The best negotiators are the ones who know what's coming before it ever happens. Most buyers use the same handful of “gambits” over and over again, yet too many salespeople walk into negotiations hoping they'll hold their own in the moment. Hope isn't a strategy. Preparation is. When you know the patterns, you stop reacting under pressure and start responding with confidence.

In this episode of Purpose Under Pressure, host Bryan Lefelhoc, founder of Bryan Media Strategies, welcomes Robert Perry, trainer and partner with Sandler by the Ruby Group, to unpack "The Buyer's Dirty Dozen”, twelve common negotiation tactics buyers use to gain an advantage.

Robert shares practical countermeasures for familiar buyer statements like "Your competitor is cheaper" or "Give me a discount and I'll send you more business." Rather than relying on scripted responses, he emphasizes understanding buyer pain, building muscle memory through role play, trusting a proven sales process, and maintaining the confidence to reset a conversation when momentum shifts.

Purpose Under Pressure is brought to you in partnership with Sandler by the Ruby Group, serving sales professionals and sales organizations nationwide from their locations in Akron and Columbus, Ohio, in Capital Region, New York, and in Jacksonville, Florida

Key Takeaways:

—Most buyer negotiation tactics are predictable, making preparation far more valuable than quick thinking.

—Price objections become easier to navigate when the conversation stays focused on solving meaningful business problems instead of defending cost.

—Promises of future business should be tied to measurable commitments rather than accepted at face value.

—Role-playing uncomfortable negotiation scenarios builds the muscle memory needed to perform confidently under pressure.

—When a negotiation starts going sideways, returning to a proven sales process is the fastest way to regain control.

—Admitting you missed a step and restarting the conversation can strengthen credibility instead of weakening it.

—A full sales pipeline creates the confidence to negotiate from a position of strength rather than fear of losing the opportunity.

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Helpful Links:

Robert Perry, Sandler by the Ruby Group: https://go.sandler.com/therubygroup/

Bryan Lefelhoc, Owner, Bryan Media Strategies: https://www.bryanmediastrategies.com/

Sales success isn't built on clever closing techniques or perfectly timed presentations. More often, it's the result of small disciplines repeated over years—staying curious, asking better questions, refusing to quit too soon, and finding ways to improve just a little every day.

In this episode of Purpose Under Pressure, host Bryan Lefelhoc, founder of Bryan Media Strategies, welcomes John Zielinski, President and CEO of Universal Polymer & Rubber, for a conversation about passion. In sales this shows up in how he approaches customers, why nurturing relationships consistently outperforms pressure tactics, and how a mindset of continuous improvement has helped both his sales career and his company thrive.

John shares stories that illustrate the persistence required to earn trust, including making 37 calls before landing a major automotive account and writing a handwritten letter to Walmart's CEO that ultimately opened doors few salespeople ever even get to touch.

The moral of this story is simple: Ask one more question, make one more call, and become just a little better than yesterday.

Purpose Under Pressure is brought to you in partnership with Sandler by the Ruby Group, serving sales professionals and sales organizations nationwide from their locations in Akron and Columbus, Ohio, in Capital Region, New York, and in Jacksonville, Florida

Key Takeaways:

— Persistence creates opportunities that most people never experience because they stop too soon.

— The best sales conversations begin with curiosity and thoughtful questions, not persuasive pitches.

— A healthy sales pipeline requires constant attention, even when business is booming.

— Continuous improvement happens through small, consistent changes that compound over time.

— Great sales leaders coach through questions, helping people discover better paths instead of simply giving directions.

— Technology and AI should strengthen human decision-making. But we can’t allow them to replace it.

— Competing with yesterday's version of yourself is a more sustainable path to success than constantly measuring yourself against everyone else.

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Helpful Links:

John Zielinski, President and CEO at Universal Polymer & Rubber: www.UniversalPolymer.com

Sandler by the Ruby Group: https://go.sandler.com/therubygroup/

Bryan Lefelhoc, Owner, Bryan Media Strategies: https://www.bryanmediastrategies.com/

In life, it’s natural for someone to win, and someone to lose. Most salespeople think a successful negotiation means getting the better end of the deal. But what if that mindset is actually creating problems that won't show up until months later? The strongest negotiations are won when both sides walk away knowing they both end up winning.

In this episode of Purpose Under Pressure, host Bryan Lefelhoc, founder of Bryan Media Strategies, explores one of Stephen Covey's most challenging principles: Think Win-Win. While the idea sounds simple, it's anything but natural, especially in sales.

