic impact in their careers as well. And that's the way I see it, is like, then they're more than people, right? I know that sounds cliché, but they're more than people. They're more than just numbers. They're human beings that have to bring back a W-2 to pay mortgages.

Yeah. And what differentiates the best reps that you've met or been exposed to from the okay reps?

Um, I think constant learning, like constant learning, being— and I talked about a little bit earlier— being willing and able to Adapt. You're going to get more nos than yeses. That's just the nature of sales. But it's, can you move on to the next? Because the next one is out there. You know, it's kind of if I— you may have heard this before— if I give you 100 scratch cards, right, like, you're going to scratch them all. You're not going to go 80 and be done with it if none of them are winners. The next one could be that winner. And that, that's the sales drive that keeps people going. And that's the story I use. It's like, you just never know. Move on to next.

Yeah. And how important do you think, like, raw intelligence is versus those people skills?

I would take people skills over anything. Um, people buy people, right? Like, one of my favorite if you're not fixing a problem, right? Like, think of something— and I may be going off topic here— but think of something like Shark Tank. I love that show. But at the end of the day, you gotta— for them to invest, it has to be something that's unique. It's fixing someone's problem. Um, so it's not just about the invention, but then— and I think that's insane— like, not only are you bringing something that's unique to them, but can you be the people person that they know can run that business as well? Right? And then you're going to get the interest in buyers to be like, hey, you know what, that guy's not just a good salesman, he's fixing a problem, but I trust them.

Trust.

And you want to— you like them, to spend time with them, to work with them.

Right.

And, and liking is different, right? I don't need friends. Like, I don't want more friends. We all have enough friends, those type things. But I want to work with someone that's going to get me to the next level or fix my problem that I'm having.

Right. And to get to that point, you have to communicate with them, right?

Yeah.

And to communicate with them without the problem is the liking, right? Because—

Right. Yeah, yeah, you're absolutely right.

Because what you sell is a time-based thing. You got to find it— the problem and the right time, right?

100%. It's It's uniquely challenged, right? And obviously with COVID what's happened, it's also changed the dynamic. More people are now having outsourced than ever before. So without a doubt, like everything is moving faster technology-wise. So we gotta keep up, but we've gotta show folks, hey, next level is this. You know, I think of my 16-year-old, like they're doing homework via like Snapchats and Those type things. Like, it's, it's, it's crazy.

Yeah. And what would— when you meet most reps, is there one thing that you just like to shake them and say, do this or stop doing that, that you think would really take their career to the next level?

Um, stop doing what everybody else is doing. Like, you know, just because it wins— they're winning doing that Yeah, you may take a little piece, but it doesn't mean it's going to work for you. You've got to uniquely find and adapt to your own rhythm, your own cadence. Like, what are you doing each week? What are you doing each day? But most importantly, time management. Someone might have to fully work 50, 60 hours, but someone who's really, really good and organized with their time management may be able to do it in 10, 15.

Well, that's it. A lot of people are bad at the basics.

Right, right.

You know, you can tell in a one-on-one, you know, are they early? Do they have a plan? Have they thought through?

Yeah, you, yeah, you nailed it. Like, time management is the biggest thing. And, you know, there's all this— one thing you don't get back is time. So just use it, use it wisely. You have the same amount of time as everybody else. They're winning, you're losing. So let's figure out what we need to do with your time.

Right.

And a lot of it is just they don't have control, or they just meander, right? They get stuck on a conversation, a bubbler talk, catching up on the weekend, and it goes from 5 minutes to 50.

Yeah, yeah. And that's, you know, if we're booking a meeting with someone and It's, you know, hey, the first— and it's 30 minutes— first 10, you shouldn't be talking about golf on the weekends. Like, hey, that probably should have already been knocked out or done. You have 30 minutes with a C-level. Time is money. Like, don't talk about golf on the weekend. Definitely don't talk about politics or the picture of the family in the background. Like, hey, I'm here to meet you. I want to make your organization better. This is what I can do.

Yeah. And what was the most important lesson you learned as a salesperson?

