From hockey stick growth to flat on your face, it hurts and Collin Stewart can tell you firsthand. He had one customer before he left his full-time job, the problem was he still had one customer 18 months later. In his first endeavor this entrepreneur built what he thought everyone needed and kept showing them and expecting them to say how great it was, but they didn’t. “I was building my idea. I wasn’t building what the customer’s wanted.” The lesson, it’s all about the customer, what ...

When CEOs struggle to connect with customers, teams, or investors, it's rarely a strategy problem, it’s a storytelling problem. In this episode of Sales Talk for CEOs, Alice Heiman sits down with Jeff Abracen, Founder of Disruptive Influence and storytelling coach to tech leaders, to uncover why a great story is a terrible thing to waste. Jeff shares how he turned a high school “disruptive influence” label into a superpower for transforming leaders into magnetic storytellers. With a focus on ...

There are two key ways to get in front of the people most likely to buy from you and Alice believes you may be overlooking them. The first is something she talks about all the time. So if you haven’t started expecting your team to do it, now is the time. Referral selling. Yes, you get a few referrals here and there but why not make it a regular occurrence. Alice explains briefly in this episode but for more details listen to episode 147 For more on this listen to episode 147 https...

Imagine if your sales team could rehearse complex deals before ever meeting the buyer, just like elite athletes pre-game. That’s exactly what Daveed Gartenstein-Ross (CEO) and Alix Berry (COO) of ExpertTheory make possible. In this episode, Alice Heiman dives into how ExpertTheory helps companies simulate real-world sales situations through AI-powered, custom-built games. These immersive experiences go far beyond traditional training, replacing static roleplay with dynamic, scenario-based lea...

What happens when a seasoned marketer reimagines everything she knows about agencies, on a beach, notebook in hand, while her kids play nearby? Brittany Trafis, CEO and co-founder of Soarion Digital, shares how she built an AI-powered agency that challenges everything about traditional marketing models. In this episode, Brittany walks Alice Heiman through the rapid sales growth of Soarion: from early experiments to real client results, through founder-led sales and how boldly saying “the agen...

If you’re still posting jobs and hoping A-players apply, you’re already behind. In this high-impact episode, Alice Heiman sits down with Jamie Crosbie, founder of ProActivate and TEDx speaker with over 1 million views on The Power of Your Mindset, to reveal what every CEO needs to know to hire top revenue-generating talent. Most hiring processes are built for convenience, not performance. That’s why companies end up with B-players or worse, just to fill a seat. Jamie shares exactly how CEOs c...

In this episode of Sales Talk for CEOs, Alice Heiman sits down with Paige McPheely, CEO of Base, to explore how she turned a niche remote executive assistant service into a tech-enabled platform that now supports top leaders across the country. When Paige and her co-founder first launched, they were fueled by referrals, so much so that they had a waiting list of eager clients. But as demand surged, they hit a breaking point: the referrals kept coming, but they weren’t the right fit. It forced...

In this episode of Sales Talk for CEOs, Alice Heiman sits down with Todd Caponi, sales historian and author of The Transparency Sale, to explore the forgotten history of sales and why understanding it could completely change how your company grows revenue. We’ve moved from serving buyers to selling at all costs and it’s hurting your sales team, your customer relationships, and your bottom line. Todd takes us back to the early 1900s, when trust, service, and even high school sales classes were...

When Wesley Portegies left the pharmaceutical world to work in automotive, he didn’t expect it to lead him back, but it did. Armed with a new perspective, he returned with a mission, disrupt how pharma companies communicate with doctors. In this episode, Wesley shares how he co-founded MedComms Experts with no outside funding, no traditional sales team and still built a multi-million dollar agency. He reveals how they landed their first client (Baxter), grew through inbound leads and referral...

People don’t trust ads. Or brands. Or even experts. Brian Miller joins Alice Heiman to explain how CEOs can cut through the noise and earn trust, fast. In this episode: Why the trust recession is killing your pipeline The 3-part message that builds instant engagement How to make your talk (or pitch) follow the hero’s journey The #1 reason your message doesn’t spread and how to fix it Key takeaway: If people can’t repeat what you do, they won’t talk about you. Shownotes Get his new book: h...

