John Barrows

Elevating The People & Profession of Sales

I have been in sales for over 25 years. I have made 400 cold calls a week, led a startup to acquisition, and trained some of the best-performing teams at Salesforce, LinkedIn, Amazon, and Okta. Through JB Sales I teach practical sales execution rooted in real-world experience.

My work focuses on performance. I deliver live workshops, on-demand training, and coaching to help reps fill pipeline, close deals, and build buyer trust. I created Filling the Funnel and Driving to Close for reps and managers who want systems that convert.

I work with SaaS companies, agencies, and professional services teams that want to scale ethically and efficiently. My podcast Make It Happen Mondays has over 100,000 listeners and brings weekly strategy and tactics for sales pros looking to level up fast.

I speak on stage, coach in the trenches, and push for better execution across the board. Topics I cover include outbound frameworks, sales leadership, pipeline velocity, and GTM enablement in an AI-driven environment. I also share openly about mindset, mental health, and managing pressure in this career.

I live in Boston but work globally. I am here to raise the bar for sales and help professionals build careers they are proud of. If that mission speaks to you, let's connect.

My "Why" is to elevate the people and profession of Sales by sharing my earned experience with anyone willing to put in the work so they can achieve whatever level of freedom and success they want in life.

I've delivered my two Signature training programs (Filling the Funnel and Driving to Close) to thousands of Sales professionals at some of the fastest growing companies in the world like Salesforce, Linkedin, Amazon, Okta, Salesloft and many others. 

My membership provides individuals and teams with live monthly training (delivered by me) along with workshops, AMAs and an OnDemand library filled with actionable tips.

None of us have all the answers and things are moving too fast right now for any of us to try and figure it all out on our own.  We need to get back to fundamentals while learning how to evolve and where to add value in this new world of AI. 

If you're willing to put in the work and want to elevate yourself, along with this profession, come join me on this ride.

"I'm kind of a big deal"

My wife got me a desk plaque engraved with this quote for Xmas this year. 

I'm still not really sure why and whether or not she was making fun of me or complimenting me but it's probably a little bit of both.

Her and my daughter definitely keep me humble but every once in a while I do need to brag a bit. 

I've been so busy getting prepped for SKO season that I haven't had time to think about this event I'm speaking at this weekend. 

It's the "1Billion Followers Summit" in Dubai.  https://lnkd.in/eFV2sfyr

I agreed to speak at the event mainly because they said they would fly me out on Emirates Business Class and put me up at the Emirates Towers in Dubai. 🫨 

I've only been lucky enough to fly in Emirates Business Class once in my life and if you know you know.  It's insane. 

However, because I've been so busy I haven't really paid much attention to the event or prepped in any way so it really didn't hit me about it's significance until now.

As I sit here on the flight in Business Class, eating and drinking way more than I should, I finally had a chance to take a look at the conference and realized how much of a big deal it actually is. 

Some of the most interesting and influential people on social are going to be there.

Check the list below (that I completely edited to make it look like I was next to the main stars 😁 ).

By the way, I have no idea who Herbert Sepidnam is but he looks like he's be a blast to hang out with and is someone I want to meet. 

Anyway, if you're interested in following along, you can check out my IG stories (@JohnMBarrows) where I'll be documenting the entire journey.

Now back to reading some of my leather bound books.

Recognized as a LinkedIn Top Voice in Sales for delivering actionable sales training content, enhancing sales skills, and improving sales processes with buyer‑focused expertise.

LinkedIn Top Voice in Sales (2022-2025)

Honored as a Salesforce Global Sales Influencer for advancing ethical sales training courses and helping sales coaches develop buyer‑focused, trust‑driven sales processes.

Salesforce Top Sales Influencer (2023-2025)

Named one of the Top 30 Global Social Sellers by LinkedIn and Forbes for pioneering social selling strategies and creating impactful sales training courses on personal branding.

