Revolutionizing sales with authenticity and historical wisdom w/ Sales Historian, Todd Caponi.  Is transparency in sales really that counterintuitive? In this episode Mark and Todd seek to bridge the gap between the time-tested tenets of honest salesmanship and practical application in today's high-pressure sales environments. Mark and Todd discuss the pitfalls of "stuffing the pipeline" and advocate for a  shift in management that celebrates authenticity and prioritizes customer service over mere numbers. In addition to fascinating historical tidbits, Todd shares personal experiences on incorporating transparency into sales strategies emphasizing the superiority of the long game over quick wins.  ◩ About the Guest ◩ Todd Caponi is the founder of Sales Melon and has succeeded in multiple sales leadership roles, including CRO. Todd authored The Transparent Sales Leader and The Transparency Sale. He also hosts The Sales History Podcast.

Our focus is not what we sell, it’s why we sell—because we want to help the customer. Mark breaks down prospecting with integrity and closing with confidence into six steps.    Expect to walk away with actionable insights that will not only elevate your sales performance, but also leave you feeling proud of the value you bring to every interaction. Sales is the greatest profession in the world!   ▣ Invest in a new sales skill today at The Sales Hunter University and watch your 2024 results improve drastically. Click to learn more!

The power of value-based pricing in sales…w/ Mark Stiving Ph.D. Listen in as Mark H. and Mark S. dissect why many salespeople struggle to hit their target prices. It's not about the product itself, but the value it represents to customers. Discover the psychological intricacies behind product pricing and how it shapes consumer perception of value. Understand why customers often gravitate towards mid-tier priced items and how sales and marketing teams must convey the value proposition to guide informed purchasing decisions. ❓Key Questions Answered❓   What are some ideas we could use as salespeople to help us understand what that problem is?If I see a price and it's cheap, do I automatically perceive that the value is cheap? If I see a different product with a more expensive price, do I automatically associate more value?Do people use price comparison to figure out what they want to buy? “I'm going to discount the initial sale and then I'll make it up later.” Does that hold water?If you had one piece of advice, you would tell the companies right now, in terms of maximizing price? ◩ About the Guest ◩ Mark Stiving, Phd. is a pricing expert, speaker, author, and founder of Impact Pricing. Mark holds his Ph.D in Marketing from Univ. of California, Berkeley. His most recent book is Selling Value: How to Win More Deals at Higher Prices. ▣ Invest in a new sales skill today at The Sales Hunter University and watch your 2024 results improve drastically. Click to learn more!

The customer just told you no, but don’t walk away! You can turn rejection into success.    Mark shares strategies and ideas for how to keep you in the game. It's not the end, but rather a pivotal moment to gain insights and sharpen your approach.   Learn the significance of asking 'why' to get to the heart of the customer's decision, detect areas for improvement in your sales process, or to shed light on the customer's future needs.    ▣ Invest in a new sales skill today at The Sales Hunter University and watch your 2024 results improve drastically. Click to learn more!

Kick procrastination to the curb with expert, Mary Kelly, Phd. We all have the propensity to do the things we like best or are the easiest.  There are a lot of other internal factors that cause us to procrastinate—but what if we didn’t? Mark and Mary analyze what makes salespeople hesitate, plus how to take action, put fuel back in the tank, and get more wins. Revamp your daily grind with practical tips to commit to your most daunting tasks or establish a routine that sets the tone for each day.   → Get the *free* workbooks Mary mentioned by emailing mary@productiveleaders.com   ▣ Find the book: Stop Procrastinating Tomorrow   ◩ About the Guest ◩ Mary Kelly, Phd. is a Hall of Fame speaker and author of 15 books on business, leadership, productivity, and economics. With a Ph,D. in Economics and Masters in both History and Economics, she’s a total powerhouse. Mary is a retired Naval Commander  and former instructor at the U.S. Naval Academy and U.S. Air Force Academy.

Could cutting your price make the customer blind to the true value of your product or service? It’s time for a mindset shift when it comes to price.   In this episode, Mark shares how focusing on benefits and outcomes rather than features and/or price enables salespeople to command better prices and foster enduring customer relationships.   Learn to break the bad habit of selling on price and what must come before we even put one on the table.    → Have a sales skill that needs work? Check out The Sales Hunter University for courses on Email Prospecting, Phone Prospecting, Following Up, and much more.

