Episode Summary Your brand is working 24/7—but is it making you money or costing you deals? Phil Pallen, who's built brands for Shark Tank investors across 23 countries and collaborated with Adobe on AI initiatives, reveals the 3-second rule that separates forgettable brands from unforgettable ones. In this game-changing conversation, discover how to achieve consistency between what makes you great in real life and how that shows up online. Phil breaks down why most salespeople focus on the pitch when they should focus on the presence, and shares his proven framework for creating a brand that does the selling when you're not in the room. Key Takeaways The 3-Second Brand Test: Learn why people judge your brand in three seconds or less—and how to make those seconds count (even top performers get this wrong) Why Your Sales Team Has a Branding Problem: Discover the hidden reason your team isn't closing deals (hint: it's not their selling skills) The Charlie Sheen Strategy That Built a Multi-Million Dollar Business: How Phil went from 90,000 applicants to the top 50 and turned rejection into a thriving brand consultancy AI + Branding = Unfair Advantage: Phil's created 408 AI tool videos in 4 years—here's how to leverage AI without losing your human touch Delegation Over Micromanagement: Why the most successful people trust experts, don't micromanage, and build systems that work when they're sleeping Chapters 00:00 - Introduction: The 3-Second Rule That Makes or Breaks Your Brand02:17 - What Jeff Bezos Got Right About Branding (And What Most People Miss)03:47 - From Canadian TV Host to Shark Tank Brand Strategist: Phil's Origin Story06:59 - Humanizing Corporate Giants: The Adobe Collaboration Secret09:34 - Why Your First Impression Is Costing You Millions18:37 - The Social Media Algorithm Hack Nobody's Talking About30:14 - AI for Small Business: Cutting Through the Hype42:16 - Why Phil Says "I'm Better When I Know Less About You"55:28 - Extracting Best Practices: The Top 10% Framework01:03:28 - The Training Wheels Approach to Branding01:05:24 - 408 Videos Later: What Phil's Learned About AI Tools01:08:00 - How to Work with Phil (And His Brand Audit Process) Guest Information Phil PallenBrand Strategist, Phil Pallen CollectiveBuilt brands across 23 countries Connect with Phil Pallen:Website: philpallen.coInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/philpallen/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/philpallen/ Host Information Connect with John Rankins: Website: https://thesalesmachine.com/YouTube: @JohnRankinsOfficialLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnrankinsofficial Transform Sales with The Sales Machine Your CRM is DEAD—just a glorified address book. While you chase reports, competitors win deals. The Sales Machine drives actual performance with automation, insights, and gamification that work. Book a strategy call: thesalesmachine.com  

Episode Summary What if your biggest sales problem isn't your pitch—it's pretending to be someone you're not? Jaime Diglio, founder of The Win Room and named one of the top 100 most powerful women in sales, reveals why 10x winners don't follow scripts—they discover their unique winning formula. From burnout at Gartner (literally losing feeling in her legs) to helping 98.4% of clients hit their goals, Jaime breaks down her ROI framework: Return on Interactions. Learn why authenticity beats perfection, how to stop living in the war room inside your head, and the Moneyball approach to sales that transforms average performers into elite closers.   Key Takeaways The "War Room vs Win Room" mindset shift that ended Jaime's burnout and unlocked 10x performance at Microsoft and Gartner Why following scripts makes you forgettable—and how discovering your unique "winning formula" makes you irreplaceable to buyers The Return on Interactions framework: How elite sellers practice like athletes to make every customer conversation count The real reason customers can read your energy—and why being authentically YOU is the ultimate competitive advantage How the Moneyball philosophy transforms sales teams: Stop forcing one-size-fits-all, start doubling down on individual strengths   Chapters 0:00 – Introduction: Jamie Diglio reveals her ROI framework for sales success  01:09 – From Microsoft executive to building The Win Room methodology  01:43 – The burnout moment that changed everything and sparked a revolution  04:21 – Fear of failure, Tony Robbins, and finding your authentic path  08:45 – The terrifying career pivot from corporate to entrepreneur  14:35 – How pressure and challenges reveal your true authentic self  21:15 – Why your mindset directly determines your income potential  29:12 – The psychology of high performance and elite achievement  33:45 – ROI: Return on Interaction framework explained in detail  42:15 – How top 1% sellers think and operate differently  51:45 – Trust-building strategies that actually work in modern sales  1:00:35 – Elite athlete training principles applied to sales performance  1:10:25 – Discovering and leveraging your unique value proposition  1:21:22 – Uncovering your personal winning formula for success  1:22:50 – Why fake people fail and authenticity wins in sales  1:24:26 – The Moneyball approach: personalized performance in selling  1:27:31 – Introducing The Win League mastermind community  1:29:05 – Final takeaways and how to level up your game   Guest Information Jaime Diglio Founder & CEO, The Win Room Transforming Sales Through Authentic Performance Connect with Jaime: Website: thewinroom.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jaimediglio   Host Information Connect with John Rankins:  Website: https://thesalesmachine.com/ YouTube: @JohnRankinsOfficial LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnrankinsofficial   Transform Sales with The Sales Machine Your CRM is DEAD—just a glorified address book. While you chase reports, competitors win deals. The Sales Machine drives actual performance with automation, insights, and gamification that work.   Book a strategy call: thesalesmachine.com