Top 30 Social Salespeople in the World

JB Sales

Certified Instructor — JB Sales: Driving to Close Program

Certified Instructor — JB Sales: Filling the Funnel Methodology

Driving to Close

Filling the Funnel

Got my degree in Marketing. But what really stuck was learning how to understand people and lead with purpose. That program gave me the foundation for what I do now as a sales trainer. Build trust. Focus on outcomes. Keep it real.

Theta Chi was where it all came together. That’s where I learned how to show up for a team, hold myself accountable, and deliver when it matters. No fluff. No excuses. Just trust, communication, and alignment. Those lessons are baked into how I coach sales teams every day. Build predictable pipelines. Strengthen sales skills. Run a sales process they actually believe in.

That mix of marketing knowledge and leadership experience shaped my entire approach to sales training programs and sales training courses. People first. Results that matter. Always improving. That mindset is what keeps me raising the bar as a sales coach and challenging reps to sell better and lead with integrity.

University of Maryland

LinkedIn Insiders

Salesforce Salesblazers

I don’t waste time on sales training that never gets used. I help sales teams and individual reps improve where it counts. They develop real sales skills, follow a clear sales process, and close more business. My sales training is blunt, practical, and proven because sales is about results, not fluff.

I have worked in the trenches as a sales trainer with teams at companies like LinkedIn and Salesforce, helping them sharpen how they sell. I know what does not work. Scripts, gimmicks, and long-winded pitches. I teach what does. Simple, repeatable steps. Real conversations that move deals forward. Sales skills your team can use right away.

The sales training programs I deliver are built around your reality, your buyers, your team, and your pipeline. No gimmicks. No jargon. Just tested strategies that keep deals moving and help people buy from people.

If you are looking for a sales trainer who tells it like it is and a sales training program that actually improves how your team sells, let’s connect. I will show you how to build sales skills and a sales process that actually works.

GTMfund

Most funds just write checks. I roll up my sleeves. As a Limited Partner at GTMfund, I work directly with SaaS founders to help them build go-to-market strategies that actually work. I bring years of experience running sales training programs and building repeatable revenue systems that teams can execute with confidence.

I coach founders on designing the right sales training for their teams, creating playbooks, and delivering sales courses that strengthen sales skills across the board. I act as a sales trainer, a sales coach, and a trusted advisor, helping them simplify the sales process, hire effectively, and build the kind of sales training programs and coaching frameworks that scale.

At GTMfund, we back companies that care about selling the right way from day one. No hacks. No shortcuts. Just consistent pipeline, strong buyer relationships, and internal clarity. I stay engaged through quarterly syncs, deal flow reviews, and community panels, making sure founders have the sales training courses, systems, and support they need to grow the right way.

This role keeps me close to the front lines of how modern SaaS companies scale and gives me a way to give back by helping the next generation of founders build the skills, processes, and programs that actually deliver results.

Limited Partner

Sales Community

This is not another networking group full of theory and noise. Sales Community is where GTM operators, sales reps, and leaders come together to focus on what works and what to avoid. As an Advisory Board Member, I help keep the conversation grounded in execution, ethical selling, and enablement programs that actually deliver.

I bring my perspective as a sales trainer and sales coach to help members simplify the sales process, strengthen their sales skills, and build sales training programs that produce measurable results. We tackle hard topics including buyer trends, pipeline pressure, leadership burnout, and bloated tech stacks. I make sure the discussion always cuts through the noise and leads to actionable strategies that teams can apply immediately.

I contribute to events, roundtables, and panels on outbound strategy, coaching cadence, and SaaS sales leadership. My work helps members design impactful sales courses, scale sales training programs, and build coaching systems that improve team performance and confidence.

Serving here allows me to give back to a community of high-integrity sales professionals by helping them sharpen their sales skills, master the sales process, and lead their teams with clarity and results.

Advisory Board Member

The Jack Welch Management Institute

I worked directly with Jack and Suzy Welch to help launch the Jack Welch Management Institute MBA program. They brought me in to build the go-to-market plan and enrollment sales strategy from scratch. This was a blank slate. My role was to establish a sales training program, develop the sales process, and coach the admissions team to produce measurable pipeline.

