Sales Gravy: Jeb Blount

WARNING: This Monday’s message will be one of the most powerful hacks you’ll ever integrate into your life—because it’s simple, easy to put into practice, and it works. It has the potential, over the course of time, to change everything for you. It’s the BTN method, and I learned it from a friend of mine who completely transformed his life and his habits by mastering this one straight-forward tactic. Forgiving Yourself When You Get Off Track In James Clear’s book, Atomic Habits, he talks about a strategy for making a habit stick: never miss two days in a row. In other words, if you mess up on Monday—if you skip your workout or drop the ball on your new habit—you give yourself permission to let it go. But get right back on track by Tuesday. You never miss two days in a row and allow those mistakes to pile up and push you right back into the bad habit you are trying to change. I love this advice because it reminds us we’re all human. We’re going to slip up. Life happens—kids get sick, you get sick, clients

On the surface, you’d think that “selling” and “asking” go hand in hand. In reality, salespeople at all experience levels often hesitate, tiptoe around, or dodge direct closes because they’re afraid of rejection, worried about coming across as pushy, or insecure about asking. On this episode of the Sales Gravy Podcast, Jeb Blount explores why salespeople fear asking for the sale and what to do about it with author and Sales Gravy University instructor, Tony Morris  Every salesperson starts somewhere. Tony Morris started turning a profit buying 10 pounds of sweets from a shop and selling them for 20 pounds. Before that, he sold car washing door to door. But before all that, he spent hours watching his father prep for sales calls in the mirror, honing his language and mastering his message. It drove home one idea for a young Tony: To be a sales success, you have to practice, practice, practice learning how to ask for the sale.  The Fear Factor That Holds Salespeople Back From Asking for the Sale T

Elli in Galveston, Texas, faces a scenario that many young sales professionals know all too well: How do you earn respect and project confidence in selling when you’re dealing with people who are older and more experienced than you? Ellie’s question highlights a universal issue in sales. Whether you’re dealing with age differences or expertise gaps, it’s easy to feel anxious if your buyer is decades older or has been in the industry for a long time. Below, you’ll find practical strategies to bridge that confidence gap, project authority, and demonstrate a relaxed assertiveness that resonates with prospects of any age. 1. Recognize That It’s Mostly in Your Head A significant part of Ellie’s challenge stems from internal dialogue rather than external facts. As I reminded her, rarely will a prospect openly declare, “I don’t respect you because you’re young.” Instead, we often impose that narrative on ourselves. Negative Self-TalkTelling yourself, “They’ll never take me seriously,” can become a self-fulf

A few weeks back, I was delivering a Fanatical Prospecting Bootcamp to a group of sales reps - all in their 20s.  They had been assigned to me because their boss was tired of listening to their excuses about why they weren’t consistently picking up the phone and prospecting.  When he brought me in, he said matter of factly: “They won’t pay any attention to me, but before I start firing people, I’m hoping you can get through to them.” The reps didn’t want to be there. It was a hostile audience from the start.  Just as I kicked off the training, one of the reps challenged me with, “Your book Fanatical Prospecting was written a long time ago. Is it even relevant anymore?” His sneering words were more of a statement than a question.  Cold Calling is Old School Distraction Like many reluctant prospectors, he wanted to engage in a distracting argument over whether or not outbound telephone prospecting (a.k.a cold calling) was old school. He wanted validation that his avoidance of prospecting was OK, and to make

Is your website truly working as hard as your sales team? In today’s competitive digital landscape, your website isn’t just an online brochure—it can be one of your best salespeople. Podcaster and influencer Sam Dunning joins The Sales Gravy Podcast to discuss the Caveman Grunt Website Test, why effective SEO strategies are never a one-and-done exercise, and how to build and how to maximize website performance for consistent sales growth. If your site isn’t converting visitors into customers, it’s time to rethink your approach. In this blog post, we’ll show you how to apply Dunning’s key strategies to turn your website into a dynamic, lead-generating sales machine. Key Takeaways: Caveman Grunt Website Test: Follow the “We do X that solves Y” formula for clarity and effective conversion. Understanding Customer Pain Points: Craft landing pages that directly address customer pain points using simple, jargon-free solutions. Leveraging Podcasts for Lead Generation: Use podcasting to build authority, get re