Episode Summary You're measuring everything—calls, emails, pipeline velocity—but your sales team still isn't hitting quota. Here's why: tracking metrics without managing them is like stepping on a scale 20 times a day expecting to lose weight. Michelle Vazzana, Chief Innovation Officer at Impart and co-author of Cracking the Sales Management Code, exposes the fatal mistake killing sales performance: creating dashboards instead of driving coaching. Discover why elite managers coach less frequently but achieve better results, how the three dimensions of sales execution separate winners from losers, and why AI orchestration—not another CRM—is the future of scalable revenue. This research-backed conversation transforms sales leadership from inspection culture to performance engine. Key Takeaways The scale paradox solved: Stepping on a scale 20 times doesn't make you lose weight—discover why coaching activities, not results, is the highest-impact move managers can make The 3 Rs that separate outliers from average performers: Elite sellers share resilience, rigor, and responsibility—learn how these mindset elements predict success better than competency assessments Why your CRM is secretly sabotaging growth: Built for companies, not salespeople, traditional platforms create admin burden instead of driving performance—see what AI orchestration actually solves The counterintuitive coaching formula: High performers coach less frequently but go deeper—the "minimum effective dose" that transforms teams without burning out managers Sales-aware AI vs. vanilla chatbots: Generic AI doesn't know how buyers buy—discover the difference between platform automation and true sales intelligence that wins deals   Chapters 00:00 - Introduction 04:20 - From IBM to Sales Framework Pioneer: Michelle's Origin Story 08:21 - The Research That Changed B2B: Creating the Sales Management Code 11:29 - Activities Over Results: The Coaching Breakthrough Data 16:35 - Why CRMs Are Just Glorified Address Books 18:49 - Sales-Aware AI: The Intelligence Platform Companies Are Missing 24:29 - The Orchestrator Revolution: How AI Agents Actually Work Together 31:33 - The Discipline Gap: Why Metrics Alone Don't Drive Performance 35:44 - The 3 Rs of Elite Mindset: Resilience, Rigor, Responsibility 42:53 - The Minimum Effective Dose: Less Coaching, Better Results 45:38 - 3D Sales Agility: Insight, Influence, and Trust Dimensions Guest Information Michelle VazzanaChief Innovation Officer, ImpartSales transformation research pioneer Connect with Michelle:Website: https://imparta.com/about/leadership-team/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vazzanam/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-vazzana/ Host Information Connect with John Rankins: Website: https://thesalesmachine.com/ YouTube: @JohnRankinsOfficial LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnrankinsofficial Transform Sales with The Sales Machine Your CRM is DEAD—just a glorified address book. While you chase reports, competitors win deals. The Sales Machine drives actual performance with automation, insights, and gamification that work. Book a strategy call: thesalesmachine.com

Episode Summary What if getting rich 10X faster meant falling in love with client problems instead of pitching solutions? Mo Bunnell, CEO of Bunnell Idea Group and bestselling author of "Give to Grow," reveals why top salespeople obsess over problems while average performers chase deals. Discover the counterintuitive IKEA Effect that turns prospects into partners, the "so you can" phrase that eliminates objections, and the exact framework 60,000+ professionals use to make clients drag them across the finish line. This isn't about working harder—it's about the psychological shift that separates millionaire salespeople from the rest.   Key Takeaways The 10X Performance Gap: Why average salespeople and top performers aren't just 20% different—they're 10 times different, and the exact mindset shift that separates them Never Send Proposals Again: The IKEA Effect principle that proves people buy into what they help create, and how co-creating proposals skyrockets your close rates The Two-Word Sales Multiplier: How adding "so you can" after any accolade transforms negative bragging into compelling value propositions backed by research The 50-Word Email Rule: Why your outbound emails are too long and the magic number that fits on one phone screen and dramatically increases response rates Fall in Love With Their Problem: The counter-intuitive approach to business development that makes clients drag you across the goal line instead of you pushing   Chapters 00:00 - Introduction: The Mastermind Behind Growth Machines 01:38 - From Actuary to Sales Expert: An Unexpected Journey 06:05 - Mindset & Moves: The Two Pillars of Sales Success 08:08 - Nobody Cares: Making Clients the Hero of Every Story 13:53 - Fall in Love With Their Problem Framework 16:17 - Business is Simple: The "So You Can" Phrase 21:35 - The 10X Difference: Average vs Top Performers 27:17 - Relationships to Revenue: Strategic Networking Done Right 31:35 - Giftology & Give to Grow Philosophy 39:36 - The IKEA Effect: Co-Creating Winning Proposals 43:54 - AI & Sales: Extracting Best Practices at Scale 49:56 - The Snowball System: World-Class Training in a Book 55:49 - Free Resources & How to Connect   Guest Information Mo Bunnell Founder & CEO, Bunnell Idea Group (BIG) Transforming Organizations Into Growth Machines Connect with Mo Bunnell: Website: https://bunnellideagroup.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mobunnell Podcast: https://bunnellideagroup.com/podcast/   Host Information Connect with John Rankins: Website: https://thesalesmachine.com/ YouTube: @JohnRankinsOfficial LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnrankinsofficial   Transform Sales with The Sales Machine Your CRM is DEAD—just a glorified address book. While you chase reports, competitors win deals. The Sales Machine drives actual performance with automation, insights, and gamification that work. Book a strategy call: thesalesmachine.com