I embedded with the internal team as a sales trainer and sales coach. I designed the first sales training courses and created a sales manual that became the backbone of their admissions playbook. We focused on strengthening sales skills, building confidence in the sales process, and testing outbound messaging that connected with ambitious working professionals.

I supported event strategy and enterprise partnerships to help move intent-based leads through a higher-consideration education sale. We applied narrative-based selling, buyer mindset frameworks, and credibility sequencing to keep the approach authentic and effective.

This project laid the foundation for JWMI’s growth model. Even in a short time, it proved how the right sales training courses, coaching, and process clarity can transform a team. To this day, I still draw on what we built here whenever I think about positioning and persuasion in high-trust verticals like education and leadership development.

VP of Global Market Development (Consultant)

Basho Technologies

As Director of Sales & Training at Basho Technologies, I delivered enterprise-level sales training programs and brought new business into the firm by helping Fortune 1000 sales teams execute with discipline and earn trust faster. My mandate was clear: scale Basho’s methodology into global organizations and prove its impact where it mattered most.

I worked as both a sales trainer and sales coach, embedding with sales teams across technology, pharmaceuticals, and financial services. I led sales training courses designed to strengthen sales skills, simplify the sales process, and build confidence for high-stakes boardroom conversations. We drove measurable improvements in qualification rigor, pipeline forecasting, and buyer engagement by giving teams a clear, actionable playbook.

Internally, I developed curriculum and refined our sales training programs based on field feedback and client results. I collaborated with leadership to test outbound strategies, improve coaching cadence, and enhance sales training courses so they reflected what actually resonated with senior buyers.

This role proved to me that repeatable success comes from clarity, coaching, and execution — not theory. The frameworks I helped deliver at Basho still drive results today, shaping how I design sales training programs, lead sales courses, and coach teams to outperform expectations in any market.

Director of Sales & Training

Thrive Networks

I joined Thrive Networks as employee number five and helped grow it from a scrappy startup to an 85-person company that Staples acquired. As Vice President of Sales & Marketing, I owned all revenue. I carried a quota, built the sales team, and developed partner channels while turning our services into a recurring revenue engine.

I built sales training programs from scratch to strengthen sales skills and teach reps how to simplify the sales process. I worked hands-on as a sales trainer and sales coach, running sales training courses for new hires and embedding coaching into our daily rhythm. My focus was making sure the team could actually execute — not just talk about it.

We grew revenue every year through direct sales, referral programs, and smart vertical plays. I aligned sales and marketing, launched campaigns that worked, and refined our message until it stuck. I made sure delivery always matched our promise and that our sales process stayed tight even as we scaled.

Thrive was named one of Boston’s fastest-growing companies and best places to work multiple years in a row. That didn’t happen by accident. We stayed gritty, trained our people right, and kept our edge by listening to customers and outworking the competition.

Vice President of Sales & Marketing

Xerox

At Xerox I sold tailored document solutions to state and local government clients. This was a crash course in complex sales cycles, procurement rules, and RFP execution. It was also where I learned how to navigate the politics and processes inside large institutions.

My focus was understanding workflows and identifying where print, scanning, and digitization tools could reduce costs and increase efficiency. I had to sell outcomes, not features. I partnered with procurement, IT, and compliance teams to get deals across the line.

It taught me patience, planning, and how to manage long sales cycles with multiple decision-makers. It was not glamorous, but it built the foundation for how I handle enterprise sales today. If you can win in government, you can win anywhere.

Sales Executive

DEWALT

I cut my teeth at DeWalt running live demos and driving sales in big-box stores like Home Depot. I built and led the first event marketing team in Boston, making sure customers saw, touched, and bought our products on the spot. It was fast-paced, gritty, and all about showing up ready to win.

I designed campaigns that moved market share and trained reps to run demos that actually worked. I wrote quick sales training programs, acted as a sales trainer and sales coach, and ran sales training courses on the floor to sharpen sales skills and tighten the sales process. Every shift was about execution.