Finding purpose beyond the numbers…w/ Jon Alwinson.   Mark and Jon share their strategies for salespeople and sales managers to excel and lead in the competitive world of sales.    From morning routines to how to grow existing accounts, Mark and Jon lay out the foundation of a great sales career.    They delve into the crucial aspect of identity and purpose, encouraging salespeople to find value beyond numbers and embrace a greater mission to avoid burnout and achieve true greatness.   ◩ About the Guest ◩   Jon is a Senior Regional Sales Manager at Boston Science and author of ‘Relentless Sales’.  Learn more about Jon, his book, or download three free chapters here.

When a quarter is over, have you fallen for reworking your goals or numbers? In this episode, Mark shares the true path to achieving your numbers—and it’s not through your goals!   Mark shares how to rework your activities to move you closer to meeting your goals this year.  → Have a sales skill that needs work? Check out The Sales Hunter University for courses on Email Prospecting, Phone Prospecting, Following Up, and much more.

w/ Richard Harris…   What experience is your customer looking for?    In this episode, Mark and Richard flip the script on the buyer's journey narrative and introduce you to the concept of the seller's journey. Sales and marketing don't just influence the path but construct it, encouraging a focus on the buyer's experience rather than the journey itself.   The conversation takes a turn as Mark and Richard also share their perspectives on the relationship between mindset and discipline, persona-driven sales strategies, and even AI.    Listen at → 17’33” for Richard’s NEAT Principles of Selling. ◩ About the Guest ◩   Richard Harris is the founder of The Harris Consulting Group specializing in full funnel sales training and operational guidance.  He’s also the author of Owning Your Job Search and The Seller’s Journey, and co-founder of the Surf and Sales conference.

You can’t close anybody until you first convert them. But in order to convert them, the value prop must make sense AND be one of their top priorities. Otherwise you’re dead in the water.   In this episode, Mark shares how converting goes both ways. Successful salespeople must listen to the customer to identify their challenges, but also to see how their value prop needs to change accordingly. ▣ Get more from this series at our award-winning blog, here.    ↪ Scroll through previous episodes for more of this series: The 7 C’s of Successful Sales Hunting: Start at Ep. 175!

w/ Derek Roberts... The more you know the more you’re prone to winging it. Don’t miss the opportunity to prepare appropriately! Preparation allows salespeople to be present. Could you enhance your sales through authentic listening and connection?   Derek Roberts joins the podcast to talk listening—to customers, and to the voices in your head. Mark and Derek discuss how salespeople jump to solutions when the customer hasn’t even bought into the need yet.   Salespeople cannot be victims. It’s not about a better product, a better market, etc. Mark and Derek invite us to take charge of the impact you can have on customers, and of what you can achieve.    Great salespeople are opportunity makers. Listen to this episode to take a look in the mirror and see that YOU are the determining factor.    ▣ Get more practical sales tips at our award-winning blog, here.      ◩ About the Guest ◩ Derek Roberts is an Executive Partner with Integrity Solutions and Chief Executive of Roberts Business Group. He is a sales coach, keynote speaker, author most recently of Listen to Sell.

Conversations. Referrals. Gratitude. These elements are not just about being courteous, but are strategic moves that can significantly impact your sales outcomes.   Mark teaches how to shift your messages from noise to necessity by focusing on benefits over features. Learn why simply pushing a sale won't cut it, and how delivering value through education is the key to unlocking meaningful engagement.   ▣ Get more from this series from our award-winning blog, here.

Have you ever wondered how to cut through the noise and make selling simple? Scott Schilling joins us to strip down the complexities of selling, revealing the core of a successful sales strategy: identify the problem, provide the solution.   Mark and Scott demystify the art of sales, emphasizing the power of quality questions and the significance of adopting a servant mindset to uncover what customers truly need.   Features are great. But it’s the benefit that the customer buys. Which are you focusing on?   👀 Pay attention at 12’48” for excellent questions to use on your next prospecting call!  ◩ About the Guest ◩   Scott Schilling is a coach, speaker, author, and owner of Schilling Sales & Marketing Inc. His focus is to help others grow their businesses, increase their bottom line and ultimately live a far more fulfilled life.