Learn more about finding creative solutions, why buyers who never negotiate can actually become your biggest future headaches, and how today's negotiations shape tomorrow's relationships.

Purpose Under Pressure is brought to you in partnership with Sandler by the Ruby Group, serving sales professionals and sales organizations nationwide from their locations in Akron and Columbus, Ohio, in Capital Region, New York, and in Jacksonville, Florida

Key Takeaways:

— Win-Win isn't the natural outcome of a negotiation. Win/Win requires intentional effort.

— Creating a Win-Win agreement is the salesperson's responsibility, not the buyer's.

— Protect your position while looking for creative ways to increase value for the buyer.

— A buyer who never pushes back may create bigger problems after the sale.

— Winning at the buyer's expense often leads to damaged relationships and future concessions.

— Sometimes "No Deal" is the most successful outcome for everyone involved.

— Great negotiations strengthen long-term trust instead of simply closing today's sale.

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Helpful Links:

Sandler by the Ruby Group: https://go.sandler.com/therubygroup/

Bryan Lefelhoc, Owner, Bryan Media Strategies: https://www.bryanmediastrategies.com/

The buying process is complex. If you think it is finished once they've answered the questions and delivered their proposal. In reality, that's when the prospect's internal selling process begins. Your contact now has to explain, defend, and justify your solution to people you've never met. If you don't understand how those decisions get made, you're leaving the outcome to chance.

In this episode of Purpose Under Pressure, host Bryan Lefelhoc, founder of Bryan Media Strategies, welcomes Tom Thon, Partner and Trainer at Sandler by the Ruby Group to talk about understanding and mapping out the buying process and the key players involved with making the decisions.

Tom shares practical strategies for identifying decision-makers without offending your contact, explains the difference between demand creation and demand fulfillment sales, and offers simple but powerful questions that reveal who influences a purchase

Purpose Under Pressure is brought to you in partnership with Sandler by the Ruby Group, serving sales professionals and sales organizations nationwide from their locations in Akron and Columbus, Ohio, in Capital Region, New York, and in Jacksonville, Florida

Key Takeaways:

— Your presentation is usually the beginning of your prospect's internal selling process.

— The person you're meeting with is frequently gathering information for someone else, making it essential to understand who really makes the final decision.

— Asking, "How does your company go about making these types of decisions?" opens the door to valuable insights without creating pressure.

— Great salespeople protect the prospect's "okayness" by respecting their role while still uncovering who else is involved.

— Understanding whether you're in a demand creation or demand fulfillment sale changes the questions you should ask.

— Moving from vendor to trusted advisor requires patience, curiosity, and a genuine desire to understand how your customer buys.

— A great question to ask your contact if not the decision maker: "Other than yourself, who will be involved in making this decision?"

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Helpful Links:

Tom Thon, Sandler by the Ruby Group: https://go.sandler.com/therubygroup/

Bryan Lefelhoc, Owner, Bryan Media Strategies: https://www.bryanmediastrategies.com/

Waiting for the decision to be made? Keep checking your email, because while you wait for an answer, an entire decision-making process is unfolding behind the scenes. The salespeople who understand what's really happening and have a plan to remain a part of that process are the ones who consistently win more business.

In this episode of Purpose Under Pressure, host Bryan Lefelhoc, founder of Bryan Media Strategies, walks through the seven stages of the buyer's decision-making process. Rather than viewing buying as a straight line from need to purchase, Bryan explains why every buying decision is actually a cycle that moves through Trigger, Desire, Back Burner, Renewal, Reality, Decision, and Cold Feet.

The sellers who continue to provide value, remain visible, and reconnect at the right moments are the ones most likely to win the business, whether it's the first opportunity or the next time the buying cycle begins.

Purpose Under Pressure is brought to you in partnership with Sandler by the Ruby Group, serving sales professionals and sales organizations nationwide from their locations in Akron and Columbus, Ohio, in Capital Region, New York, and in Jacksonville, Florida

Key Takeaways:

— Buying decisions happen in never ending circles. They aren’t linear, with a beginning and an end.

— While you’re waiting on a decision, life is happening to your buyer.

— Silence rarely means the buyer has stopped deciding.

— The Back Burner is where many sales opportunities are won or lost.

— Your job is to stay present through every stage of the buyer's journey.

— A "no" today doesn't mean the desire has disappeared.

— Great salespeople create opportunities AND they remain part of the decision-making process.