Um, me as sales, it was just understanding people. Like, stop vomiting your items on people, like 100%, because there's many others that do the same thing. But what makes you individually unique, right? And it took me a little while to figure that out because I thought it was the biggest, the baddest, those type things. Hey, I have an accent coming in here, people will meet with me. But that doesn't matter. That— it doesn't matter. It's at the end of the day is how can you help someone's organization get better and, you know, and help them move forward.

And that's kind of hard to teach too, isn't it? Because everyone thinks it's about the product and the sale instead of about the client, what they're up against, what How you can help them, get them to see that.

Right. But, you know, why not ask that? Hey, what are you up against? Yeah, what, what has the last 18 months been like to you?

Right?

Like, I just met with an organization yesterday. He's like, how do I compete with a large coffee shop that's offering benefits for less than 30 hours employees? Like, I can't do that. How can I compete? How can I compete with Walmart who's given $16 To sixteen-year-olds. Like, how do I compete with that? Okay, let's start talking more about your culture. Why would people want to work for you?

Yeah.

Could I get promoted within? What do your benefits look like? Those type things. Low but deep. How did you start your organization? Is this family owned? Really understand where they want to go. What types of level of people they want to hire. Hey, if you're doing Drug tests, background checks, that rules out so many people right now. Like, it does, right?

Right.

Work organizations are like, hey, we can't even do it anymore, otherwise we won't get people to— yeah, that's nature of the beast.

And a lot of people don't think that can be taught, that empathy, that interest and curiosity in them.

It can be, right? Like, it can. And I don't think it's— I grew up from a different background from many, but it can be. You just gotta— it's the whole one mouth, two ears. Like, listen more.

And kind of really push yourself to understand them.

Yeah.

I think that pivot point when you, you start to learn that it's all about them.

Yeah. I think, um, one of your earlier podcasts was all about Curiosity, right? Like, hey, so you make a widget. Where did this come from?

Right?

Why did you make this? How did you get into this field yourself?

Right.

And people would say, well, that has nothing to do with the sale. But it does. It has to do with them and getting that motor, get that momentum in their conversation. Because once they start—

It does. It does. And I'll use this in my Team will tell— I tell this story all the time. I work with a financial advisor, personal finance. I get so many stuff in the mail, so many phone calls, emails left. I ended up going with a guy that knocked on my door on a Saturday afternoon when it was 90 degrees outside and he was in a suit.

Yeah.

I went with him because he got out and knocked on my door and wanted a conversation, not an email, Not a phone message. He actually knocked on my door and wanted to talk. I was like, hey, I'll meet with you. Next thing I know, he's my financial advisor.

What did he do when you met?

He knocked on my door. I had an honest conversation. He opened up talking about my lawn. I had a dog poster in my window. I think opened up and he's like, hey, I'm here. I just would love to see you in the neighborhood. And I was like, you know what, I truly appreciate being in sales. You're out right now pounding the pavement in a suit and it's boiling hot outside. I was like, I'll meet with you. And he went through the sales pitch that anyone else would have went to. But it was the case that he was willing to go that extra step that I give him my time and my business.

And, you know, because when we were able to visit clients, a lot of times you'd get the business because you showed up. Yep. Yeah.

And we still have, like, there's still a lot of organizations that are like, hey, we'd rather meet with someone. Can you please come on site? 100%, absolutely do that. But there's others like, hey, we've already done 75% of the research. We know what we wanna do. Now we just need to do a demonstration, or we can do a WebEx, right? Like, our world has changed and it's never going back. So we have to adapt to technology.

And for first-time sales leaders, what advice would you have for that first year?

Listen to you— listen to your people. Like, there's probably a reason why that person got promoted and why that opportunity was open. Try and find out why, but stick by your morals more than anything else, right? Like, You work for them, they don't work for you. And my team would know this. I'm always about, hey, you send the elevator down, like 100%. You take care of the people that, you know, not necessarily below you, but part of your team.

Yeah. And how do you maintain that?

