Why do top performers consistently close more deals — even when they’re selling the same product, to the same market, with the same tools?

In this episode, Scott Cowley breaks down the “3 Whys” Framework — the system elite sellers master that most reps never even think about.

Top performers don’t win because they have better personalities, smoother pitches, or clever hacks.
They win because they deeply understand the three questions every buyer must answer before they ever commit:

1️⃣ Why buy anything?
2️⃣ Why buy now?
3️⃣ Why buy you?

Scott learned this the hard way: after nine months in a sales job without closing a single deal, he realised he didn’t understand any of the real Whys buyers use to make decisions.

Today, the 3 Whys form the backbone of how he teaches founders, SDRs, AEs, and revenue leaders to sell in a more predictable, high-impact way.

In this episode you’ll learn:

🔥 Why deals “stall” (and why that’s just a missing Why Now)
🔥 How elite sellers create clarity, not pressure
🔥 The seasonality mistakes that cost companies months of pipeline
🔥 Why most training focuses on the wrong Why
🔥 How to build discovery that uncovers real, actionable change drivers

If your pipeline feels unpredictable — this framework will change how you sell.

Most salespeople don’t fail because they can’t sell — they fail because of mindset. In this episode, Jessica A. Williams, Founder of Just Williams, joins Mark Ackers to expose the two silent killers that quietly destroy sales careers: need for approval and impostor syndrome.

From being kicked out of school to leading an award-winning B Corp, Jessica shares the raw truth about people-pleasing, burnout, and rebuilding confidence with boundaries, coaching, and self-awareness.

🔥 You’ll learn:
 • Why need for approval in sales kills performance
 • How impostor syndrome thrives even in top performers
 • The role of self-awareness and journaling in sustainable success
 • How to set boundaries and stop people-pleasing
 • Leadership lessons for building a values-led, resilient sales culture

🎧 Listen, reflect, and discover how to silence both killers before they derail your career.

⸻

👍 Like this episode?

Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more sales coaching insights!

✅ Book a call to find out how we can support your sales team:
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✅ Connect with Us on Linkedin:
- Mark Ackers: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markackers/
- MySalesCoach: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mysalescoach-com
- Jessica Williams: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justjessicawilliams/

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#SalesPodcast #SalesMindset #NeedForApproval #ImpostorSyndrome #SalesCoaching #SalesLeadership #SalesTraining #SalesCareer #SalesSelfAwareness #SalesPerformance #SalesDevelopment #B2BSales

Most salespeople stay stuck in the middle of the pack. Some even survive decades in sales without ever breaking through. But a small group — just 15% — consistently smash target, year after year.

In this episode, our host Mark Ackers sits with sales influencer and coach Niraj Kapur shares how he went from “horrendous at sales” (his words) to becoming one of the most respected trainers in the industry. His story is brutally honest — from reading rejection scripts with no clue what to say, to being nominated for Salesman of the Year.

You’ll discover:

• Why 80% of sellers fail to hit quota in 2025 (and why it’s not just about bad leads).
• The mindset shift that separates mediocre reps from top 15% performers.
• How detaching from outcomes can actually increase your close rate.
• Simple prospecting techniques that help you stand out in a sea of sameness.
• Why investing in yourself matters more than waiting for your boss to back you.

If you’re tired of feeling average, this episode is your wake-up call. Niraj doesn’t sugarcoat it — he lays out the hard truths and the daily habits that build sales winners.

👉 Whether you’re an SDR fighting for pipeline or a sales leader trying to lift your team, this is an unmissable conversation.

#Sales #SalesCoaching #SalesMindset #SalesLeadership #Prospecting #SalesTraining #B2BSales #LinkedInSales #SalesPodcast #SalesPerformance #SocialSelling

What happens when a seasoned sales leader enters one of the most intense BBC reality shows on TV?

Andrew Jenkins spent over 20 years in Sales — building trust, leading teams, and coaching people through high-pressure sales at Lloyds Bank.
Then he brought those same skills — listening, emotional intelligence, and calm under pressure — into the castle on The Traitors.

The result? He made it to the Final Four.

In this conversation, Andrew unpacks how:
 • Relationship-building helped him avoid votes while others got banished
 • Sales coaching taught him to listen more, speak less — even in a roundtable showdown
 • Empathy, not ego, helped him build alliances and stay grounded
 • His experience leading teams under pressure was the perfect training for reality TV’s mind games

Plus, we explore his life after trauma, leaving a high-performing career at its peak, and why he now speaks to companies about failure, resilience, and mental health.