That hustle got me promoted into the Black & Decker sales team where I managed the third-largest territory in the country. The stakes were higher, and the stage was bigger. I kept the same mindset and continued to build sales training programs, lead sales courses, and coach reps to deliver under pressure.

Those early lessons stuck. Hustle. Consistency. Face-to-face execution. Even now, I use what I learned at DeWalt to design sales training programs, lead sales courses, and coach teams that perform when it counts.

Sales/Event Marketing Specialist

Sales Trainer & Coach | Building Sales Skills & Sales Process | Sales Training Courses & Programs That Deliver

Chief Operating Officer

Launched the JB Sales PRO Membership in 2023, a subscription-based sales training program giving reps and teams on-demand access to sales courses, playbooks, and SalesGPT AI tools. Delivers actionable sales skills and proven sales process tactics modeled on top performers, backed by a money-back guarantee for measurable results.

JB Sales PRO Membership Launch

Launched the JB Sales Keynote Speaking Program in 2021, delivering actionable sales training sessions at company kickoffs, conferences, and industry events. Covers sales skills like agility, growth mindset, messaging, negotiation, and objection handling, with frameworks teams can execute immediately for measurable impact.

JB Sales Keynote Speaking Program

Launched the Filling the Funnel Certification in 2022, a structured sales training program helping reps master outbound prospecting, sharpen sales skills, and build consistent pipeline. Delivered online assessment and Credly digital badge to validate scalable, repeatable sales process that drives results.

Filling the Funnel Certification Launch

Launched the Driving to Close Certification program in 2021, a trusted sales training program designed to sharpen sales skills and improve the sales process at scale. Delivered advanced sales training courses with online assessment and a Credly digital badge, giving reps confidence to handle objections, negotiate effectively, and close deals. A measurable sales training course that drives results.

Driving to Close Certification Launch

Bring JB Sales in to train your team.
For sales orgs with 10+ reps, I deliver live, tactical training built around what works - customized sessions on prospecting, pipeline, and deal execution. No fluff. Just systems that convert.

JB Sales - Team Training

Get the same training I’ve delivered to Salesforce, LinkedIn, Amazon and more. JB Sales Pro gives you full access to my core programs—Filling the Funnel and Driving to Close—built for modern sellers who want real results. You’ll also get custom GPT tools, tactical workshops, and a community of reps leveling up every day. No fluff. Just what works.

B2B Sales Training Membership | JB Sales PRO by John Barrows

Tactical sales execution tips delivered weekly.
The JB Sales Learning Lab is where reps, managers, and founders get real-world frameworks to prospect better, close faster, and win with consistency. Built from live sales floors—not theory.

The JB Sales Learning Lab Newsletter

Tactical sales training. Zero fluff.
Subscribe to the JB Sales YouTube channel for weekly videos on prospecting, pipeline, and deal execution. Real-world breakdowns, cold call examples, and frameworks reps actually use—built for teams that want to win now.

JB Sales YouTube Page

Sales, business, and everything in between.
Make It Happen Mondays is where we talk real—sales, entrepreneurship, personal growth, mental health, and what it takes to perform and stay human in today’s world. Weekly episodes with top reps, founders, and thinkers who keep it honest.

Make It Happen Mondays - B2B Sales Talk with John Barrows

Hylton Performing Arts Center - Veterans & The Arts Initiative

Proud donor supporting my mom’s program helping veterans heal through art, music, and theater. Sales training taught me the value of discipline, trust, and confidence. Giving back lets me mentor others to grow meaningful skills and resilience through community.

World Wildlife Fund

Proud donor along with my daughter to WWF with all proceeds from the book we co-wrote, “I Want To Be In Sales When I Grow Up”

Service 2 Software

ervice 2 Software exists to equip service members with the necessary skills to thrive in software sales. I’m honored to help provide free training for those who have sacrificed so much for our country.

I’m done

If you read my newsletter this weekend, you’ll know that I’m done. 

I’m done trying to “scale.”

I’m done always being in build mode.

And I’m definitely done wasting money on vendors and tech that doesn’t solve a real problem, align with my goals or have an immediate impact/ROI. 