Episode Summary What if everything you've been taught about sales is backwards? Jeff Bajorek, who's turned dead territories into multimillion-dollar producers and coached teams across 60+ companies, sits down to expose the uncomfortable truths most sales leaders won't admit. This isn't another feel-good episode about "mindset" and motivation. Jeff breaks down why your sales training investments are wasted, how a 13-year-old newspaper carrier outsold seasoned professionals using one simple strategy, and the five prospecting fundamentals that separate real closers from glorified telemarketers. Whether you're leading a team that's underperforming or hustling solo trying to hit quota, this raw conversation delivers the frameworks and mindset shifts you need to stop losing deals you should be winning. Key Takeaways The hidden sales happening everywhere – Discover why 90% of your daily "sales" don't involve money and how this realization transforms your approach to every conversation Why your sales training is failing – Learn the critical mistake companies make before training their teams (hint: they're not sold on needing it) and how to fix it The 5 prospecting fundamentals crushing it in 2025 – Jeff reveals his proven framework that separates B2B professionals from glorified telemarketers making the same cold calls The "nobody cares" principle that changes everything – Find out why leading with ego kills deals and what top performers do instead to create real engagement From paper routes to million-dollar deals – How a 13-year-old's free offer strategy outperforms most modern sales tactics and what that means for your pipeline Chapters 00:00 – Sales Without Money: Why Your Teen's Car Request Is Teaching You Everything 02:15 – The Dangerous Truth About "Selling Is Selling" That Most Get Wrong 04:09 – Transfer of Enthusiasm: Brian Tracy's Forgotten Secret to Every Sale 07:36 – The Toyota Strategy: When Giving Up Margin Makes You Millions 11:35 – The 13-Year-Old Who Crushed Objections Better Than Your Sales Team 15:03 – Ego Vs. Service: Why Showing Up to Impress Guarantees You'll Lose 18:43 – The Apprenticeship Model: Why Sales Mastery Takes Decades, Not Days 24:25 – Generational Sales Manager Trauma and How It's Killing Your Numbers 29:09 – Training Teams That Don't Want It: The Pre-Sale Nobody Talks About 37:14 – The 5 Prospecting Fundamentals Your Competition Doesn't Know 44:03 – Building Courseware That Actually Works: From Beer to Best Practices 52:15 – Discovery Before Demos: Why SDRs Fail and How to Fix It Guest Information Jeff Bajorek Sales Consultant, Author & Speaker Transforming Sales Teams Through Service Connect with Jeff: Website: https://www.jeffbajorek.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffbajorek Host Information Connect with John Rankins: Website: https://thesalesmachine.com/ YouTube: @JohnRankinsOfficial LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnrankinsofficial Transform Sales with The Sales Machine Your CRM is DEAD—just a glorified address book. While you chase reports, competitors win deals. The Sales Machine drives actual performance with automation, insights, and gamification that work. Book a strategy call: thesalesmachine.com

Episode Summary From developer to enterprise sales leader to agency founder, Dale Zwizinski reveals the brutal truth about scaling revenue: most founders think they've hit product-market fit when they haven't, and they don't document anything. With 20+ years building teams from 2 to 150 across six countries, Dale shares how Revenue Reimagined has driven $425M in revenue and $3.6M in savings for startups. Learn why stabilization beats scale, how to avoid "commercial debt" that kills growth, the AI charter framework for go-to-market success, and why your ICP should change every 90 days—not stay frozen for years. Key Takeaways Documentation kills chaos - Founders automate processes in their heads but can't scale until every step is written down for others to execute The Go-to-Market Gap methodology - Why you must move through stabilization and foundation before chasing repeatability and scale (most skip steps and fail) AI needs a charter, not hype - Building AI without cross-organizational strategy costs jobs and money—start with low-hanging GTM fruit first Your ICP expires every 3 months - The companies crushing it review ideal customer profiles quarterly, not once when they launched two years ago Momentum beats perfection - You can't reach repeatability without momentum; forecast accurately and understand your process before trying to scale Chapters 03:17 - From Code to Customers: The Y2K Moment That Changed Everything How a furious customer complaint launched a 20-year sales career 09:28 - The Founder's Fatal Flaw: Why Documentation Kills Startups Most founders think they have product-market fit when they don't 16:09 - Sales as Service: The Psychology Framework That Scales Why software without soul fails and how to transfer founder passion 20:16 - The Go-to-Market Gap: Four Phases from Chaos to Scale Stabilization, Foundation, Repeatability, Scalability - you can't skip steps 29:44 - Breaking Things on Purpose: The Entrepreneur's Paradox Why true entrepreneurs wake up trying to put themselves out of business 32:04 - When Everything Looks Like a Sales Problem But Isn't The audit that reveals your real go-to-market bottlenecks 34:03 - The ICP Trap: Why Your Market Definition Is Too Wide Forget total addressable market - focus on sellable and serviceable 41:50 - The AI Charter Strategy: Beyond the Buzzword Building AI cross-functionally from recruiting to operations to go-to-market 48:55 - The $10M Per Person Question: Can Three People Build a $30M Company? How AI-first companies are rewriting revenue-per-employee metrics Guest Information Dale Zwizinski Co-founder, Revenue Reimagined 20+ year enterprise sales leader $425M in revenue driven | $64.5M in funding secured Connect with Dale:Website: https://www.revenue-reimagined.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dalezwizinski/ Host Information Connect with John Rankins: Website: thesalesmachine.com YouTube: @JohnRankinsOfficial LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnrankinsofficial/ Transform Sales with The Sales Machine: Your CRM is DEAD—just a glorified address book. While you chase reports, competitors win deals. The Sales Machine drives actual performance with automation, insights, and gamification that work. Book a strategy call: thesalesmachine.com