Zack in Defiance, Ohio, faces a unique challenge that might sound specific at first but is more common than you think: he can only close a deal if his customer closes a deal of their own first. In other words, they must “sell” a project to their own clients before Zack’s solution can come into play. This scenario appears in industries like construction, engineering, software licensing, and more. The conversation with Zack revealed practical strategies you can use to overcome these hurdles and keep your own pipeline healthy. Welcome to another Ask Jeb segment on the Sales Gravy Podcast! I’m Jeb Blount—bestselling author of Fanatical Prospecting, Objections, Sales EQ, and INKED. In each of these special episodes, we shine a spotlight on your questions, challenges, and roadblocks—offering real-world advice from sales pros who are in the trenches every single day. 1. Recognize the Real-World Obstacles Whether your customer has to bid on government contracts, secure large client projects, or get internal buy-

On this first Monday of the second month of the year, it’s time for a gut check. First we need to check where we are against our new year goals. Next we need to take stock of our first month sales performance and make adjustments. We’re just a little more than 30 days away from our new year intentions, resolutions, and goals. A month ago, we set out into the new year with hope and ambition that this year would be our best ever and that we’d make positive lasting changes in our lives.  It’s Easy to Slip Off the Track You’ll remember that discipline is sacrificing what you want now for what you want most. But as time goes by and sticking with new habits gets more challenging, it’s easy to forget what motivated us to make the changes in the first place. It’s easy to let down our guard and go back to our comfort zone. The farther away we get from our intentions, the more likely it is that we allow our discipline to slip and get off track. It’s just human nature.  Small Slips in Discipline Can Add Up Quickly Let

Insights into embracing conflict, staying mindful, battling internal doubt, and communicating effectively from motivational speaker and co-founder of The Constance Group Brian Parsley. Key Takeaways Conflict Isn’t the Enemy: Whether it’s internal (“me-me”) or between you and others, conflict can be a catalyst for growth if handled with empathy and awareness. Self-Awareness Is Critical: Recognize when you’re slipping into negative self-talk or procrastination. Do one uncomfortable thing on purpose to regain momentum. Mindfulness Works: A short pause before responding can prevent knee-jerk reactions and help you focus on problem-solving instead of point-scoring. Communication Styles Differ: Tailor your approach to the other person’s style, and clarify misunderstandings by asking what they actually heard. Find a Coach or Mentor: Don’t underestimate the value of someone else’s perspective. A coach sees the “swing flaws” in your sales approach that you might never notice on your own.   https://www.you

If you’ve been banging your head against the wall trying to get your team (or yourself!) to prospect consistently, these tips are for you. In this episode, I answer a question from Paul in Rancho Cucamonga, California, who’s building and leading a remote sales team in the logistics industry and needs to find a way to get his salespeople to prospect consistently . Then I tackle a follow-up question from a sales leader at one of our live events on how to keep his salespeople motivated to prospect every day.   Paul’s Challenge: Driving Consistent Prospecting Call Blocks Paul leads a medium-sized logistics company with reps spread out in California, Utah, and El Salvador. He’s already done a great job by running a book club around my book, Fanatical Prospecting, but he needed practical tips for ensuring his team actually implements daily call blocks. Here’s the advice I shared: Make Prospecting a Daily Conversation As a leader, you need to talk about prospecting every single day. Yes, you’ll feel like a bro

As humans, we naturally fear rejection and do everything possible to avoid it. We’re social creatures at our core, and being rejected feels like we’re being shunned, banished, or kicked out of the group. In fact, the two biggest human fears are rejection and death—and as strange as this may sound, in our hearts we fear rejection more than we fear death. This, by the way, is a huge problem in sales because, as a sales professional, it’s your job to go out into the world, find rejection, and bring it home. And even though objections are not really rejection, it can still feel that way. It’s the fear of rejection that makes selling so difficult for most people—and why most people will never do your job. Sales is such a lucrative career choice simply because it’s a rejection-dense job. Companies are willing to pay big bucks to rainmakers who can control their emotions, face rejection head-on, and find a way to win. Ask and You Shall Receive The good news is that if you fear rejection and want to avoid it at all