Vibe selling. AI hype. New sales buzzwords. Alice Heiman isn’t buying it. In this candid solo episode, she calls out the noise and brings the focus back to what matters most for B2B CEOs: knowing your customer, building the right team, and aligning sales to how your buyers buy. Looking for clarity in a world of sales chaos? This episode is for you. Advice to CEOs: “Slow down and think deeply about how your buyers want to buy, then align your entire sales effort to that.” 🤝 Connect with Alice...

Elatia Abate left a successful corporate career to answer one bold question: What do I really want to create? Now a leading futurist, she helps CEOs shift from outdated, past-anchored strategy to future-led leadership that thrives in a world of quantum change. In this episode, Elatia joins Alice Heiman to share how CEOs can design strategy around what they truly want to build, run simultaneous approaches that balance today’s execution with tomorrow’s vision, and use AI with purpose, not press...

Sumner Vanderhoof, CEO & Co‑Founder of Propensity, shares how he transformed an idea into a nimble, niche-focused account-based marketing platform. In just two years, Propensity achieved remarkable growth and retention by combining founder-led sales, month-to-month agreements, and an “opt‑in” SDR outreach model. His approach shifted the sales game, targeting only in-market buyers with verified contact data and it’s something any CEO can learn from, especially those navigating a crowded Sa...

What if your anxiety could make you a better leader? In this episode, David H. Rosmarin Phd., Harvard professor and founder of Center for Anxiety, shows CEOs how to transform anxiety into a hidden advantage. He breaks down his proven four-step framework to move from paralyzing fear to powerful action and why ignoring your anxiety might be the most dangerous move you can make as a leader. Listen to learn how to stop fighting your anxiety and start using it to fuel growth and innovation. If you...

Is your sales team struggling to hit quota? Feeling like your entire sales approach is broken? In this solo episode of Sales Talk for CEOs, Alice Heiman calls out the outdated tactics holding B2B companies back and reveals how CEOs can completely rethink sales for today's complex buying environment. 🔗 Connect with Alice Heiman: LinkedIn: Alice Heiman Website: aliceheiman.com

In this episode of Sales Talk for CEOs, Prospect Desk CEO Jim Weldon shares how he grew his latest venture by applying lessons from decades of experience, without relying on VC funding. Jim unpacks the leverage strategies, founder-led sales tactics, and innovation models that drive results. His approach? Build from insight, match customers with value, and use early wins to open doors. This conversation is packed with actionable strategies for B2B SaaS leaders navigating today’s fast-moving la...

From rookie agent to revenue powerhouse, Barb Betts built her business on one thing—relationships. In this episode, she shares with Alice Heiman the exact system CEOs can use to turn their network into a sales engine. Stop chasing leads and start building trust that scales. 📚 Barb's Book Recommendation: How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie 🎧 Podcast Pick: The Ed Mylett Show and The School of Greatness by Lewis Howes 💡 Advice to CEOs: “Relationships before revenue. Always...

How do you turn a simple insight, “that warm introductions close more deals”, into a high-growth tech company? In this episode of Sales Talk for CEOs, Drew Sechrist shares the journey from being a top enterprise seller at Salesforce (working under Marc Benioff in the early days) to co-founding Connect The Dots. He reveals the selling motion that consistently helped him win big deals and how he transformed it into a powerful sales tool that helps teams get to the right people, faster. 🎧 If you...

Negotiation isn’t about who wins, it’s about reaching agreement. But for CEOs and sales teams under pressure, the idea of hearing “no” can feel like failure. In this episode, Alice Heiman talks with Jim Camp Jr. and Vladimir Bushin of Camp Negotiations about how a mindset shift can change everything. They share the foundational system used by top dealmakers to negotiate calmly, clearly, and with respect. Negotiation happens all day, every day. This episode shows you how to lead it well.

Should your B2B sales team be using social media to sell? Alice Heiman says - no. The “Connect and Pitch Slap” needs to die a sudden death. In this episode, Alice Heiman breaks down why LinkedIn outreach is failing and what CEOs must change now. Stop the pitch. Start building real connections. Alice shares how to equip your sales team to engage authentically, spark real conversations, and earn buyer trust. If you’re a CEO or sales leader wondering why your “social selling” isn’t working, star...