The older I get the more obvious it is to me that no one knows what the f-ck they’re talking about and we’re all making it up as we go. 

So, as I turned 50 last month I decided I’d rather bet on myself to figure it out than spend money on someone else to figure it out for me.

So here's the plan.

I’ve updated all my content to meet the moment and refocus on getting us back to the fundamentals while leveraging AI to help us evolve.  

My two certified programs, Filling the Funnel and Driving to Close, cover the majority of the skills needed in today’s sales environment to build a strong foundation while providing an agile framework to test different approaches and find out what works as things evolve.

I’ve mapped out the modules of these programs to align with the 12 months of the year and will be delivering a free training every month on each module. 

This will be free for anyone to attend but non-members won’t get the recording or any of the  templates/resources I share.  

I’ll be delivering the first module of my Filling the Funnel program called “Know Your Sales Equation” this coming Thursday at 11:00am ET.  If you want to learn how to back into your quota for the year and exactly what activities you need to be doing on a daily/weekly/monthly basis then you should definitely join this one.  

https://lnkd.in/e9uDYtNW 

I’ll also be doing a live Q&A every month after each training session for members only and giving members direct access to me through a private Instagram group where they can DM me with any question they have at any time and I’ll get back to them within 24 hours. 

Finally, one more thing I’m going to be doubling down on in 2026 is gratitude. 

With that, I wanted to say thank you to all of you who have supported me over the years. Every time someone spends their own money to join my membership, follows me on social, signs up to my newsletter, clicks on a sponsor link, comments on or shares a post, writes a review or sends me a DM to support or thank me it means the world to me.  

I saw this recent quote from Alex Hormozi about “luck” that really resonated with me: 

“You get lucky by staying in the game long enough for luck to find you. Winning is sure when you keep on going, you know your goal, you understand your priorities and you play it smart "not safe."

I’ve been in the game long enough to make my own luck and will continue to play smart, not safe, I’ll focus on growth, not scale, I’ll keep evolving, not building and I’ll trust myself more than anything or anyone.  

So, if you want to get “lucky” with me, join me this Wednesday and let’s Make it Happen together in 2026.

If you're in Sales in Tech, do all of your non-tech friends and family think that you're an engineer and can fix any tech issue or build an app or whatever?

I swear my entire extended family thinks I'm some type of tech genius.

The amount of people who come to me with "great app ideas" that they just want to "give me" and have me develop it myself is laughable.

I drank my way through college people. I sell this stuff.....

I’m still trying to digest what I experienced this past weekend in Dubai at the 1Billion Followers Summit.   
 
Over 30k creators came to Dubai to collaborate, share ideas, strategize and make connections.
 
Jim Louderback and the organizers of the summit along with the government of Dubai definitely know how to throw an event/party. The overall quality of the event and speakers were next level. 
 
Mr Beast, Will Smith, Vishen Lakhiani, David Meltzer and thousands of “influencers” on all the other platforms were not only presenting but walking the halls and easily accessible and open to collaborations and conversations.
 
Myself and about 20 other The Wishly Group creators were invited by the summit organizers to represent and talk about various aspects of branding, engaging and selling on Linkedin.
 
The session I did with Aneesh Lal and Vin Matano 🐝 - Winning on Linkedin, From Beginner to Boss - was standing room only. 
 
Almost every person I met throughout the three day event was immediately interested when they heard I had been on the platform since 2003 (#36,541) and had built a following of over 400k on this platform.   
 
It seemed like EVERYONE wanted to know how to be successful on the platform and were starving for any tips or ideas I could share.
 
With 1.2 billion members you’d think people would’ve figured out the power of the platform and how to leverage it by now but apparently not. 
 
This is why I’m fascinated with how this platform is going to evolve over the next few years.  
 
I’ve talked to some people who have been on the platform and think it’s ‘jumped the shark’ and the value is limited these days.  
 
They point to the fact that it’s become a ‘sellers’ market filled only with people trying to sell themselves or their product with limited buyer engagement any more. 
 
I actually don’t disagree in many ways. However, you can’t ignore the attention it’s starting to get from the outside world. 
 