Like, as a leader, how do you— for me, it's just the nature. It's got me to where I am. whether it's being successful. And I just feel like, hey, I'm good at that. I love, I love my team, their families, their kids. Um, I guess it just goes back to my background, my upbringing. Like, be— you don't have to be a people pleaser because ultimately you've got to be like that grandparent as well that has to discipline them. Um, but show empathy and love your people and they'll love you back.

Yeah.

And have you ever had a challenge being that honest and open with them?

Yeah, because sometimes they can come back and bite you, right? And people would— you think they're taking advantage, like, oh, he has a huge heart, he's fine, I can take a half day and I'm done this. Then now I've missed 2, 3 months in a row. No, it's not. It's— it ultimately always comes back. Like, fool me once, okay, don't fool me twice. Don't If I'm going to give you my full trust, be honest and open, and good things will happen. But if you're going to burn bridges, they're very hard to rebuild.

Yeah, that's a great point. Hey, I really appreciate your time today. Where can people go to connect and follow you?

Um, I mean, I'm on LinkedIn, just Adrian Callahan. Um, I don't necessarily have— well, I have a Twitter and all that, but I don't necessarily use it. But no, I appreciate it. Thank you so much. Love what you're doing. And all the best.

So, one of the little hacks I've kind of learned over the years is ask your manager when you're interviewing, well, what was your motive to get into leadership? And if the obvious answer isn't that they wanted to help build a team, to help other reps develop their skill, because it is a lot of fun. I liked it. It's a helper's high. We're pre-wired as mammals to do this. It's the helper gene. And we all have it to some extent. The money gene might be more important or more dominant in you as it is in me. And to be honest, I was in leadership a couple times. And although I enjoyed it, I really did. I enjoyed it more than selling sometimes because you get to work on just the best deals and be pulled in at the right time instead of all that hard prospecting. What I didn't like about it was you didn't go paid as much. You know, when you, when you see a rep making twice what you're doing, it's not jealousy, it's kind of envy. It's like, wow, that's nice. I like that. I remember that. I remember those big checks. And that's why I moved back into sales because I do love the hunt. I love the process. I love the reward. It's kind of crazy that leadership doesn't pay as well, but it kind of makes sense. I get it because we're the ones out there fighting the good fight every day, not just at the end of the quarter. So when you're looking to work for somebody else, because the manager is the most important, more important than company and product, comp plan and territory, because those all can be cooked by the manager. One of the best years I had was— wasn't working for a great company. It was working for a great manager because guess what they did? They cooked the comp plan. So we made a ton of money. Took care of us. And guess what? We sold a lot. Took care of them. And, uh, sounds, uh, logical, right? But what are we doing today? Today it's this craziness of, uh, selling the board on hypergrowth to get hyper money, but the market isn't cooperating, or the market just takes A longer period of time. In B2B, it's big, but it usually is not fast. In B2C, it can be fast, but it's usually not big. It's tiny little deals. So in B2B, we have to become great at getting those big deals, getting into those accounts. And guess what's not working today? Are you getting inbound qualified leads? No. B2B marketing has been broken for about 5 to 10 years. And I listen to a lot of B2B marketing podcasts and experts, and they suck. The, the very best of the best suck. Why? Because they're not talking to people. They're still sitting around with their dashboard and counting things. And not really experimenting enough, doing and copying what other people do. So where does that leave us as salespeople? We get a bunch of contacts, which for 10 years we could get on LinkedIn or buy them or through other tools. Contacts are no longer the challenge. They used to be. The data— phone numbers, emails— that used to be hard. It's not hard anymore. What's hard is getting somebody on the phone, to get somebody to converse, to engage. And that's what Start the Conversation, Get the Meetings all about. I have solved the problem of prospecting today in a systematic, scalable way. Uh, it, it may not be as direct as you're used to because direct Doesn't work. You can call up as many people as you want and how's it working? Uh, yeah, that 1/10 of 1%, is it working? If it is, stick with it. Honestly, I don't want you in the course if something else is working better for you because you'll be disappointed. I want you in the course because you want to learn how strangers talk. This is both Science and a practical career-long experiment that I did. Because early in my career, the manager's like, let's have a cold-calling prospecting day. And I think we all got like one mediocre meeting out of it. But yet, what I was doing was always working for me. I had my network. I had my system. I broke it down into tiny little pieces. And then when I started my own company, I forgot about it. And I started doing the cold calling prospecting, cold email, and it wasn't working. And this was 10 years ago. Imagine today. So what I did is I go, let me go back to my system. I broke it down. I took the desperation out of it, the commission breath, uh, the— The upticks in my voice and the sales voice. And I talked to people like peers. And my business blew up. And then I was teaching them about winning the complex sale. And all the leaders were like, Brian, this is all good, but our pipeline is so thin. How do we build up our pipeline? I go, well, let's sit down and how are you prospecting? Of course, the leads suck. And the 3 people in marketing, they had no respect for them and they weren't doing Anything. And so we had to come up with a system. Of course, every manager wants the most direct cold calling, spamming cadence nightmare that doesn't work on them, but they think it's going to work on everybody else, which evolution tells us, if you're selling to dumb people, dumb people don't buy. Smart people buy, and smart people do not want to be pitched. They want to talk. But how do you build a conversation with a stranger? It's a talent. It's a skill. It's not knowledge. I can give you the knowledge in a couple of days, weeks, but the skill takes time. The skill takes lessons and repetition and nuance and tone. It takes skill because selling is a skill. I know we all want robots, but why do we hire people? For skill. Why do— today the focus is solely on the cost of sales instead of the revenue generated from the sales. We get commissioned on the deals that close, not all the crap in the CRM. That's just for show and tell. All our bank cares about is that big check at the end of the month. Oh, it's delicious, Brian.

