Peak Performance Selling

SHOW SUMMARY

The point of work is to earn a living. But as progress forward, there comes a point where simple monetary rewards are no longer enough for people to keep improving and provide sustained effort. As humans are social animals, we tend to crave societal impact; we want to be part of something bigger than ourselves.

In this episode of the Peak Performance Selling Podcast, Dr. Devan Kronisch talks about the different kinds of motivation, how certain approaches work the best in tandem, and the kind of traits that make a good leader.

HIGHLIGHTS

How psychology can inform your corporate goals

You need both quantitative and qualitative data

Different people get motivated by different things

People like to feel that they've made an impact

Financial rewards are important, but don’t solely rely on it

The curious chameleon is the best leader

QUOTES

Dr. Devan on how motivation works socially: "A number doesn't work for motivation. We've evolved to be social. Motivation happens from person to person, not from person to number. And even if that person is yourself, you'll need to find when will you be satisfied."

Dr. Devan on the different ways to motivate people: "A very simple split on how motivation works is approach versus avoidance. Some people want the carrot dangled in front of them. Some people you can dangle a carrot all day long, nothing is gonna happen. They do need to see that big chasm behind that they can run away from. You need to know what type your reporter is."

Dr. Devan describing a 'chameleon' type leader: "A person that is good at putting different parts of themselves forward at different times, pulling those masks from their own heart, they can engage with anybody at that point without just mirroring but actually bring something to the table, making it a group, giving it this entire trust."

You can connect with Dr. Devan and their work in the link below:

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/devan-kronisch/

If you’re listening to the Peak Performance Selling Podcast, please subscribe, share, and send us your feedback.

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordanbenjamin/

Website - http://mycoreos.com/

Podcast - https://www.mycoreos.com/podcast

Email - [email protected]

Twitter - https://twitter.com/jbenj09

SHOW SUMMARY

Working well doesn’t always mean working long hours, and overworking should not be treated as a badge of honor. Unfortunately, in modern society, we often celebrate this behavior without realizing that this is also the leading cause of burnout and a host of other mental health problems in the workplace.

In this episode of the Peak Performance Selling Podcast, Dr. Devan Kronisch talks about the culture of overworking, and how managers can lead the charge in improving work-life balance. They also talk about the importance of failure and how to know whether you’re really performing well or just setting the bar too low.

HIGHLIGHTS

Managers have a direct impact on their employees' mental health

Work ethics and Calvinism in North America

Managers need to start taking more days off

Why it's difficult to break the cycle of overworking

We learn best in a failure-tolerant environment

QUOTES

Dr. Devan on the relationship between Calvinism and overworking: "Basing on Calvinism, [the reason] why you are supposed to work yourself to death is to show that you will go to heaven. And you show that you're a good person by overworking. It has become such a badge of honor when we're seeing all these tweets; 'Hey, it's only Wednesday and I've already worked 80 hours this week!' And we're supposed to celebrate this."

Dr. Devan on managers leading the charge towards a better work-life balance: "I'm telling the managers that I'm coaching, 'I want to see stupid vacation pictures from you. I want you to go into your team slack and send a picture of you on your veranda with the cape with the dog or whatever so that it really shows that it's okay to really take [a day] off.’ That it isn't a badge of honor to work long. We don't want people to work long, we want people to work well."

Dr. Devan on why failing is an important step in learning: "What we do know is that we learn best in a failure-tolerant environment. If you are in a job or position that allows you to experiment often, fall on your face then get up from it, you will go further."

You can connect with Dr. Devan and their work in the link below:

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/devan-kronisch/

If you’re listening to the Peak Performance Selling Podcast, please subscribe, share, and send us your feedback.

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordanbenjamin/

Website - http://mycoreos.com/

Podcast - https://www.mycoreos.com/podcast

Email - [email protected]

Twitter - https://twitter.com/jbenj09

SHOW SUMMARY

With burnout rates on the rise, business leaders need to figure out how to regulate stress levels in the workplace or face both business and ethical consequences. In this episode of the Peak Performance Selling podcast, Josh talks to Dr. Devan Kronisch, who heads the sales academy as well as the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) committee at Proposify.

Dr. Devan talks about their journey from academia to sales enablement, and how those years teaching eventually lead to them becoming the go-to expert on all things DEI. They also talk about the leading causes of burnout in North American workplaces, and what business owners and executives can do to address it.

