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Let's Chat Sales

Let's Chat Sales

By Brendan McAdams and guests

Brendan McAdams and Bob Graham have quick (10-18 min) chats about early-stage startups, sales fundamentals, and other quick tips and ideas for the B2B startup founder.
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#75 - Cold Calling... Does it work?

Let's Chat SalesApr 19, 2023

00:00
08:29
#75 - Cold Calling... Does it work?
Apr 19, 202308:29
#74 - Stuff for Sales Calls

#74 - Stuff for Sales Calls

Be prepared. So… what does that mean? When it comes to those pesky customer meetings, you should have a check list of the critical tools and resources that can ensure an efficient, professional and successful meeting or presentation.

In this quick chat, Brendan and Bob talk about the things you bring with you on your next sales call. To learn more about B2B sales and get regular updates, sales tips, templates and other resources, sign up for Brendan's newsletter here. And to purchase Sales Craft: Proven Tips, Practices and Ideas to Advance your Sales Success, click here.

Apr 16, 202310:25
#73 - Stop This... Nobody Cares

#73 - Stop This... Nobody Cares

One of the fundamental elements of good sales execution is to develop a good understanding and rapport with your customer. And to do that, you need to have conversations that are engaging and focused on the things that are important to your client. And NOT talk about things that aren’t important to your client.

In this quick episode, Brendan and Bob talk about one specific topic of conversation that too many founders focus on… and it’s one that customers don’t really care about.

Apr 13, 202308:16
#72 - Did Your Client Die On You?

#72 - Did Your Client Die On You?

We’ve all had it happen. Your prospect or customer goes ‘radio silent.’ They ghost you. No matter what you do, there’s no response. Now what?


In this quick episode, Brendan and Bob talk about what you might do to reinvigorate the conversation. But more importantly, they talk about why it happened in the first place AND what you can do to reduce the chances of customer ghosting in your future sales efforts.

Apr 08, 202310:12
#71 - My Single Most Important Sales Tip

#71 - My Single Most Important Sales Tip

Email is great. Running ads is comfortable. Writing copy feels like work. But if you want to consistently make progress with your business, understand your customer, and drive revenue and growth, there’s ONE THING that is more important than anything else… especially when you’re in eary-stage startup mode.

And that’s the topic that we dive into today.

Apr 05, 202312:39
#70 - Learn to Love the Grind
Dec 21, 202204:19
#69 - Guess What? You Have A Personal Brand

#69 - Guess What? You Have A Personal Brand

Everyone has a personal brand. Simply put, it’s how others think about and describe you. And there are both overt and subtle ways that you can improve (or undermine) that brand.  

In this quick 10-minute episode, Brendan and Bob talk about how to manage and enhance your personal brand with less effort and more intention.

And… Brendan just launched a 30 day sales sprint course for early-stage founders, startups and creators.

Check it out here: https://www.kiinetics.com/salesaccelerator

Dec 15, 202210:22
#68 - Talking About Your Brand

#68 - Talking About Your Brand

There is a lot of discussion, and even obsession, around establishing your brand. And while it makes sense to pay attention to how your customers view and talk about your business, it can become a time sink. 

In this quick chat, Brendan and Bob talk about managing your effort and a few tips to help you be efficient with your ‘brand management’ efforts.  

And… Brendan just launched a 30 day sales sprint course for early-stage founders, startups and creators. 

Check it out here: https://www.kiinetics.com/salesaccelerator

Dec 09, 202212:57
#67 - Sales Tip: Inbound vs Outbound

#67 - Sales Tip: Inbound vs Outbound

There is a big difference between an inbound customer, and an outbound cold call. 

In this quick episode, Brendan and Bob talk about how to think about these two different interactions.

Nov 30, 202208:43
#66 - Sales Tip: You're Causing Discomfort

#66 - Sales Tip: You're Causing Discomfort

As a sales professional, you’re helping your customer. You’re a trusted advisor, a consultant, and helping them make decisions. But you’re also introducing change. And that can be uncomfortable and unpleasant.  

In this short episode, Brendan and Bob talk about how to think about the process and ways to reduce that discomfort.

Nov 25, 202209:16
#65 - How to Quit Your Job

#65 - How to Quit Your Job

If you’re a founder or creator, chances are you start out doing something on the side. But as things start to scale, you will need to give serious thought to going all in.  

In this quick episode, Brendan and Bob talk about how to make that transition. Because you don’t want to burn any bridges, you do want good references, and you might even be able to turn your existing employer into a customer…

Nov 17, 202207:50
#64 - Selling When Life Interferes
Nov 11, 202211:30
#63 - Sales Tip: How to Talk About ROI

#63 - Sales Tip: How to Talk About ROI

In order for B2B customers to buy, they need to know what it’s worth. 

What will the investment get them? Does it reduce expense? (How much exactly?) 

Does it earn them new clients, or generate more revenue? (Again, how much exactly?) 

That is the Return On Investment. And you need to have a solid idea what that will be.  

In this quick episode, Brendan and Bob chat about how to think about ROI, how to figure it out if you don’t know yet, and how to talk to your clients about it.