Thank you.

That's what I want to hear from you. And at the end of this, you'll hear a little testimonial of somebody who's selling super hard stuff to super tough, difficult people. And he's gone from struggling and being miserable to loving his job because it's effective, because it's fun, because talking to prospects who want to talk is fun. Start the course before the prices go up and make sure this is the best year of your life. And guess what? This skill sticks with you forever. Is that too long? Sign up at b2brevenue.com. This isn't some scam course. You get a year-long access to hundreds of hours of examples. You get access to office hours, which is a live hour-long meetup every other Friday, but you never miss it. It's always recorded, always put back in the course, and And has been since the beginning. All the one-on-ones, coaching calls. Don't you want to listen in? You know, what is this person doing wrong? It looks right. And it's not wrong. It's just good, better, best. That's all. It's just a continuum. And it's not to say that I'm right. It's just, let's try these out. This is what's worked best. This is why it's worked best. And let's get you that meeting. Let's get you into that account. Spamming isn't going to do it. Ah, I'm checking in again, popping your email to the top of the list. Oh God. And then listening to some retired triathlete guy who has never sold telling you how he rehashed someone else's stuff. Oh, it seems to make sense. Okay, well, maybe if he ever sold one day in his life, he would know. Or You know, the 4 fired SDRs that start their own company and have a bunch of webinars. That's not working. Oh, well, it worked on you, but it won't work on your clients. Go to b2brevenue.com and learn what's working today in B2B sales and get successful. It's your life.

Live it.

I was just going to give a bit of a testimonial if that's all right, just to kick it off. Just—

As long as it's positive.

No, it is positive. It was a— yeah, just because I started the course, I think in June of last year, 2021. I got a few more months left of access, which is good. But I feel like it's been a transformative experience in my own personal and professional life. I was able to go from a period of a low sales slump in the middle of last year, in the summer and early fall, and then really was able to then come back and exceed my target by the end of the, by the end of the 4th quarter. And so the only other thing I would say is that it's also really differentiated me amongst people on the sales team in terms of focus and clarity of what's important. And now I feel really good about what I'm doing in terms of the approach of reaching out to customers and having those conversations and being focused as opposed to just doing a lot of the other busy work on the side, like organizing resources and doing business analytics and all this other stuff. And so it's really been a noticeable difference with our executive team at my company. And so I just want to thank you for the content and for these opportunities. And so I hope that helps if there's anybody new. It's— I'm a work in progress, but it's getting better. Good. Yeah.

And you're selling pretty hard stuff.