Episode Summary Discover hidden SaaS profit levers with Ulrik Lehrskov-Schmidt, top B2B pricing expert. From accidentally starting consulting to helping 150+ companies achieve 102% price increases, Ulrik reveals pricing isn't about numbers—it's about structure. Learn how shifting to all-you-can-eat pricing tripled a business and the psychological triggers that make customers buy. Key Takeaways Price customers, not products - segment packages by customer type Package around outcomes - sell "pipeline generation" vs features Use price anchors - provide comparison context Avoid commercial debt - custom contracts kill scalability Match complexity to deal size Chapters 00:58 - The Accidental Pricing Consultant How writing a book on pricing psychology during baby duty launched a million-dollar consulting career 02:23 - From Conference Tickets to Microsoft Partnerships The surprising story of how one pricing experiment led to becoming Microsoft's preferred pricing partner 07:09 - It's Not the Number, It's the Structure Why the "how" of pricing matters more than the "what" - the conference business case study 10:34 - Package Around Outcomes, Not Features Transform your sales conversations by selling pipeline and conversion instead of basic and pro plans 14:17 - The Psychology of Price Anchors Why no price is high or low except when compared to something else - mastering pricing psychology 17:32 - Data-Driven Pricing That Actually Sells The promise times probability formula and why customers need reassurance, not just promises 21:03 - The 102% Price Increase Methodology How segmented pricing strategies increase enterprise accounts while lowering prices for smaller customers 24:33 - The Perpetual License Trap Why customers asking for one-time payments create a maintenance nightmare and kill innovation 32:02 - The Complexity Budget Framework Matching pricing complexity to deal size - from simple $5K sales to complex $5M enterprise deals 36:11 - Pricing Design vs. Pricing Math Why you're pricing the customer, not the product - the train class ticket analogy 39:57 - The Commercial Debt Crisis How custom contracts and sales flexibility create an operational nightmare at scale 41:46 - Should You Put Pricing on Your Website? The decision framework for public vs. private pricing and how transparency supports sales teams Guest Information Ulrik Lehrskov-Schmidt CEO, willingness to pay.com Author of "The Pricing Roadmap" 150+ B2B SaaS pricing projects completed Connect with Ulrik: Website: https://www.willingnesstopay.com/ Book: https://www.willingnesstopay.com/product/the-pricing-roadmap YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SaaSPricing Host Information Connect with John Rankins: Website: https://thesalesmachine.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheSalesMachineOfficial Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thesalesmachine_official/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/thesalesmachineofficial/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JohnRankinsOfficial Transform Sales with The Sales Machine Your CRM is DEAD—just a glorified address book. While you chase reports, competitors win deals. The Sales Machine drives actual performance with automation, insights, and gamification that work. Book strategy call: thesalesmachine.com

In this episode, I sit down with Zack Zeller, revenue leader and sales mentor, to unpack the mindset shifts and systems needed to go from individual hustle to building high-performing sales teams. With years of experience leading sales organizations, Zack shares practical lessons on leadership, coaching, and creating a culture where reps thrive. We talk about: Why hustle alone won’t scale in sales The biggest mistakes new sales leaders make How to build a culture of accountability without micromanagement The power of coaching in unlocking team performance Why self-awareness is a sales leader’s greatest tool How to align reps to company goals and customer value Lessons Zack learned firsthand in leading growth   Chapters 00:00 The Role of Copywriting in Business Growth 05:29 Building a Personal Brand Through Speaking 09:15 The Importance of Consistency in Sales 12:37 Identifying and Solving Core Problems 13:33 Differentiating Between Book Types 16:26 The Power of Unique Perspectives 22:29 Case Studies: Transforming Ideas into Sales 28:13 Practical Steps for Aspiring Authors 32:43 Book Launch and Editing Timeline 34:08 Marketing Strategies for Book Sales 36:53 Leveraging Books for B2B Success 40:12 Understanding Client Needs and Sales Psychology 43:21 Disruption in Sales and Marketing Strategies 44:31 Repositioning Existing Books for Better Sales 47:06 Nurturing Leads and Email Marketing Strategies 50:14 Building a Brand Through Books 52:50 Creating Content Around Your Book 55:53 Working with Zach: Process and Investment   Whether you’re a rep aspiring to leadership or an executive scaling a team, this episode gives you the tools to lead with clarity and confidence. Still trusting your CRM, ERP, or sales tools to tell you the truth about your business? Here’s the problem: Most of your systems are just fancy filing cabinets. They don’t help your team perform, they just track what’s already happened. If you’re tired of chasing reports, dealing with bad data, and running a sales org on broken systems, book a strategy call with The Sales Machine. We'll show you how to finally get visibility, accountability, and real performance:👉www.thesalesmachine.com 👉 Book a sales strategy call with The Sales Machine today: www.thesalesmachine.com Let’s upgrade your tools, your team, and your results.   Connect with Zack Zeller Website: thisshouldntwork.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thezackzeller/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zackzeller22 Threads: https://www.threads.com/@thezackzeller Free Book: https://fixyourlist.com/smp   Connect with John Rankins Website: https://thesalesmachine.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheSalesMachineOfficial Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/thesalesmachine_official/ LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/company/thesalesmachineofficial/ YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/@JohnRankinsOfficial