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Helpful Links:

Sandler by the Ruby Group: https://go.sandler.com/therubygroup/

Bryan Lefelhoc, Owner, Bryan Media Strategies: https://www.bryanmediastrategies.com/

One sales call won't make or break your career. But what you learn from every sales call just might. The most successful salespeople, and the sales managers/leaders who make a difference, take the time to to uncover what worked, what didn't, and how to improve before the next opportunity arrives.

In this episode of Purpose Under Pressure, host Bryan Lefelhoc, founder of Bryan Media Strategies, talks with Lauren Valentine, Partner and Trainer at Sandler by the Ruby Group, to discuss a simple but often overlooked habit that can dramatically improve sales performance: debriefing every sales call.

Lauren shares the questions every salesperson should ask after a meeting. A consistent debriefing process shortens sales cycles, creates better habits in salespeople, and gives sales leaders a framework for developing stronger, more intentional teams.

Purpose Under Pressure is brought to you in partnership with Sandler by the Ruby Group, serving sales professionals and sales organizations nationwide from their locations in Akron and Columbus, Ohio, in Capital Region, New York, and in Jacksonville, Florida

Key Takeaways:

— Every sales call is an opportunity to improve, if you take the time to learn from it.

— A structured debrief creates consistency, helping salespeople replace guesswork with a repeatable process.

— The KARE account model helps determine not only who you're selling to, but how you should move the relationship forward.

— A sales call isn't complete until both you and the prospect have committed to a clear next step on the calendar.

— The best coaching happens after the meeting, when sales leaders ask questions that build habits instead of simply reviewing activity.

— Red flags uncovered during a debrief can save months of wasted effort by exposing stalled or unqualified opportunities early.

— Every sales conversation should accomplish one of two things: advance the opportunity or reveal that it's time to move on.

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Helpful Links:

Lauren Valentine, Sandler by the Ruby Group: https://go.sandler.com/therubygroup/

Bryan Lefelhoc, Owner, Bryan Media Strategies: https://www.bryanmediastrategies.com/

Even amidst uncertainty, companies that continue to grow are the ones that stay disciplined, keep prospecting, protect their customer relationships, and refuse to let outside pressures dictate their daily behaviors. When the market gets unpredictable, purpose becomes a competitive advantage.

In this episode of Purpose Under Pressure, host Bryan Lefelhoc, founder of Bryan Media Strategies, welcomes Leighton Hackert, Vice President of Sales at Vector Companies, to explore what it's like leading sales in today's manufacturing environment. From tariffs and forecasting challenges to supply chain disruptions and automation investments, Leighton shares how his organization has continued to grow while many others in the industry have struggled.

Leighton explains why consistent behaviors matter more than product knowledge, why a healthy sales pipeline is every leader's best insurance policy, and why saying "no" to the wrong opportunity can sometimes be the smartest sales decision you'll ever make.

Purpose Under Pressure is brought to you in partnership with Sandler by the Ruby Group, serving sales professionals and sales organizations nationwide from their locations in Akron and Columbus, Ohio, in Capital Region, New York, and in Jacksonville, Florida

Key Takeaways:

— Great sales organizations grow because of disciplined behaviors, often regardless of favorable market conditions.

— Strong customer relationships are built like successful marriages—with trust, communication, and resilience through challenges.

— Manufacturing leaders must balance uncertainty while continuing to invest in long-term growth.

— A consistently full sales pipeline protects companies from becoming dependent on any single customer.

— Product knowledge can be learned, but sales behaviors and habits create lasting success.

— Sometimes the most profitable sale is the one you have the discipline to decline.

— Staying focused on your core strengths allows companies to grow without losing their competitive advantage.

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Helpful Links:

Leighton Hackert, VP of Sales with Vector Companies: https://www.vectorcompanies.com/

Sandler by the Ruby Group: https://go.sandler.com/therubygroup/

Bryan Lefelhoc, Owner, Bryan Media Strategies: https://www.bryanmediastrategies.com/

The path to becoming a professional salesperson doesn't come with a practice field. There are no preseason games, no rehearsals, and no easy way to sharpen your skills before the pressure is on. Every sales conversation matters, and every call becomes part of your education. Are you earning from the practice?

In this episode of Purpose Under Pressure, host Bryan Lefelhoc, founder of Bryan Media Strategies, talks about how salespeople learn, or in many cases do not learn, from their experiences. Since we’re practicing in front of our clients and prospects, we need to take the time to review what happened, identify what we learned, and intentionally improve before the next conversation.

Sales professionals need to stop confusing activity with growth. Running from meeting to meeting may feel productive, but improvement only happens when you honestly evaluate your performance. Learn while you earn, and you'll steadily build the habits that separate professionals from everyone else.