HIGHLIGHTS

How Dr. Devan ended up in sales enablement

Going beyond diversity in the workplace

Psychological safety is all about holding people accountable

Everything you do outside of the 9 to 5 job is still work

QUOTES

How Dr. Devan ended up in sales: "When my agent came to me and said, 'hey, Proposify needs a sales enabler,' my first thought was, 'What on Earth is a sales enabler?' So I went on Google and looked it up and I was going, 'Wait a minute, they need somebody to teach people things, to coach people, to go in there do assessments, I can do all of that! I just have no clue about sales. I can learn that.'"

Dr. Devan on why just focusing on diversity is not enough: "I do very often see that the heavy focus is on diversity, and then we end up working with HR, trying to get more diverse hires. But then they leave after a short time because we haven't actually made an environment where people feel included and feel valued."

The biggest roots of burnout, according to Dr. Devan: "Burnout comes from a lot of different factors. But we do know that the big ones are unfair treatment, unmanageable workload, lack of role clarity, lack of communication support, and unreasonable time pressure."

You can connect with Dr. Devan and their work in the link below:

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/devan-kronisch/

If you’re listening to the Peak Performance Selling Podcast, please subscribe, share, and send us your feedback.

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordanbenjamin/

Website - http://mycoreos.com/

Podcast - https://www.mycoreos.com/podcast

Email - [email protected]

Twitter - https://twitter.com/jbenj09

No good story is complete without a little challenge. After all, losing builds character. But what we’re really after is that nice payout in the end, when we get to see the heroes of the story win. In this episode of the Peak Performance Selling podcast, Josh talks to Scott Milener about celebrating your wins, the importance of taking breaks, and reinforcing yourself with positive thoughts.

HIGHLIGHTS

Tips for showing up at your best everyday

Taking a quick break allows you to think creatively

Positive feelings are better than negative thoughts

We could all use some more empathy

Scott's favorite interview questions

QUOTES

Scott on taking a break from work every once in a while: "Get up from the laptop and let your mind think. Otherwise, it's all just consumption and reactionary which is not a really great way to build a business, to react constantly. You have to create new thoughts."

Scott on celebrating your wins: "People talk about the challenges of sales and it's a grind, so you have to have the reward. The financial is one part, but honestly, calling it a win especially when you beat competitors and help a customer — that's really one of the big drivers."

Scott's tips for people wanting to climb the corporate ladder: "Try to spend some time outside of just the role you're in. Because then it gets very easy to get caught up in the pressure of the role and just do that all day long."

You can connect with Scott and his work in the link below:

LinkedIn (IntroSnap) - https://www.linkedin.com/company/introsnap/

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/milener/

Twitter - https://twitter.com/milener

If you’re listening to the Peak Performance Selling Podcast, please subscribe, share, and send us your feedback.

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordanbenjamin/

Website - http://mycoreos.com/

Podcast - https://www.mycoreos.com/podcast

Email - [email protected]

Twitter - https://twitter.com/jbenj09

No matter which product or service it is that you sell, sales can be a pressure-cooker environment. As a result, salespeople are always in a hurry to meet quotas, set appointments, close deals, etc. But people aren’t robots, and people work better when they are not overworked and overwhelmed. Therefore, there is an obvious need to slow the process down without slowing down productivity.

In this episode, Scott Milener talks about his company IntroSnap, a way for salespeople to do business while also donating to their favorite charities. Scott zeroes in on breaking from the daily grind of sales, donating to charity, and creating better relationships with customers in the long run.

HIGHLIGHTS

Give back while doing business with IntroSnap

Donating a million dollars to charity in the next two years

Salespeople are in a hurry to get rich

Stressed people are not good performers in the long run

QUOTES

Scott on IntroSnap's mission: ”What IntroSnap is enabling is a touchpoint, or multiple touchpoints where you can provide something personal and meaningful to the prospect and that is in the form of a charitable donation to a cause that they care about."

Scott on a salesperson's state of mind today: "Salespeople are in a huge hurry, they're under constant pressure despite the modern thinking of how to manage sales teams, which is the servant leader and all that, which is very important. Help the team don't just press the team. Nonetheless, the reality is half the time, what comes down from the top is 'What's your number?'"

Scott on why people work better in the long run when they're not stressed: "When you're great at something, it can be a sport or anything you're good at. Singing, or writing. When you're in the flow, when you're in that zone, are you tense? It's the opposite. When you're really great at something and you're doing it well, you're loose and relaxed and you're just firing on all cylinders in a kind of an automatic way. You can't be great at singing or a sport or whatever it is if you're tense. It won't happen."