In this episode, I sit down with Lee Salz, globally recognized sales differentiation strategist and author of The First Meeting Differentiator. Lee has written seven books on sales, and his work has helped organizations worldwide move from generic sales pitches to truly differentiated conversations. We talk about: Why “different is better than better” in sales The fatal flaw with traditional discovery meetings How to turn every first meeting into a consultation that delivers value The difference between an inconvenience and a real problem buyers will pay to solve Why emotion—not logic—drives deals forward How to qualify prospects early and avoid wasting months on dead opportunities Small personalization moves that create massive competitive advantage Whether you’re a sales leader, B2B seller, or entrepreneur, this episode will change how you think about first meetings, differentiation, and delivering value. Still trusting your CRM, ERP, or sales tools to tell you the truth about your business? Here’s the problem: Most of your systems are just fancy filing cabinets. They don’t help your team perform, they just track what’s already happened. If you’re tired of chasing reports, dealing with bad data, and running a sales org on broken systems, book a strategy call with The Sales Machine. We'll show you how to finally get visibility, accountability, and real performance:👉www.thesalesmachine.com 👉 Book a sales strategy call with The Sales Machine today: www.thesalesmachine.com   Connect with Lee Salz Website: salesarchitects.com Book: The First Meeting Differentiator Resource: meaningfulvalue.com (tip sheet: adding value in first meetings) Book site: firstmeetingbook.com (download chapter 1 free) Instagram: @theleesalz   Connect with John Rankins Website: https://thesalesmachine.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheSalesMachineOfficial Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/thesalesmachine_official/ LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/company/thesalesmachineofficial/ YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/@JohnRankinsOfficial

Still trusting your CRM, ERP, or sales tools to tell you the truth about your business? Here’s the problem: Most of your systems are just fancy filing cabinets. They don’t help your team perform, they just track what’s already happened. If you’re tired of chasing reports, dealing with bad data, and running a sales org on broken systems, book a strategy call with The Sales Machine. We'll show you how to finally get visibility, accountability, and real performance:👉www.thesalesmachine.com   Now to the good part...In this episode, I sit down with Greg Nutter, author of P3 Selling and global sales advisor, to talk about what it really takes to win complex B2B deals. With decades of experience coaching sales teams worldwide, Greg shares how sellers can stop being “pitch machines” and start guiding customers through the buying journey.   We talk about: Why most CRM systems set sellers up to fail The difference between a sales process and a buying process The 5 predictable stages of buying decisions Why being a coach and mentor matters more than being a “product expert” How to identify the hidden stakeholders (procurement, IT, finance, etc.) before it’s too late Why sometimes the best sales move is telling a customer not to buy Whether you’re a sales leader, entrepreneur, or B2B seller, this episode is your playbook for aligning with buyers and closing more deals.   👉 Book a sales strategy call with The Sales Machine today: www.thesalesmachine.com Let’s upgrade your tools, your team, and your results.   Connect with Greg Nutter LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/greg-nutter/ Website: https://soloquent.com/p3-selling-book/                  https://soloquent.com Connect with John Rankins Website: https://thesalesmachine.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheSalesMachineOfficial Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/thesalesmachine_official/ LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/company/thesalesmachineofficial/ YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/@JohnRankinsOfficial  

Most salespeople kill their deals without even realizing it… They feature-dump their way into irrelevance. They think rattling off specs will impress prospects, when in reality, it’s the fastest way to bore them and lose the sale. Here’s the truth: features don’t sell…stories do. That’s why in this episode of The Sales Machine Podcast, I sit down with Stephen Steers, sales expert and author of Superpower Storytelling. We break down exactly how to ditch feature dumping and start selling with stories that stick. 👉 If you’re tired of long sales cycles, ghosted follow-ups, and deals dying in the pipeline, this episode is your fix. And if you’re ready to build a sales system that actually performs, book a call with The Sales Machine team today. What You’ll Learn in This Episode: Why feature dumping destroys trust and how to avoid it The storytelling frameworks that win deals in 2025 How to run discovery calls that uncover why people actually buy Why most startups fail at sales (hint: it’s not their product) Practical ways to coach your reps to sell with impact, not info overload Tune in now to How to Sell Without Feature Dumping (The Storytelling Fix) | ft. Stephen Steers. And if you’re serious about transforming your sales culture, book a call with The Sales Machine team, because the future of selling is already here, and it’s storytelling-driven. Connect with Stephen Steers Website: https://www.stephensteers.com/  X: https://x.com/stephensteers_?lang=en  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stephensteers_/?hl=en  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephen-steers  Connect with John Rankins Website: https://thesalesmachine.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheSalesMachineOfficial Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/thesalesmachine_official/ LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/company/thesalesmachineofficial/ YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/@JohnRankinsOfficial

Most professionals think networking is about adding names to a list. But the truth? Most of those names never buy, never trust you, and never move the needle for your business. If you’re leading a sales team or running a professional services firm that’s stuck in “random acts of networking,” this episode is for you. Before we dive in, if you want to fix the chaos in your sales process, build a system that drives performance, and actually grow, book a call with The Sales Machine team. We’ll help you turn your network into a growth engine. Today, I’m joined by Andi Baldwin, CEO of Profitable Ideas Exchange (PIE), based in Bozeman, Montana, and author of the new book The Growth Engine. Andi has spent her career helping firms like KPMG, IBM, JLL, and Slalom build executive communities that don’t just talk, but actually generate business growth. We get into: Why client feedback is the lifeblood of professional services growth How trust and relationships win more business than transactions ever will Why niching down beats trying to serve everyone How AI can enhance efficiency but never replace human connection The mindset shift leaders need to build scalable growth systems Why long-term relationships are the key to securing huge contracts And how to build a network that becomes your real growth engine 👉🏼 Andi’s new book, The Growth Engine, is a must-read for professional services leaders who want to create scalable, sustainable growth models. 👉🏼 And if you’re ready to streamline your sales, fix the data chaos, and empower your team with performance-driven systems, book a call with The Sales Machine team today. This isn’t about business card collecting. This is about building relationships and communities that transform careers and companies. Connect with Andi Baldwin Website: https://www.profitableideas.com/the-growth-engine/  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andirodesb/  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andi-baldwin-922b0354/  Connect with John Rankins Website: https://thesalesmachine.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheSalesMachineOfficial Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/thesalesmachine_official/ LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/company/thesalesmachineofficial/ YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/@JohnRankinsOfficial

