Purpose-Driven Sales - A Sales Leadership Podcast

In the business world, being the jack of all trades but master of none can be detrimental, especially for small businesses. In this episode, Taylor Barnes and I discuss how focusing on the things you’re great at, and having the discipline to say no to the things outside your wheelhouse, can return dividends in your ability to retain and acquire customers.

“You want to be great at a few things, that’s really what’s going to put you on the map.” - Taylor Barnes

Closing a deal is the ultimate objective of a sale, but there are many stages that lead up to a successful outcome. How you handle your communication with your prospects is pivotal to converting more leads into satisfied customers. Join Taylor Barnes and I as we share our insight on how to successfully guide a prospect through your sales process and close more deals.

“Human beings have three basic wants: they want security, they want approval, and they want control.” - Taylor Barnes

Building a high performing sales team starts with the recruitment process. In this episode, Taylor Barnes and I discuss the approaches we’ve developed, from our favorite questions to filtering techniques we’ve found to be most effective, over the course of our years in the industry.

“Too many people hire on skill but fire on culture.” - Josh Sweeney

Narrowing the audience for your sales efforts may seem counterproductive, but there are many benefits to honing in on a profile for your ideal customer. Join Taylor Barnes and I as we delve into how to go about developing an Ideal Customer Profile (ICP), and the advantages a focused sales effort can bring to your organization.

“If you have an ICP, you are leading the sales process.” - Josh Sweeney

Oftentimes, in the sales process, multiple people are involved in closing a deal. When things don’t go according to plan, it’s easier to relegate blame than acknowledge that you could have been more involved to ensure a positive outcome. In this episode, Taylor Barnes and I discuss the mindset of outcome ownership and the positive impacts it will have on your relationships with your team and with your customers.

“The more management responsibility you take on, the more ownership you should be taking as it relates to the outcome.” - Taylor Barnes

Measuring the pulse of your sales is key to tracking the health of your sales programs. In this episode, Taylor Barnes and I discuss how to simultaneously use metrics to motivate your sales team and, as a sales manager, make strategic decisions regarding the direction of your sales initiatives.

“A metrics driven sales culture gives you the ability to make much more impactful decisions.” - Taylor Barnes

One-on-one’s have a reputation for being either highly beneficial or a distraction. Join Taylor Barnes and I as we discuss how to implement these crucial meetings so that they bring about the most benefit to your organization and foster a culture of continuous improvement.

“What gets measured gets done.” - Josh Sweeney

In the sales process, there are many potential sources of friction, things that increase the time it takes to close a deal and potentially result in lost opportunities. In this episode, Taylor Barnes and I discuss the friction points and pitfalls we’ve encountered in our careers and share solutions that help streamline the process.

“Make sure you know what you are great at and vet your opportunities and vet your customers accordingly.” - Taylor Barnes

Check out the sales comedy skit mentioned in the video here.

Check out Built to Sell: Creating a Business That Can Thrive Without You !

Different teams benefit from different management styles. A key contributor to your sales performance is the interplay between your sales team and you or your sales manager. Learn about the strengths and weaknesses of the 5 types of sales managers to better understand yourself and how to maximize the performance of your team.

“Create a culture of continuous improvement.” - Taylor Barnes

Check out the resources mentioned in this episode here.

With a multitude of technology options out there, it can be a daunting task to decide on which platform is right for your business. In this episode Josh Sweeney and Taylor Barnes explore various types of technology platforms and how they can augment your business processes. Learn how to use technology to solve the right problems and where to start when deciding on which software to use.

"It's critical for organizations to nail down their processes prior to a technology going into place" - Taylor Barnes