You can connect with Scott and his work in the link below:

LinkedIn (IntroSnap) - https://www.linkedin.com/company/introsnap/

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/milener/

Twitter - https://twitter.com/milener

If you’re listening to the Peak Performance Selling Podcast, please subscribe, share, and send us your feedback.

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordanbenjamin/

Website - http://mycoreos.com/

Podcast - https://www.mycoreos.com/podcast

Email - [email protected]

Twitter - https://twitter.com/jbenj09

All sellers, even those at the very top of their organizations have their bad days. But what do you do when you have a bad quarter? Don’t fret, all is not lost. The only thing left to do is to bounce back. In this second of a four-part episode of the Peak Performance Podcast, Jordan continues his conversation with Scott Milener about life in the trenches as a top seller, sales leader, and eventually as the co-founder and CEO of his own company.

HIGHLIGHTS

You need more users to get better feedback

3 types of founders and how to find leaders with complementary skills

How to bounce back from a bad quarter in sales

QUOTES

Scott on the need to keep up in fast-paced markets: "You’ve got to expect change and improvement, not just be reactionary to it."

Scott on why you might be having a bad quarter in sales: "The top and the middle of the funnel is kind of where the action is. Because if you have a decent product and a decent process, you're going to get a decent win rate at the bottom. So what did you do in the middle of the funnel?"

You can connect with Scott and his work in the link below:

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/milener/

Twitter - https://twitter.com/milener

If you’re listening to the Peak Performance Selling Podcast, please subscribe, share, and send us your feedback.

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordanbenjamin/

Website - http://mycoreos.com/

Podcast - https://www.mycoreos.com/podcast

Email - [email protected]

Twitter - https://twitter.com/jbenj09

Popular culture often portrays sellers as shady characters that are only out to make a quick buck out of unsuspecting customers. But in reality, sellers like Scott Milener, who prioritize helping customers over profit exist. In this episode of the Peak Performance Selling podcast, our host Jordan talks to sales leader and IntroSnap CEO and Co-Founder Scott Milener. Scott talks about his own sales journey, why he continues to love doing what he does, and the difference of mindsets between individual contributors and successful sales leaders.

HIGHLIGHTS

How Scott found software sales, and why he stayed

Good sales leaders stay positive all the time

The difference between individual contributor to sales leadership

Sales is depends more on the attitude of sellers than buyers

Customer feedback is crucial for energizing sales teams

QUOTES

Scott on why he loves working in sales: "I think I just love working with people and it's fun to talk about a cool new product and how it can change their lives. And when they engage and you realize, okay they also agree that it's gonna change their lives and improve their business, it's just very satisfying."

Scott's advice for sales leaders: "No matter what happens, you got to stay positive. Because you have a purpose, you have a mission, you have a great product -- if it's not a great product, you probably shouldn't be trying to sell it. You got to remain excited to tell others about it, remain excited to have your team tell others about it, continue to work on it."

Scott on the importance of securing customers early: "Even if it's early, go get customers. It's very energizing whenever one says, wow, someone's whole company just agreed to use our product. It's very energizing because then they realize, we're not just making a product, we're not just talking about it. Other people are putting up money to use it, to achieve what we've said we believe they can do with it."

You can connect with Scott and his work in the link below:

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/milener/

Twitter - https://twitter.com/milener

If you’re listening to the Peak Performance Selling Podcast, please subscribe, share, and send us your feedback.

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordanbenjamin/

Website - http://mycoreos.com/

Podcast - https://www.mycoreos.com/podcast

Email - [email protected]

Twitter - https://twitter.com/jbenj09

If life is a marathon, then we need to figure out how to be efficient in how we can best set and accomplish our goals. In this 100th episode of the Peak Performance Selling podcast, Jordan invites us to reflect on the meaning of success, and what we are willing to do to ensure that we are in the position to show up everyday, fully and authentically. Jordan also shares his favorite takeaways from the past 99 episodes and the lessons he learned from talking to his favorite guests.

HIGHLIGHTS

A moment of reflection

Who you are is not who you will always be

Sales is a profession for all

Use your pain to drive you forward

Success is about the freedom to live your life

Life is a marathon

QUOTES

Jordan: "Realize that your own story, regardless of your background, regardless of your gender or sexual orientation, skin color — does not matter. Because sales is a profession for all humans from all walks of life."