If your LinkedIn outreach is getting ghosted…it’s not because people “don’t use LinkedIn anymore.” It’s because your message is just another Hey {FirstName}, I see we have connections in common… snoozefest. ❌ You’re blending in with the noise.❌ You’re chasing instead of attracting.❌ You’re not using systems built for 2025. Here’s the fix: Book a free strategy call with The Sales Machine, and I’ll show you how to turn cold LinkedIn outreach into warm, consistent conversations that actually close. 👉 www.thesalesmachine.com In this episode, I sit down with Matt Clark, a LinkedIn sales expert who has built prospecting systems for thousands of entrepreneurs and sales teams. We break down why most outreach fails and exactly how to adapt your approach so you cut through the noise, grab attention, and create real sales momentum. What You’ll Learn in This Episode: The #1 reason most LinkedIn messages get ignored in 2025 How to use content and outreach together for maximum response The 3-part system that turns cold connections into warm prospects How to blend AI tools with human authenticity Metrics that actually matter for LinkedIn sales success Mistakes sales teams make when scaling their outreach (and how to avoid them) If you want LinkedIn to be more than a scrolling app for your sales team, and turn it into a predictable revenue channel, this episode is your blueprint. Ready to fix your outreach once and for all? Book your free Sales Machine strategy call here: www.thesalesmachine.com Connect with Matt Clark Website: https://thevirtualedge.com/profile/  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattclarkrainmaker/  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mattclarkrainmaker/?hl=en  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/matthewclarksa/  Connect with John Rankins Website: https://thesalesmachine.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheSalesMachineOfficial Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/thesalesmachine_official/ LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/company/thesalesmachineofficial/ YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/@JohnRankinsOfficial

If your sales team is stuck competing on price, you don’t have a pricing problem. You have a purpose problem.👉 Want to build a sales system that connects emotionally, drives high-value deals, and retains top talent? Book a strategy call with The Sales Machine: www.thesalesmachine.comIn this episode, I sat down with the one and only Lisa McLeod, the woman behind the concept of “Noble Purpose.” She’s worked with giants like Salesforce and Pfizer, helping them shift from transactional sales to transformational results.We talk about why most sales teams lose deals not because of product or price, but because they can’t articulate why they matter. Lisa breaks down how to activate emotional engagement in your team, how to sell with impact, and how to lead with clarity in a distracted world.Whether you're a founder, sales leader, or rep looking to close bigger deals with more meaning, this conversation will reshape the way you think about sales.What You’ll Learn:Why selling with purpose drives better results than selling on priceHow to align your team around a compelling mission (not just quotas)What most companies get wrong about sales messagingHow to get buy-in from reps and execs for culture changeThe emotional undercurrent behind great sales conversationsLisa’s 3 questions to unlock your team’s deeper purposeChapters(01:00) - The Beauty of Purpose in Sales(03:08) - Instilling Noble Purpose in Organizations(06:12) - Measuring Success: Emotional Engagement and Revenue Growth(09:03) - Overcoming Resistance to Change(12:01) - Implementing the Methodology: Training and OwnershipConnect with Lisa Earle McLeodLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisaearlemcleod/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LisaEMcLeod/ X/Twitter: https://x.com/EarleMcLeod Connect with John RankinsWebsite: https://thesalesmachine.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheSalesMachineOfficialInstagram:https://www.instagram.com/thesalesmachine_official/LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/company/thesalesmachineofficial/YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/@JohnRankinsOfficial

Still trusting your CRM, ERP, or sales tools to tell you the truth about your business?Here’s the problem: Most of your systems are just fancy filing cabinets. They don’t help your team perform, they just track what’s already happened.If you’re tired of chasing reports, dealing with bad data, and running a sales org on broken systems, book a strategy call with The Sales Machine. We'll show you how to finally get visibility, accountability, and real performance:👉www.thesalesmachine.comNow to the good part...In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Lisa Palmer, AI strategist and truth-teller for tech execs.She’s worked with Microsoft, Gartner, and Fortune 500 companies to build AI systems that actually work—not just impress VCs or look pretty in pitch decks. And today, she’s dropping gold on everything from data chaos to why your CRM isn’t cutting it anymore.We talk about:Why most business systems are lying to youThe real reason AI fails in companies (hint: mindset)Why “Toy AI’s” are killing innovationHow to apply Show AI, Don’t Tell It in your businessWhat the future of sales teams looks like with agentic AIAnd why empathy is still your greatest sales advantage, even in an AI-powered worldWhether you're a founder, sales leader, or innovator trying to future-proof your business, this episode is your wake-up call.Key Takeaways:You need AI that drives performance, not dashboards collecting dust.Don’t build a toy. Build a system.Empathy and AI must work together, especially in sales.Mindset, not tools, is what separates leaders from laggards.If your sales systems are lying to you…or worse, doing nothing for performance, it’s time to stop the madness.👉 Book a strategy call with The Sales Machine today: www.thesalesmachine.comLet’s upgrade your tools, your team, and your results.Chapters(02:50) - The Role of AI in Blue Collar Work(08:59) - Empathy in Sales and AI(14:55) - Show AI, Don't Tell It(17:49) - Avoiding Toy AI(21:00) - The Future of SaaS and Agentic AI(23:59) - Driving Performance with AI(37:11) - Empathy in Sales and AI Integration(40:49) - Data Chaos and the Role of AI(45:54) - Prototyping with AI: The Future of Development(51:38) - The Changing Landscape of Jobs in AIConnect with Lisa PalmerLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/palmerlisac/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/palmerlisac/ X: https://x.com/palmerlisacYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ai.drlisa Website: https://www.drlisa.ai/ Connect with John RankinsWebsite: https://thesalesmachine.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheSalesMachineOfficialInstagram:https://www.instagram.com/thesalesmachine_official/LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/company/thesalesmachineofficial/YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/@JohnRankinsOfficial