As I sit here on the flight home in Emirates Business Class (thanks Dubai :), the person next to me is watching the Lord of the Rings which aligns with the analogy I’ve been using recently to describe what I see happening. It’s like the Eye or Sauron has set its sights on Linkedin and I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing. 
 
What I do know is that the percentage of people who create content on this platform is still less than 5% compared to those who consume, which is the highest ratio of any of the other social platforms by far.
 
That means, it’s still the best place to stand out and build your brand in my opinion.  
 
I’ll end by sharing my favorite/best tip that I shared with the audience:
 
“Don’t share what you know, share your journey and what you’re learning along the way.”
 
Let me know in the comments where you think this platform is headed and the value it provides (or doesn’t).

"we're willing to pay for revenue predictability"

compared to...

"I'll give you a discount if you sign by the end of the month."

Which one sounds better to you?

Todd Caponi is one of my favorite people in Sales and one of my favorite people in general which is why he's the only 4x guest I've had on the Make It Happen Monday podcast.

This week we dove into the details of his new book - "Four Levers Negotiating: The Simple, Counterintuitive Way to Higher Deal Values and Lasting Trust"

Every time I talk with Todd I learn something new.

His approach to negotiations is one of my favorites because it's 100% based on transparency with no tricks involved. 

And one of my favorite tips is how he talks about leveraging the "timing" of the deal related to "discounting" and how he "pays the client" for predictability of revenue.  

Most reps try to offer a discount to the client if they close by the end of the month so they can hit their number. This approach has mixed results and usually back fires. 

The client will agree to sign by the end of the month but then miss the deadline and still expect the discount a week later because they know it's a false threat. 

And what are you going to do, tell them the discount expired? oh really? did your profitability change over the weekend?  

Its really hard for reps to hold the line when they position it as a discount that expires.

However, the way Todd positions it is far more defensible. 

Instead of a discount, Todd tells the client that "revenue predictability is important to us so we're willing to pay you (i.e. discount) for that predictability."  

This way, if they miss the deadline, you have a much stronger business justification about why the discount isn't valid after the agreed upon date.  

This reframe is invaluable. 

Take a listen to the clip below and the full episode wherever you get your podcasts and get Todd's new book today!

Have you ever studied NLP?

and I don't mean - Natural Language Processing. 

I mean Neuro Linguistic Programming.

I get asked about my favorite sales books all the time and I tell people I don;t really have one. 

I like books about psychology instead.  

Sales tips and tactics come and go but how and why we, as humans, make decisions doesn't change much.

I was introduced to NLP early in my career and it opened up my eyes to why I seemed to connect so easily with some people but not with others, especially when it came to training and sales. 

When I started to learn about my communication style and looked for signs in others so I could adjust, I was able to develop rapport and get my message through far more effectively than ever before. 

I dove deep into this topic on this week's episode of the Make it Happen Monday podcast with Jake Stahl.

Take a listen to the clip below and the full episode wherever you get your podcasts.

If you've studies NLP before, how do you leverage it and what difference has it made?

This is the reason I'm no longer on TikTok....

A few years ago I decided to try to figure out TikTok. 

I had a "consultant" (i.e. someone who got lucky with a post and went viral) working with me to post content and engage, etc. 

I woke up one day and one of my posts had gone viral (1.2M views) which I was excited about at first...until I started reading the comments. 

The post was about how to get a job and I mentioned how if you were just sending out a bunch of resumes and hoping for the best, you might as well not even try.

I then want on to explain a B2B approach to getting a job, similar to how I suggest prospecting: get centered on your core values, find companies that align with them, research then to find a relevant reason to reach out, send an email to the executive or hiring manager and ask for their time, etc. 

Well, the B2C world apparently didn't like that very much because I got THOUSANDS of hate comments calling me an elitist, moron, idiot and much worse. 

"Sure, no problem. I'll just send an email to Jeff Bezos and ask for a job. Idiot!" 

Needless to say, that was the day I abandoned TikTok and went back to my "safe place" on Linkedin where that type of advice makes more sense. 