Capture your customers’ attention, or risk them checking out quickly. Consider Mark’s five questions about your current communication style:   Is your communication factual or emotional? Does your communication engage the other person? Does your communication create confidence or uncertainty? Does your communication have a purpose? Does your communication reflect who you are and leave the customer in a better state?     ↪ It’s not too late to register for Wednesday’s FREE webinar with Mark Hunter and Meridith Elliott Powell. Get their 'Top 5 Ways to Increase Your Sales Results' 3/13 at 1:00 p.m. CT LIVE or watch the replay.

w/ Sam Richter… We welcome back AI and ChatGPT expert Sam Richter as he teaches step-by-step how to input custom instructions for generative AI in order to get great results.    Mark and Sam discuss effective applications for generative AI (such as ChatGPT) and when to use your research skills elsewhere. Sam details how he sets up each prompt for success by priming the AI with a persona, goal, intended audience, etc.    You may not be replaced by AI, but could definitely be by another salesperson who can use it well. Which will you choose to be?   ▶ Join Mark Hunter & Meridith Elliott Powell for a powerful webinar: Top 5 Ways to Increase Your Sales Results. March 13th at 2:00 PM EST. Register here!     ◩ About the Guest ◩ Sam Richter is considered one of the world’s foremost Sales Intelligence and digital reputation experts, a Hall of Fame speaker, and best-selling author.

Confidence is contagious. Arrogance is contagious, too. However, customers want to buy from confident salespeople. In fact, a customer who trusts the salesperson will always pay more.    Mark shares the guidelines of a confident salesperson, and how they sell with assertiveness but never ego. Mark also details how to cultivate confidence that’s anchored in serving your customers.   ▣ Get more from this series at our award-winning blog, here.    ↪ Tune in next Monday for more of this series: The 7 C’s of Successful Sales Hunting

w/ Beth Ayers… Inside the mind of a COO: Your insider guide to influencing the C-suite and bridging the gap to executive approval.   Join Mark and Beth as they bust myth after myth about how to succeed with the C-suite. As a member of the C-suite that has signed off on as well as blocked multiple deals, Beth offers insight into the decision-making of an executive.    Mark and Beth talk do’s and don'ts for demos to the c-suite, working with your ‘champion’ and other decision-makers—even what to do when you’re ghosted.  ◩ About the Guest ◩ Bethany Ayers served as a COO in London, UK and now works as a board member and advisor to three AI companies.  You can listen to Beth’s podcast: The Operations Room: A Podcast for COO’s here.

Credibility is the foundation of being trustworthy. It’s not just what you know, but how you answer customer questions when you don’t know, too. More than product knowledge, it’s about you.    Mark also delves into being the same person your online profile says you are, as oftentimes the sale begins right there.  ▣ Get more from this series at our award-winning blog, here.    ↪ Tune in next Monday for more of this series: The 7 C’s of Successful Sales Hunting

w/ Jake Thompson… Top sales performers don’t automatically make great sales leaders or managers. It’s a different skill set entirely. Great sales managers don’t just oversee spreadsheets, they coach their people, too.    Mark and Jake discuss how to manage the tasks and processes of a sales leader, but also get to know, develop, and coach each person. This episode also dives into the importance of leading and developing yourself before you can inspire others. ✓ Click for a free download of: Sales Leader Rules of Engagement.   ▣ Find Jake Thompson’s book Lead Better Now here on Amazon.

It’s not about hustling, it’s about sticking to a system that works. Mark continues his series on the 7C’s diving into consistency—being able to do any sales process in a repetitive manner.    Are you consistent in WHO you’re selling to? How you sell? What you sell? In your follow-up?   Mark shares about the importance of a uniform sales process that you customize along the way.    ▣ Get more from this series at our award-winning blog, here.   ↪ Tune in next Monday for more of: The 7 C’s of Successful Sales Hunting