If you’re still trying to sell to “everyone,” you’re losing to someone who chose to go deep on someone.Book a strategy call with The Sales Machine and we’ll help you own your niche, dial in your messaging, and turn your segment into a sales engine: 👉 www.thesalesmachine.comIn this special episode, let’s go back to when I sat down with Victoria Hajjar—one of the sharpest minds I’ve ever met when it comes to positioning, segmentation, and messaging that sells. She’s built multiple growth programs, advised founders across industries, and has a sixth sense for how to actually get customers to say: “This brand is for me.”We unpack the psychology behind why most CRMs and SaaS tools succeed not because they’re better, but because they speak directly to one market. You’ll hear why founders fail by going too broad, how niche brands like Stanley Cups exploded, and why “trying to serve everyone” is a death sentence for startups.This is marketing and sales alignment at its best. And if you’ve ever struggled with growth, this conversation will fix your aim and your revenue.💡 What You’ll Learn:Why the best CRMs win just by picking a niche (even if they’re all the same under the hood)How to create messaging that makes your ICP say, “Finally, someone gets me.”The difference between real positioning and just another landing pageHow one financial advisor 10x’d her business by serving only women in constructionThe “Stanley Cup Effect”: What it teaches us about segment psychologyFAB Framework: How to talk to Geeks, Middle Management & Founders the right wayWhy going deeper into one segment can unlock millionsConnect with Victoria HajjarWebsite: www.ugliventures.com/resources LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/victoria-hajjar-66211618/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ugliventures/?hl=en TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ugliventures Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tori.hajjar/ Connect with John RankinsWebsite: https://thesalesmachine.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheSalesMachineOfficialInstagram:https://www.instagram.com/thesalesmachine_official/LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/company/thesalesmachineofficial/YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/@JohnRankinsOfficial

If you’re not closing, don’t blame the market.Don’t blame the script.Don’t blame your leads.The real reason most salespeople stay stuck?They haven’t mastered the mindset required to win.In this special episode, I sit down with the one and only Brad Lea, serial entrepreneur, sales philosopher, and straight-talking powerhouse. We talk about what really separates the closers from the complainers and why most people are running in the wrong direction with the right amount of energy.If you’re ready to build a system that turns mindset into measurable sales performance, book a free strategy call with my team at The Sales Machine:📞 www.thesalesmachine.comWhat You’ll Learn in This Episode:The power of CHOICE and why you’re one decision away from changeWhy every dollar you’ll ever make comes from a relationshipThe 3-part formula Brad lives by: Mindset, Skillset, HabitsHow to sell more by simply shaking more handsThe real reason most people quit before they get goodWhy you don’t need motivation, you need accountabilityThe trap of instant gratification and how to beat itThe difference between building a job and building a businessThe simple truth about how “the devil” keeps you broke (this one hits deep)Connect with Brad LeaLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradlea/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheRealBradLea/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therealbradlea/ YouTube: https://x.com/TheRealBradLea X: https://x.com/TheRealBradLea Website: https://bradlea.com/ Connect with John RankinsWebsite: https://thesalesmachine.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheSalesMachineOfficialInstagram:https://www.instagram.com/thesalesmachine_official/LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/company/thesalesmachineofficial/YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/@JohnRankinsOfficial

The truth? Sales isn’t dying.But the old way of doing it is getting eaten alive by tech.AI is here. It’s fast. It’s efficient.And if you’re not adapting, you’re going to be left behind.In this episode, I sit down with one of the best to ever do it, Victor Antonio, to talk about what’s really happening to sales roles, the tech takeover, and how YOU can future-proof your business.From role-playing with AI agents to understanding the economic impact of job abatement, this episode will shift how you see the future of sales. Whether you run a 5-person shop or a $500M company, you can’t afford to ignore this conversation.👉 If you’re a business owner, founder, or sales leader and you want to build a high-performing sales system that’s built for the AI era, book a strategy call with my team at The Sales Machine:📞 www.thesalesmachine.comWhat You’ll Learn in This Episode:Why most sales orgs are stuck in 2005 and how to break freeHow AI is already replacing parts of the sales process (and what’s next)The difference between job replacement, displacement, and abatementHow small businesses can win with AI (without needing engineers)Why salespeople MUST adapt or risk becoming irrelevantThe rise of personalized content, AI assistants, and roleplay-based trainingWhy learning faster is the new unfair advantageChapters:(02:33) - The Evolution of Sales Tech(07:15) - Building Your Own “Sales Machine”(12:24) - The Future of Selling(22:41) - AI’s Rise & Workforce Shakeups(32:16) - What AI Means for Salespeople(42:32) - Building AI-Driven Companies(52:33) - Democratizing Coding & AI Tools(57:26) - How to Reduce Costs & Scale with AI(01:02:42) - Why Continuous Learning Wins(01:08:26) - AI as Your Personal AssistantReady to build a sales system that’s future-proof?If your sales org is still guessing, grinding, or glued to outdated processes, now’s the time to upgrade.We help companies install high-performance sales systems with real-time visibility, coaching, automation, and AI tools that drive results.👉 Book a strategy call now at www.thesalesmachine.comConnect with Victor AntonioFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/salesinfluence/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/victorantonio/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/victorantonio/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@VictorAntonioLive Connect with John RankinsWebsite: https://thesalesmachine.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheSalesMachineOfficialInstagram:https://www.instagram.com/thesalesmachine_official/LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/company/thesalesmachineofficial/YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/@JohnRankinsOfficial