My conversation with Michael King on this week's episode of the Make it Happen Monday podcast validated my approach for the B2B world at least when it comes to trying to find a new job. 

The job market is brutal out there right now, especially with everyone using AI to write job descriptions, update their resumes, review resumes and more. 

Michael is not only an expert in the recruiting field but he's also been though a ton of adversity in his life which makes a lot of the challenges he/we face on a day-to-day basis seem relative. 

If you're out there looking for a job or know someone who is or are struggling with adversity and mental health, you're not going to want to miss this episode. 

What tips do you have for people out there looking for work?

I saw a post from someone recently that said Sales isn't a numbers game and anyone pushing that narrative is selling like it's 1985 again. 

Well then, let me put on my Zcavariccis and grab my Zima for a minute.

I understand the sentiment behind the comment but it lacked context in so many ways.

I'd love it if we all had 30 minutes to research every account we wanted to prospect into and spend an hour preparing for every meeting but for the vast majority of us that's just not possible. 

We have to do some volume so yes, sales is a numbers game to an extent, especially when you're new to Sales. 

When you're new to sales, you don't know what you don't know so you need to get the reps in to build some muscle at the very least. 

That's why I can't stand it when people say stuff like "cold calling is dead" or don't waste your time on the phones. 

If you look at the phone/cold calling by itself and judge it on how many meetings get set or how many SQLs get to the next stage of the sales process then I agree cold calling (for most) is a waste of time. 

However, if you look at it as more of a Marketing function (impression points) and expand your definition of success to include the development of Sales professionals (especially related to grit), I'd argue cold calling is incredibly valuable. 

Also, when I work with clients and test different cadences, one being email only and one email with phone, the cadence with phone added usually gets about a 10-20% OVERALL conversion rate.

So yes, in my opinion, Sales is a numbers game.  It's about working hard THEN smart. 

That's why it's so critical to know your sales equation so you know exactly how many activities you need to be doing on a monthly basis to hit your number.  

Once you know your specific conversion rates between each stage then you can start to focus on the different aspects of the process that need the most help and lean more in on quality.

If you want to see how I break down my numbers every year and get a baseline to measure against, join me next Thursday at 11:00am EST when I'll be giving a free training session on the first module of my Filling the Funnel program - Know Your Sales Equation. 

I'll be giving away the spreadsheet I use but ONLY to the people who show up live.  

Register today! 

No back to watching Alf and eating my Pop Rocks.

https://lnkd.in/e9uDYtNW

The fact that my 15-year old daughter has to start thinking of college and a career right now is horrifying to me.

It's impossible to ignore though.  

and even more impossible to try and give any type of guidance based on how fast things are changing in this world of AI that's just getting started. 

Can anyone truly predict with any level of certainty what the world is going to look like in 4 years and what the job market will look like?  I have Nurses, Plumbers and Electricians on my list of professions that will have high human demand for the foreseeable future but that's about it.  

This means that our education system HAS to shift if we're going to give these kids a chance.  That's why I had Kim Nicholas(Day) on the Make it Happen Monday podcast this week to talk about the work she's doing with Genesys Works Chicago.  

They're a nonprofit that places high school seniors into paid corporate internships paired with training and coaching. They give students real-world experience and a professional network before they ever step into college or make long-term career decisions.  

Some of the main things we discussed were:

💠 Exposure beats guessing. Most kids have no idea what options even exist, so “pick a path” is a flawed starting point.
💠 Real-world reps change everything. Confidence, work ethic, communication, and professional habits are built through doing, not classroom theory.
💠 AI makes adaptability the most valuable skill. The people who win will be the ones who can learn fast, think critically, and adjust.
💠 Values matter more than titles. If you build discipline, accountability, resilience, and curiosity, you can succeed in any market.

Here’s the clip from our conversation.

If you had a 15-year-old today, what would you be guiding them toward: a degree, a trade, entrepreneurship, internships, or something else? And why?

Demos aren’t just broken.

They’re wasting your time.

Hear me out.

