The Sales Problem Podcast

The Awkward Advantage: Get Uncomfortable to Get Growth | Henna Pryor

The Sales Problem Podcast | Season 5, Episode 7

What if the secret to becoming a better salesperson isn't getting more comfortable—but getting better at being uncomfortable?

In this episode of The Sales Problem Podcast, Daniel Burns sits down with Henna Pryor, workplace performance expert, two-time TEDx speaker, and 18-time award-winning author of Good Awkward.

Together, they explore why salespeople avoid uncomfortable conversations, how our need for approval can hold back our performance, and why being perfectly polished might actually be costing us trust.

Henna also introduces ideas from her upcoming book, The Signal Gap, exploring the growing gap between what we intend to communicate and what our customers actually experience. In a world where AI can make anyone sound like an expert, authenticity, credibility, and genuine human connection have never been more important.

• Why awkwardness might be your greatest competitive advantage.

• How to overcome the fear of rejection and uncomfortable follow-ups.

• Why being too polished can actually hurt your credibility.

• How to close The Signal Gap and build greater trust with customers.

• What the BEST REP IN THE ROOM does differently.

• One uncomfortable action you can take on your very next sales call.

🌐 Official Website: https://www.pryoritygroup.com

📘 The Signal Gap — Exclusive Sales Problem Podcast Link: FREE PREVIEW https://www.thesignalgap.com/salesproblem

📖 Book: Good Awkward :How to Embrace the Embarrassing and Celebrate the Cringe to Become the Bravest You

💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hennapryor/

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If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe to The Sales Problem Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube.

Share this episode with a salesperson, colleague, or leader who needs a little encouragement to get uncomfortable and keep growing.

Until next time, KEEP CREATING THE BEST VERSION OF YOU!

What if the secret to becoming a better negotiator isn’t saying more… but knowing when to say less?

In Season 5, Episode 6 of The Sales Problem Podcast, Daniel Burns sits down with globally recognized negotiation expert, keynote speaker and bestselling author Fotini Iconomopoulos, author of Say Less, Get More.

Fotini has more than two decades of real-world negotiation experience, has worked across 170+ industries on six continents, and has spent more than a decade teaching negotiation at the MBA level.

Together, Daniel and Fotini tackle one of the biggest problems salespeople face:

How do you negotiate through resistance without giving away margin, damaging the relationship, or talking yourself out of the deal?

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why salespeople often talk TOO MUCH during negotiations
• How to recognize when you’ve said enough
• Why friction and resistance can actually give you valuable information
• What to do when a customer says, “Your competitor is 15% cheaper”
• How to avoid negotiating against yourself and falling into the discount trap
• How to hold your value without becoming defensive
• Why silence can be one of your most powerful negotiation tools
• What exceptional negotiators—the BEST REP IN THE ROOM—consistently do differently
• One negotiation technique you can ROAD TEST on your very next sales call

This episode is packed with practical strategies you can use immediately to handle objections, protect value and negotiate with more confidence.

Because great negotiation isn’t about pushing harder, talking faster or immediately giving something away.

It’s about understanding the friction, asking better questions, protecting your value—and sometimes having the confidence to SAY LESS.

Fotini Iconomopoulos is a globally recognized negotiation expert, keynote speaker and bestselling author of Say Less, Get More.

She has worked across more than 170 industries on six continents and has spent more than a decade teaching negotiation at the MBA level. She was ranked among the Top 15 Negotiation Experts worldwide by Global Gurus in 2026, and her work has been featured in Harvard Business Review, Forbes, CNN and CNBC.

Contact Fotini:

Fotini Iconomopoulos | Leadership & Communication Keynote Speaker - FotiniSay Less: Unconventional Negotiation Techniques to Get What You Want: Iconomopoulos, Fotini: 9781443464581: Books - Amazon.ca

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What separates good salespeople from truly great ones?

In this episode of The Sales Problem Podcast, Daniel Burns sits down with internationally recognized sales trainer, executive coach, and best-selling author Justin Leigh to unpack the mindset, habits, and consultative selling strategies that consistently drive high performance.

Whether you're chasing quota, leading a sales team, or simply looking to become more influential, this conversation is packed with practical insights you can put into action on your very next sales call.

In this episode you'll discover:

• ✅ The biggest sales mistake holding professionals back today
• ✅ Why traditional selling is becoming less effective
• ✅ The difference between presenting and truly selling consultatively
• ✅ The habits that separate elite sales performers from everyone else
• ✅ How great sales leaders coach people instead of simply managing them
• ✅ One practical tactic you can implement immediately to improve your results

If you're serious about growing your sales while growing yourself, this is an episode you won't want to miss.

Justin Leigh is an Executive Coach, Sales Trainer, Business Leader, and best-selling author of Inspire, Influence, Sell and Coaching Leaders. With over 28 years of experience, he's helped thousands of sales professionals and leaders at organizations including 3M, NTT Data, Align Technology, Vitality, and Odeon unlock higher performance through better leadership, stronger habits, and more effective selling.