If your team is still “smiling and dialing” without a system, listen up!The phone isn’t dead.But the way you're using it probably should be.Most sales teams are still cold calling like it’s 2010:Generic openers. No research. No empathy. Zero personalization.And then they wonder why no one’s picking up…or worse, why nobody cares.That’s why I sat down with Leslie Venetz, one of the sharpest outbound minds in the game, a LinkedIn Top Voice, and someone who’s personally made over 250,000 cold calls (yes, you read that right).She didn’t just survive the cold call era, she evolved it.And in this episode, we break down how your team can do the same.👉 Want to modernize your sales systems and turn cold calls into warm pipeline?Book a strategy call with The Sales Machine: www.thesalesmachine.com.What You’ll Learn in This Episode:Why cold calling still works but not the way you’re doing itHow to shift from “volume-based outreach” to “value-based pipeline”The mindset difference between top closers and burned-out repsHow to build trust in your first 10 seconds on the phoneWhy founders need a repeatable outbound system, not just “rockstar” repsThe “CEO mindset” every rep needs to own their territoryHow to evolve your outbound into a multi-channel machineThe role of trust, autonomy, and systems in sales team successChapters:(07:15) - The Evolution of Sales and Cold Calling(15:30) - How to Build Trust in Every Sales Conversation(24:08) - Outbound That Actually Converts(29:46) - Why Human Connection Still Wins(33:23) - Building a Profit-Generating Pipeline(38:04) - The Systems Behind High-Performing Sales Teams(43:19) - Empowering Teams With the CEO MindsetConnect with Leslie VenetzLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leslievenetz/ X: https://x.com/LeslieVenetz Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/b2bsalescoach/ Website: https://salesledgtm.com/ Connect with John RankinsWebsite: https://thesalesmachine.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheSalesMachineOfficialInstagram:https://www.instagram.com/thesalesmachine_official/LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/company/thesalesmachineofficial/YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/@JohnRankinsOfficial

Want to Turn Your Sales Team Into a LinkedIn Conversion Engine?If your team is just posting content, waiting for leads, and praying someone books a call…you don’t need more motivation. You need a system.👉 Book a strategy call with The Sales Machine, we’ll show you how to turn every like, comment, and profile view into real conversations and closed deals: www.thesalesmachine.comYou're posting. You're getting likes.But you're still not closing deals.That’s the gap and this episode is the fix.In this powerhouse conversation, I sit down with Richard van der Blom, the LinkedIn algorithm whisperer himself. He’s trained over 300,000 professionals, worked with global giants like Salesforce, Nestlé, and PwC, and authored the viral LinkedIn Content & Algorithm Playbook that’s changing the game.We break down the exact steps to turn attention into action…so your likes, comments, and profile views lead to actual conversations, pipeline, and closed revenue.Whether you're a founder, sales leader, or marketer building a brand on LinkedIn, this episode will give you the real, tactical playbook to win.What You’ll Learn:Why virality ≠ sales and what to aim for insteadThe truth about the LinkedIn algorithm (and how to work with it)What kind of content builds trust (vs. noise)How to position yourself as a thought leader, not just another sellerRichard’s comment-to-close engagement strategyWhy AI-generated spam is killing LinkedIn, and what to do insteadKPIs that actually matter (Hint: It’s not likes or impressions)Chapters:(02:25) - How the algorithm really works(07:24) - Navigating the latest LinkedIn changes(12:39) - Creating authentic content(20:05) - Building a strong content strategy(28:48) - How to leverage engagement for lead gen(34:16) - Becoming a thought leader (and why it matters)(43:08) - Handling competition and saturation(56:29) - Direct messaging strategies that convertIf Your Sales Team’s Just “Posting and Praying”… It’s Time to Fix That.You don’t need more content. You need conversions.If you're ready to turn LinkedIn into a repeatable sales channel for your team, let us show you how.👉 Book a free strategy call with The Sales Machine: www.thesalesmachine.comBonus From Richard:Want to master the algorithm and stop guessing what works? Download the full LinkedIn Content & Algorithm Playbook here:➡️ https://sales.richardvanderblom.com/content-algorithm-playbook/Connect with Richard van der BlomLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardvanderblom/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blomrichardvander/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/richardvanderblom/ X: https://x.com/RichardvdBlom Connect with John RankinsWebsite: https://thesalesmachine.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheSalesMachineOfficialInstagram:https://www.instagram.com/thesalesmachine_official/LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/company/thesalesmachineofficial/YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/@JohnRankinsOfficial