Purpose Under Pressure is brought to you in partnership with Sandler by the Ruby Group, serving sales professionals and sales organizations nationwide from their locations in Akron and Columbus, Ohio, in Capital Region, New York, and in Jacksonville, Florida

Key Takeaways:

— Sales is one of the few professions where your practice happens in front of the customer.

— Every sales call deserves a debrief before you move on to the next opportunity.

— Improvement comes from evaluating your process, not simply celebrating or mourning the outcome.

— Professionals in every field "watch the tape"—salespeople should too.

— Create clear objectives before every meeting, then honestly measure whether you achieved them.

— Missing an opportunity isn't failure if you learn from it and apply the lesson next time.

— The fastest way to grow in sales is to intentionally learn while you earn.

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Helpful Links:

Sandler by the Ruby Group: https://go.sandler.com/therubygroup/

Bryan Lefelhoc, Owner, Bryan Media Strategies: https://www.bryanmediastrategies.com/

Many businesses spend their early years chasing every opportunity they can find, saying yes to every customer, every lead, and every chance to bring in revenue. But how can you grow effectively, to your purpose and in pursuit of excellence, when you’re growing toward what everyone else wants you to do?

In this episode of Purpose Under Pressure, host Bryan Lefelhoc, founder of Bryan Media Strategies, welcomes Ken Guest, partner and trainer at Sandler by the Ruby Group, to discuss implementation,of a five year growth strategy for the Ruby Group, and what you can learn from that.

We explore the concept of the Ideal Client Profile, the hidden costs of serving the wrong customers, and why exponential growth can come by finding the right customers, serving them exceptionally well, and building relationships that last.

Purpose Under Pressure is brought to you in partnership with Sandler by the Ruby Group, serving sales professionals and sales organizations nationwide from their locations in Akron and Columbus, Ohio, in Capital Region, New York, and in Jacksonville, Florida

Key Takeaways:

— Growth without a clear strategy often happens by accident; sustainable growth happens by design.

— Every business has an Ideal Client Profile, whether it's defined or not. The most successful companies know exactly who it is.

— Revenue from the wrong customers can create short-term relief while undermining long-term growth.

— Opportunity cost includes the time and energy spent serving customers who were never the right fit.

— Defining a "floor" helps leaders make difficult decisions about which opportunities deserve attention and which do not.

— Retention data often reveals whether a company is attracting the right customers more accurately than sales numbers alone.

— Scaling faster sometimes means saying no more often and concentrating resources where they create the greatest impact.

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Helpful Links:

Ken Guest, Sandler by the Ruby Group: https://go.sandler.com/therubygroup/

The Science of Scaling: Grow Your Business Bigger and Faster Than You Think Possible, by Dr. Benjamin Hardy and Blake Erickson : https://www.amazon.com/Rapid-Transformation-Science-Achieving-Impossible/dp/1401967639

Bryan Lefelhoc, Owner, Bryan Media Strategies: https://www.bryanmediastrategies.com/

Growth is often celebrated as the ultimate measure of success, but many business owners discover that scaling a company can quietly pull them away from the very reasons they started it in the first place. Growing a business is easy. The challenge is growing without losing sight of the purpose that made the business worth building in the first place..

In this episode of Purpose Under Pressure, host Bryan Lefelhoc, founder of Bryan Media Strategies, explores the difference between running a business and growing a business

New customers lead to new hires. New hires lead to new systems. New systems lead to new expectations. Before long, the business may look successful on paper while feeling disconnected from its original purpose. In many ways, pressure is what allows growth to happen. The question is whether that growth remains aligned with the purpose that started it all

Purpose Under Pressure is brought to you in partnership with Sandler by the Ruby Group, serving sales professionals and sales organizations nationwide from their locations in Akron and Columbus, Ohio, in Capital Region, New York, and in Jacksonville, Florida

Key Takeaways:

— Running a business and growing a business are not the same thing.

— Growth often begins naturally as a result of doing the right things well.

— Success creates pressure that can slowly pull leaders away from their original mission.

— Values don't usually disappear during growth; they simply stop guiding decisions.

— Purpose should influence hiring, expansion, customer selection, and strategic planning.

— Growth without direction can become a burden rather than an advantage.

— The most sustainable businesses scale around their purpose rather than away from it.

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Helpful Links:

Sandler by the Ruby Group: https://go.sandler.com/therubygroup/

Bryan Lefelhoc, Owner, Bryan Media Strategies: https://www.bryanmediastrategies.com/