👇 If you’ve ever wondered whether soft skills really matter in your sales career — watch this episode.

#TheTraitorsBBC #SalesLeadership #salestips  #EmotionalIntelligence #salestraining  #salescoaching  #SalesMindset #TrustBasedSelling #ResilienceInSales #SalesLife #salespodcast  #AuthenticSelling

If you’ve ever felt the tension between sales and marketing… you’re not alone. In this episode, Mark Walker (who's lived both lives) joins our host Mark Ackers to explore one of the most persistent pain points in B2B: sales and marketing alignment.

From junk MQLs to misattributed pipeline, they pull no punches in exposing the outdated structures, broken metrics, and political infighting that derail revenue teams. You’ll learn how to rethink SDR reporting lines, why most account based marketing (ABM) campaigns fall flat, and what it really means to align around revenue.

🔑 In this episode, you’ll learn:
 • Why confidence in your product is critical for sales success
 • How one viral video built instant buyer trust
 • The real reason MQLs break trust between sales and marketing
 • Why some marketers should earn commission—and some SDRs shouldn’t
 • A bold take on founder-led sales and roadmap discipline
 • What great ABM looks like (and how to fix it fast)

Whether you’re a CRO, CMO, or sales leader tired of the blame game—this episode gives you the tools and mindset to build a unified revenue engine.

✅ Find out more about how MySalesCoach are supporting sales teams like yours:
 / https://www.mysalescoach.com/

✅ Get a MySalesCoach Membership, for you or your team for only £20 per month per person (+vat)
https://www.mysalescoach.com/pricing

✅ Connect with Us:

Follow Mark Ackers on LinkedIn: / https://www.linkedin.com/in/markackers/
Follow MySalesCoach on LinkedIn: / https://www.linkedin.com/company/mysalescoach-com
Follow Mark Walker on LinkedIn: /  https://www.linkedin.com/in/jfdimark/

✅ SUBSCRIBE to the audio Podcast I USED TO BE CRAP AT SALES:

Subscribe and Review on iTunes: 
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Subscribe and Review on Amazon Podcasts: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/b85042dd-4d6b-4fbe-9d9e-11dcdbddd20a/i-used-to-be-crap-at-sales

👍 Like this episode?
Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more sales coaching insights!

#SalesAndMarketingAlignment #ABM #B2BSales #SalesDevelopment #FounderLedSales #SDRLeadership #RevOps #GoToMarketStrategy #SalesEnablement #RevenueLeadership #SalesTraining #salescoaching 

🎤 In this must-listen episode of The "I Used to Be Crap at Sales" Podcast, host Mark Ackers interviews Will Aitken, one of the most recognised voices in sales content today. 

Will is a former SaaS AE turned sales coach, keynote speaker, and viral content creator with over 140,000 LinkedIn followers and millions of views across TikTok and YouTube.
He’s built a global audience by combining relatable sales insights with unforgettable humour—and today, he’s opening up like never before.

🔥 What You'll Learn:
👉 Why “need for approval in sales” is the #1 mindset trap holding reps back
👉 How Will went from underperforming rep to sales leader and content icon
👉 How becoming coachable changed everything in Will's career and life
👉 The truth about ego, self-worth, and seeking validation through work

This is more than a sales conversation—it’s a roadmap for anyone who’s ever doubted themselves, felt stuck in their role, or wanted to take control of their growth. 

Whether you're a sales rep, leader, or creator, Will's story will leave you inspired and equipped.

👍 Like this episode?
Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more sales coaching insights!

✅ Find out more about MySalesCoach
https://www.mysalescoach.com/

✅ Seriously level up yours/ your team’s sales skills with a MySalesCoach Membership for only £20 per month (+vat)
https://www.mysalescoach.com/pricing

✅ Connect with Us:
Follow Mark Ackers on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markackers/
Follow MySalesCoach on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mysalescoach-com
Follow Will Aitken on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justwillaitken/

Leading a global SDR team? Just promoted to SDR manager? This episode is packed with real-world advice from Catherine Olivier, VP of Global Sales Development at Cognism, on how to build and lead high-performing sales development teams—without burning out or losing your team’s trust.

Catherine shares hard-earned lessons from her experience leading SDR teams across the US, UK, Germany, and France. She unpacks what most first-time SDR managers get wrong, how to avoid managing like your old boss, and the biggest mistakes leaders make in a hybrid, high-pressure sales environment.

Learn how to:
✅ Structure and scale global SDR teams
✅ Manage former peers without favouritism
✅ Coach new SDR managers for long-term success
✅ Avoid common leadership traps and burnout
✅ Build culture in remote sales teams
✅ Deal with imposter syndrome in sales leadership

👍 Like this episode?
Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more sales coaching insights!