Sales Leadership is a continuous journey of self-awareness, connection, and growth. By cultivating courage, emotional intelligence, and authenticity, leaders can navigate challenges effectively and inspire their teams to reach new heights. Through active listening, thoughtful decision-making, and a focus on personal and collective improvement, leaders create environments where individuals and teams can thrive. In this episode of The Sales Gravy Podcast, Keith Lubner is joined by Markus Neukom to delve into the key traits and practices of  effective sales leaders, including self-awareness, emotional intelligence, and authenticity. Key Takeaways: - Courage in Leadership: Effective sales leaders need the courage to act on their potential without fear of success or failure. This courage often differentiates genuine leadership from insecure or arrogant behaviors. - Emotional Intelligence Development: Emotional intelligence begins with self-awareness. Leaders must understand themselves before they can effectivel

Ron wants to know how to get CEOs to actually answer his cold calls (or at least respond). He runs a recruiting firm and finds that his cold calls to top executives often go unanswered, and it’s driving him nuts. He wants to know if there’s a better way to break through all the noise—or if he just needs to buckle down and make more calls. On this Ask Jeb podcast episode I give Ron specific strategies for connecting with hard-to-reach prospects like CEOs.   Why Sales Feels Harder Than Ever Let’s face it: sales is tough, and it’s not getting any easier. With an explosion of AI-driven messages and automated outreach, our prospects—especially C-suite executives—are tuning out more than ever. We call this phenomenon the “great ignore.” If you don’t stand out from the torrent of spam, you will get lost in the shuffle. Ron’s question—“Do I just need to make more calls, or is there some next-best method?”—is a dilemma many of us face. The short answer? It’s both. You do need volume, but you also have to differen

Here’s an important question: Are you coachable?  Now, before you jump to answer that, I want you to pause and really think about what being coachable or coachability really means. "Coachability" is essential for top performance in sales - and for that matter ANY endeavor. It simply describes how receptive you are to feedback and guidance; AND, how willingly and effectively you apply coaching to improve your performance.  Coachability is an open mindset—being flexible, adaptable, the willingness to learn and consider different perspectives, and inviting criticism and critique—without getting defensive.  It’s about keeping yourself from slipping into the “I already know it all” or “There’s nothing new here” trap or deciding flatly that you don’t need help because you’re just that good.  Mindset and Self-Awareness True coachability begins with a belief that you can improve and a deep seated desire to grow. This belief opens the door to being more receptive to feedback and coaching.  It also requires self-a

Sales leadership demands the ability to adapt, motivate, and guide teams toward consistent, high-level performance. In this episode of The Sales Gravy Podcast,  Jeb Blount is joined by Charley Bible of KaTom to discuss key strategies for sales leaders, focusing on teamwork, skill refinement, and the power of effective coaching. These insights bridge the gap between individual development and team success, offering actionable takeaways for anyone in sales leadership. Key Takeaways: - Team Collaboration Creates Wins: Focusing on the team rather than individual achievements builds a culture of collaboration and shared purpose. Sales leaders who emphasize collective success foster environments where everyone contributes, elevating overall performance and morale. - Energizing Through Friendly Competition: Workplace challenges—like those inspired by sports or creative competitions—inject energy into teams. Sales leaders can use these lighthearted activities to foster camaraderie, engagement, and a sense of fun tha

Eric in Lewiston, Maine, asks how to use last year’s data to create and accurate sales plans and evaluate software tools (like CRMs and ZoomInfo) to make those goals happen. Sales planning is vital—without a roadmap, you’re just hoping your revenue targets magically come to life. If you haven’t defined clear performance metrics—like call activity, lead generation, conversion rates, or daily prospecting targets—then you don’t really have a plan. You have a wish list. Looking Back at Last Year: Which Metrics Matter? Eric wanted to know which metrics from the previous year he and his team should be analyzing to inform this year's targets. The short answer? All of them, if they are metrics that matter to your business goals. Consider: Conversion Rates from Inbound Leads Speed to Lead (How fast are you following up?) Outbound Touches vs. Opportunities in Pipeline Opportunities-to-Proposal Ratios Proposal-to-Closed Deals Ratios Upsells, Cross-Sells, and Expansion Deals By mapping out how each step