Every time a rep jumps into another generic intro demo for an unqualified lead, it's usually a complete waste of time.  

Spread across the team, it ends up being hours you’re paying for with zero forward motion.

That’s opportunity cost.

Let’s break it down:

■  Live demos require scheduled time on both sides.
■  Buyers often skip to the parts that matter to their problem.
■  Reps end up repeating the same basic walkthrough dozens of times a week.

Result?

A gigantic bottleneck in your revenue engine.

But here’s the frustrating truth:

Your buyers want to self‑educate first.

They want answers now, not later.

They don’t need every feature explained, they need their answers first. 

So what do you do?

Stop selling to them.

Start enabling the buyer.

Here’s the approach that actually works:

1) Give buyers what they want on their timeline.
    - On‑demand experiences beat scheduled calls.
    - They reduce friction and build confidence early.

2) Let buyers self‑qualify before your team ever gets on the calendar.
    - Educated buyers ask better questions. They buy faster.

3) Use real engagement data to drive your follow‑ups.
    - Who watched what?
    - Who shared it with others?
    - Who’s actually considering a purchase?

This is real buyer‑led selling.

And yes, your current demo process might be costing you weeks in cycle time and thousands in inefficient rep hours.

Now here’s where Consensus fits in (and why I've partnered with them):

Consensus automates this entire early stage by giving buyers personalized, interactive product experiences the moment they first engage—with zero scheduling. 

Buyers see what matters to their role and priorities.

You get qualified leads with real intent data.

Your reps spend their time where it matters most - closing.

In other words:

Don’t eliminate demos.

Eliminate unqualified, inefficient demos.

If you’re serious about shortening cycle time, increasing conversion, and turning your product into a self‑educating engine, Consensus deserves a look.

It doesn’t replace human selling.

It amplifies the part of selling that matters.

#Sponsor #SalesLeadership #RevenueGrowth

Anyone want some free training to help you figure out how to hit your goals this year?

I'm starting a free session on my "Know Your Sales Equation" module in 15 minutes. (11:00am EST).

Sign up now! 

https://lnkd.in/e9uDYtNW

This keeps coming up for me in conversations with teams.

They’re having good meetings with real dialogue and real decision makers.

But somehow, the outcome fades fast. A few weeks later, people are debating the same topics again, not because they disagree, but because no one remembers the full context of what was already discussed.

We act surprised by that, but we shouldn’t. We’re asking humans to function like databases.

Most organizations don’t lack information. They lack continuity. 

Decisions live in meetings, insights show up in side comments, and important context sits in someone’s head until they leave, get promoted, or forget.

That’s where my perspective on AI has evolved a bit.

I’m still skeptical of anything that claims to “think for you.” But using AI to hold onto conversations so teams don’t have to constantly start from scratch? That’s a real use case.

What I like about what Otter.ai is doing at the enterprise level is less about notes and more about memory which is great because mine is terrible.  Right Aneesh Lal? ;) 

Being able to look back and see patterns in customer conversations is invaluable. 

Being able to ask what came up repeatedly last quarter, or where deals started to stall, without digging through emails or relying on someone’s recollection saves so much time and gives me way better insights than ever before. 

That’s not about speed. It’s about clarity.

AI should help teams remember what they already learned, not pretend to be smarter than them.

Genuinely curious how others are thinking about this. Where does context break down most for your team today? 

https://lnkd.in/ew-M-7se

#sponsor #makeithappen

When was the last time you revisited your 'core values'?

I went through the motions when them early in my career and didn't truly understand them until much later when I was forced to.

I had an incredible conversation with Amy Leneker about this and much more on this week's episode of the Make it Happen Monday podcast.

She's a recovering workaholic turned joy strategist and her message couldn’t be more timely. 

She's coming out with a new book called Cheers to Monday, a science-backed guide to breaking the cycle of burnout and embracing joy as a leadership strategy.

With all the stress in the world right now, this was a refreshing conversation on how to take a step back so we can all take a step forward. 

What's one core value you might have ignored early in your career but now find to be invaluable?

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