Nov 03, 202217:15
#62 - Stop Using PowerPoint to Sell
Oct 26, 202213:01
#61 - Sales Mindset: Know Thy Customer
Oct 19, 202211:08
#60 - Sales Tip: Pick Up the Phone
Oct 14, 202211:45
#59 - Build Trust, Build Relationships, Build Your Business
Sep 30, 202215:04
#58 - Sales Mindset - Who Are You?

#58 - Sales Mindset - Who Are You?

To be effective at sales, you need to know who you are. What are your skills? Your strengths? What do you stand for? 

In this episode, Brendan and Bob talk about one of the fundamental aspects of sales - Mindset. And a core component of your sales mindset is knowing who you are.

Sep 27, 202211:09
#57 - Sales Tip - Are you saying 'Thank You' enough?
Aug 15, 202208:28
#56 - Marketing vs. Sales, with Ryan Law of Animalz.co
Aug 01, 202214:48
#55 - Sales Tip: One Way to Build Trust Early
Jul 26, 202208:46
#54 - How to think about your 'Ask'
Jul 19, 202209:38
#53 - Making Your Sales Pitch: Things to know.
Jul 11, 202210:57
#52 - More Things You Shouldn't Do On A Sales Call
Jun 30, 202207:43
#51 - SALES TIP: How to identify the decisionmaker.
Jun 19, 202207:58
#50 - SALES TIP: Don't Do These Things!
Jun 16, 202209:49
#49 - SALES TIP: You’ve screwed up. Now what?
Jun 11, 202212:26
#48 - Timing and the Economy - Get ready!
Jun 09, 202207:50
#47 - Testimonials, references and social proof
Jun 06, 202213:16
#46 - Starting a sales call: Making the first 5 minutes count
Jun 03, 202212:22
#45 - The Indy 500 episode: Founders are like race car drivers???
May 31, 202206:32
#44 - Events and conferences - How to strike up a conversation
May 26, 202212:27
#43 - Why is it so hard to find good salespeople?
May 23, 202208:30
#42 - Better Sales: In Search of Blunt Feedback.
May 19, 202210:19
#41 - Talking About Failure. And a Better Way to Think About It.
May 16, 202208:39
#40 - One Solid Way to Find New Sales Opportunities
May 12, 202208:46
#39 - Understanding Your Weaknesses
May 09, 202205:14
#38 - The Best Sales Question

#38 - The Best Sales Question

Sales success is heavily reliant on an effective client discovery process. You need to be able to ask the right questions, listen intently, and get detailed answers in order to qualify the opportunity and the client.

So what’s the best discovery question? What’s the thing you need to know next? Bob and Brendan take a quick 9 minutes to break this down and suggest some options and ideas. Feel free to steal them, and let us know what your best discovery questions are.

May 04, 202208:60
#37 - Want Better Sales Calls? Cut to the Chase
Apr 28, 202209:51
#36 - What's Your Expertise? Outsource The Rest!
Apr 25, 202209:33
#35 - Taking Notes
Apr 21, 202215:57
#34 - Wrapping Up a Sales Call
Apr 18, 202210:56
#33 - Accelerator Programs and How to Optimize Your Application

#33 - Accelerator Programs and How to Optimize Your Application

Brendan just finished up running the AccelerateBaltimore program for 2022. And a good accelerator can be a great way for an early-stage startup to jump-start their momentum, develop important entrepreneurial skills, and begin to grow their network.

But what should you think about when you are getting ready apply. How do you optimize your chances of being selected? With AB2022 wrapping up last week, Brendan and Bob talk about the key things to focus on in your application, and what to stay away from.

To learn more about B2B sales and get regular updates, sales tips, templates and other resources, sign up for Brendan's newsletter here. And to purchase Sales Craft: Proven Tips, Practices and Ideas to Advance your Sales Success, click here.

Apr 12, 202213:49
#32 - Chatting About Sales Checklists

#32 - Chatting About Sales Checklists

Sales has lots of steps, plenty of follow up, and all sorts of details and paperwork. So...How do you keep track and stay efficient?

Try a few simple checklists. 

Atul Gawande's book, The Checklist Manifesto, got us thinking about how to apply them effectively in the sales process. And in another very tight (~12 minute) episode, Brendan and Bob list a few ways to apply this simple concept to keep your deals from dying on the table.

To learn more about B2B sales and get regular updates, sales tips, templates and other resources, sign up for Brendan's newsletter here. And to purchase Sales Craft: Proven Tips, Practices and Ideas to Advance your Sales Success, click here.

Mar 21, 202212:41
#31 - Your Sales Proposal Strategy
Mar 15, 202214:18
#30 - Startup Founders and the Trouble with Sales Procrastination
Mar 11, 202213:14
#29 - Little Things
Mar 03, 202212:01
#28 - Telling Stories
Feb 17, 202216:38
#27 - A Few Thoughts About Your Competition
Jan 25, 202210:17
#26 - Discussing Sales - Ensuring Customer Success
Jan 18, 202213:09