I’m hearing sob stories from leaders and individuals everywhere who are waking up to the cold, hard truth that they are staring down the barrel of a thin or empty pipeline. If you are in this situation and don’t have enough pipe to cover your number—either for this month or the first quarter—then you need to take action now to close that gap because  getting behind your number at the beginning of the year means loads of stress and chasing your tail - for the rest of the quarter or the entire year if you get too far behind.   Your Empty Pipeline Started Last Month Stepping back for a moment, the reason your pipeline is empty today can usually be traced back to your sales activity in November or December. Some teams get tunnel vision in the fourth quarter. They focus on closing deals and finishing the year strong but fail to balance that with prospecting activity for the future. Other folks just get distracted by the holidays and let the final weeks of the year slip by without prospecting to fill the pipe w

In this episode of The Sales Gravy Podcast, Jeb Blount, Jr. is joined by Deb Sellinger to explore the power of resilience and adaptability in entrepreneurship. Hear Deb's inspiring story about overcoming challenges, building businesses that align with personal values, and creating a clear vision for sustainable success. Key Takeaways - Resilience as a Skill: Resilience is not innate. It can be cultivated through intentional practice and perseverance, even in the face of significant challenges. - Impact Over Income: Prioritizing making an impact over chasing financial rewards can lead to greater fulfillment and long-term success. - Adapting After Loss: Balancing personal grief with professional responsibilities requires courage and discipline to maintain stability for those relying on your leadership. - Reinvention of Business Models: Adapting or reinventing a business model to align with personal values or market changes can drive growth and create operational efficiencies. - Facing Judgment with Integrit

Welcome to a new segment of the Sales Gravy Podcast called Ask Jeb! I believe sales professionals are the heartbeat of the economy. You’re the ones generating revenue for your organization and fueling innovations that keep businesses thriving. Without your hustle, your company doesn’t move forward—and, frankly, neither does the global economy. You’re the elite athletes of the business world. Ask Jeb is about you and your real world challenges. It's your agenda and you are in control. On this Sales Gravy Podcast segment, I answer your burning questions on driving revenue, growing your pipeline, leading your teams, and staying ahead of the competition. If you want to get on the show with me and ask your question, sign up HERE Question One: Cutting Through the Noise When Prospecting  Bob from Tullahoma, Tennessee (whom we affectionately call “Outbound Bob” because he’s been to our Outbound Conference so many times!) asked a critical question: “Moving into next year, what prospecting advice, piece of technolog

Happy New Sales Year! This is the first Monday of the year. The slate is clean. The opportunity to excel, to level up, to make this your best year ever is yours for the taking. The world is your oyster. It’s time to shake off distractions, get focused, and execute. As we look forward to the next twelve months, there are only three things you control. Your actions, reactions, and mindset. Actions You have absolute control over your actions. These are the choices you make about how you spend your time, what you prioritize, and where you focus. Choose the right actions and you are going to have a great year; the wrong actions, not so much. And when it comes to choosing how and on what you invest your time, commit to being ruthless about what you prioritize.Do the things that have the greatest impact on revenue generation, hitting your sales numbers, and achieving your personal goals. Reactions You have control over how you react and respond to the many challenges you will face over the next twelve months. And

Discover the secrets to lead follow up and conversion after trade show, conference, and events. On this episode of The Sales Gravy Podcast, Harriet Mellor shares proven strategies for maximizing trade show ROI with personalized outreach, leveraging CRM tools, and building lasting relationships that convert leads into valuable long-term customers. Key Takeaways: - Follow-up Touchpoints: An eight-touchpoint follow-up strategy is recommended, with touchpoints spread over a 12-week period, incorporating multiple communication methods like email, phone, social media, and video. - Importance of Patience: Building relationships and converting leads into customers takes time. Long sales cycles, such as 20 months for some deals, highlight the need for persistence and patience. - Consistent Outreach: Regular and consistent communication helps ensure that leads don’t forget about the company or its offerings. - Tracking Interactions: Meticulous tracking of every touchpoint and interaction provides insight into what