✅ Find out more about MySalesCoach
 / https://www.mysalescoach.com/

✅ Seriously level up yours/ your teams sales skills with a MySalesCoach Membership for only £20 per month (+vat)
https://www.mysalescoach.com/pricing

✅ Connect with Us:

Follow Mark Ackers on LinkedIn:   / https://www.linkedin.com/in/markackers/
Follow MySalesCoach on LinkedIn: / https://www.linkedin.com/company/mysalescoach-com
Follow Catherine Olivier on LinkedIn: /  https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherine-olivier/

In this unmissable episode of The I Used To Be Crap At Sales Podcast, legendary sales trainer Josh Braun, joins our host Mark Ackers for a deep, unfiltered dive into what really drives consistent sales performance. If you’re a sales rep chasing targets, a team leader trying to motivate your reps, or a founder building a sales motion—this episode is your blueprint for rewiring your sales mindset.

Josh breaks down why most sellers fail—not from lack of skill, but from clinging too tightly to outcomes and things they can't control. Learn how to detach from the outcome, build trust through radical honesty, and shift your energy from desperate to magnetic.

You’ll discover why storytelling beats pitching every time, and how to start collecting your own to paint a picture.

You'll learn how to provoke prospects and poke the bear without being pushy, and how mindfulness and meditation make you a sharper communicator. He shares many captivating, real life stories in this episode—from shopping for sneakers to his Grandma's toaster—that turn abstract concepts into, memorable and practical sales coaching gold.

Whether you’re hitting the phones or scaling your team, this episode gives you the tools to sell with integrity, curiosity, and calm control. This isn’t just sales advice—it’s a mindset rewiring that could transform your entire approach to selling.

How do you truly motivate a sales team? Most sales leaders struggle to keep their teams engaged and performing at their best - especially with 53% of the workforce being made up of Millennials and Gen Z.

In this episode, our host Mark Ackers sits down with Phil Putnam, the author of Desire-Based Leadership, to uncover the secrets behind scaling high-performing sales teams and retaining top talent. Phil shares a game-changing leadership framework that shifts the focus from company goals to what employees truly want - because when salespeople believe their job helps them achieve their life goals, performance skyrockets. 

We dive into real-world leadership mistakes, how to avoid costly attrition, and why traditional motivational tactics no longer work.

You’ll hear powerful insights on: 

• Why most leaders fail to motivate their teams (and how to fix it)
• How to retain top-performing sales reps and stop bleeding money on replacements
• The harsh reality of ignoring the wants and needs of Millennial and Gen Z salespeople
• A simple discovery model for understanding what drives your team, which you can utilise to drive top performance

You'll learn:

1. Why do most sales leaders struggle to keep Millennials and Gen Z salespeople engaged—and what actually works?
2. What’s the #1 mistake leaders make that causes top performers to leave, and how can you stop it?
3. How can you predict whether a salesperson will stay or leave - and what can you do to keep them longer?
4. What’s the real cost of replacing a salesperson, and how can you avoid wasting millions on unnecessary turnover?
5. What’s the simplest way to uncover what truly motivates your sales team (beyond just “money”)?

If you’re serious about scaling your sales team, retaining your top talent, and mastering modern sales leadership, this episode is a must-listen.

Building & Scaling Successful Sales Teams

Sales leaders and ambitious reps, this one’s for you! In this episode of I Used to Be Crap at Sales, Mark Ackers sits down with Richard Bounds, a seasoned sales leader and fractional CRO, to unpack the biggest challenges in scaling sales teams, hiring top talent, and driving sustainable sales growth.

Richard shares hard-earned lessons from over 35 years experience in sales, leading and coaching sales teams at companies such as IBM, OpenText, and Software AG. Learn why fractional sales leadership is gaining traction in the startup world and how sales leaders can make a real impact. Discover the biggest hiring mistakes sales leaders make, how to spot bad hires fast, and why company culture beats experience when building a team.

We also dive into the evolution of sales leadership, from old-school “work harder” mentalities to today’s data-driven, AI-powered coaching approaches. If you’re an aspiring sales leader, Richard’s insights on avoiding first-time leadership mistakes and building a high-performing team will be game-changing.

Tune in to learn:

• How to scale a sales team without ruining company culture

• How fractional sales leaders accelerate growth as quickly as possible, and how Richard measures success

• The biggest mistake sales leaders make when hiring

• How modern sales coaching transforms performance

• How AI and data are reshaping the sales landscape