Learn more:
https://justin-leigh.com

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Please subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with someone who wants to sell more, lead better, and create the best version of themselves.

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👤 About Justin Leigh☕ Fuel Your Success

Have you already become obsolete... and just don't know it yet?

AI isn't coming. It's already here. And while some salespeople are using it to create an unfair advantage, others are still debating whether they should even open ChatGPT.

In this episode of The Sales Problem Podcast, I sit down with globally renowned innovation strategist, bestselling author, and Forbes-acclaimed keynote speaker Shawn Kanungo for a conversation that might completely change the way you think about sales, technology, and your own future.

Together, we tackle the uncomfortable truth about why success from yesterday can quietly become your biggest weakness tomorrow. Shawn breaks down the danger of nostalgia, why you need to "thank your past self and then bury it," and how the world's top performers are using AI to become faster, smarter, and more human—not less.

You'll discover:

• Where salespeople should actually start with AI (without feeling overwhelmed)
• The biggest mistake organizations are making right now
• How to create unforgettable, personalized buying experiences
• The risks of deepfakes and an AI-driven world
• Why disrupting yourself may be the most important skill of the next decade

Whether you're skeptical of AI or already diving in headfirst, this episode will challenge your assumptions and give you practical ideas you can use on your very next sales call.

If you're comfortable, this episode might make you uncomfortable. And that could be exactly what you need.

To contact Shawn- click below:

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Are you looking to become your best version? If so, your Mindset is a key differentiator to you getting the results that you have dreamed about but have not yet brought to life.

My guest, Tim Castle is an Award-Winning Author | Global Top 30 Negotiation Expert | Entrepreneur | Speaker

Tim Castle is a globally recognized authority in negotiation, leadership, and sales performance. In 2025, he was named one of the Top 30 Negotiation Professionals in the World by Global Gurus, won a Silver Medal at the Axiom Business Book Awards for The Momentum Sales Model, and was cited in a peer-reviewed academic journal for his contributions to negotiation psychology.

Castle teaches leaders, sales professionals, and entrepreneurs how to harness belief, strategy, and communication mastery to unlock unstoppable momentum and achieve high-stakes success.

So, if you say you want your best version to emerge- hit play and put Tim's wisdom into play in your own life!

Contact Tim Here:

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One of the biggest destroyers of productivity is distraction.

Are you FOCUSED? Do you have standards in place? Do you have systems in place? Today, we talk about what happens when A LACK OF CLEAR FOCUS stands in the way of your RESULTS and how to break through the NOISE so you can GROW YOUR SALES!

Our Guest today, Steven Rosen, will be dropping insights to help you become a stronger and more FOCUSED Sales Leader!

Link to Steven here:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GNSJBG2D

https://www.amazon.ca/FOCUSED-Leadership-Discipline-Manages-Pressure/dp/B0GNSJBG2D/

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Have you ever asked......what's possible? Have you ever asked....what needs to shift to reinvent myself?

Our guest Jill Konrath discusses pivotal moments in your sales career where new possibilities exist. If you want fresh strategies to sell more, if you want to be more agile in selling and if you want to speed up sales and win more business- hit PLAY.

Jill is a Sales legend. Join us as we discuss all things sales and success.

To connect to Jill:

Jill Konrath | Sales Strategies | Sales Techniques

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Have you ever felt like you don't want to be pushy, aggressive or "salesy" when you are selling? It's too often the experience- people hate being sold too!

In this episode we talk to Liz Wendling who guides us on how to NOT be like so many average Sales people- saying the same tired things and communicating with weak language.

It's time to update, improve and upgrade your selling approach- 2026 is right around the corner! Hit play and get ready to GROW!

To contact Liz Wendling:

Sell Without Being Pushy, Salesy Or Needy! Sales Coaching Sales Training by Liz Wendling Denver, Close Sales NowFor CRANK Coffee and Mama T's: enter THESALESPROBLEM15

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It's Q4 of 2025 and you are pushing hard for the finish line- a strong end to the Sales year. But, have you taken time to plan out your biggest goals for 2026?

Tune into the great advice from Dean Lindsay- author and keynote speaker so YOU can set yourself up for success.

Dean’s books, including HOW TO ACHIEVE BIG PHATGOALS and Cracking the Networking CODE have sold over 100,000 copies worldwideand have been translated into Chinese, Hindi, Polish, Korean, Spanish andGreek.  

To contact Dean- click here:

www.DeanLindsay.com ENTER: THESALESPROBLEM15 for 15% off

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Our guest this week is Joe Pici- authour of Sell Naked on the Phone and has been ranked #1 in the world by Global Guru's!

Joe takes a no nonsense approach to selling by helping you develop skills that have been proven to close deals for decades.

Tune into Joe's years of wisdom and start solving some of the sales problems holding you back from becoming your best version.

To connect with Joe- click here:

Keynote Speaker, Sales Trainer, Sales Boot Camps with Live Phone Skills CoachingTo connect to our Podcast Partners- click here:

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