Jordan: "Your perspective and how you define your own story, your own challenges, are what help you drive forward. Leverage those times you get told no, those failures, those setbacks, but turn it into a positive story that is empowering, that gives you that challenge to say I can overcome, I can do this. I will believe in myself."

Jordan: "So many of us in the working world have had to hide behind a facade. They talk a lot about stress, depression, anxiety being when our actions are not in alignment with our values as humans. And so thinking, how can you put yourself in a position to be able to show up fully, authentically, and wholly?"

If you’re listening to the Peak Performance Selling Podcast, please subscribe, share, and send us your feedback.

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordanbenjamin/

Website - http://mycoreos.com/

Podcast - https://www.mycoreos.com/podcast

Email - [email protected]

Twitter - https://twitter.com/jbenj09

In this episode of the Peak Performance Selling podcast, Jordan talks to fellow podcaster and sales coach Kevin Dorsey. Kevin, who hosts the Live Better Sell Better podcast, shares several golden nuggets of wisdom for sales leaders that, if followed, will surely take them on the path to success.

His most powerful advice: ignorance is not bliss. Whether it be burnout or failing to achieve a set goal, you need to know the reason why and how it happened. Only when clarity is achieved can you proceed to move forward with intention. This is what great leadership looks like.

HIGHLIGHTS

Courage is not absence of fear

Goal setting is more than just vision-boarding

GERMS: Kevin's ideal morning routine

Take control of how you want to show up

Spend less time thinking, do more fixing

How to bounce back from a missed goal

Combating burnout starts with awareness

QUOTES

Kevin: "If you understand that it's fear that's holding someone back, how you address that is different. Where a lot of leadership is like, oh just work harder. Oh, just get over it. If it were that easy, we wouldn't have this problem."

Kevin: "A lot of people set goals, but they've never mapped out what's gonna change by hitting that goal."

Kevin: "More often than not, we don't actually take time to solve problems. We take time to think about the problems. We don't actually take the time to solve them. Take action more often than not."

Kevin: "Clarity gives confidence. Confidence creates momentum. That's how you bounce back. Can't bounce back if all you're gonna do is, I'm just gonna work harder this month or this quarter. That's not what it is."

You can connect with Kevin and his work in the link below:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kddorsey3/

Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/live-better-sell-better/id1518419694

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/insidesalesexcellence

If you’re listening to the Peak Performance Selling Podcast, please subscribe, share, and send us your feedback.

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordanbenjamin/

Website - http://mycoreos.com/

Podcast - https://www.mycoreos.com/podcast

Email - [email protected]

Twitter - https://twitter.com/jbenj09

In this episode of the Peak Performance Selling podcast, Jordan talks to FitGrid’s Vice President of Sales, Justin Jay Johnson. From being the first ever ECMO baby at Children’s Memorial in Chicago, to having 34 surgeries after a near death snowmobile accident, Justin is no stranger to adversity. However, Justin has never let himself be defeated by challenges. Instead, he has overcome them all and continues to face life head-on, knowing that success is always just around the corner.

HIGHLIGHTS

Leadership is not always pretty

Always be authentic, but don't be an asshole

Good leaders challenge people to be better

Always celebrate small wins

What it means to be a 'Beautiful Savage'

How to bounce back from tough times

Good leaders tell the truth

QUOTES

Justin: "When I think about me being a leader and what the job of the leader is, it's not pretty everyday. It feels good to stand onstage and celebrate the accolades and you're speaking in an all-hands but the day-to-day is lonely, the day-to-day is not pretty, you're challenging people, getting them out of their comfort zone."

Justin: "Just want to achieve excellence but they care about the people around them. As soon as they learn something they want to lift someone up around them. And if you have that approach, which is easier said than done, especially when you're trying to prove yourself early in your career, it can be easier to let the scarcity mindset come into play. But as you evolve and you start to adopt that, life is just more enjoyable that way. That's what Beautiful Savage is all about."

Justin: "The better you are at knowing who you are, knowing your worth and what your skills are, as well as what they aren't, they can help you objectively assess the situation."

Justin: "Average players want to be left alone, good players want to be coached, great players want the truth."

You can connect with Justin and his work in the link below:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justinjayjohnson/

If you’re listening to the Peak Performance Selling Podcast, please subscribe, share, and send us your feedback.

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordanbenjamin/

Website - http://mycoreos.com/

Podcast - https://www.mycoreos.com/podcast

Email - [email protected]

Twitter - https://twitter.com/jbenj09