In this episode of the Win Rate Podcast, Andy welcomes Leslie Venetz, founder of The Sales-Led GTM Agency. They discuss positive and negative sales trends for 2025, noting the comeback of cold calling, hints that meaningful human interaction is on a positive trend, and the detrimental effects of 'Spam the TAM' email tactics. They talk about the importance of personalized, insightful communications over generic automation, and understanding customer value and showing genuine interest in buyers to foster better sales relationships.

Takeaways:
AI tools primarily benefit top performers in sales.
Time management is crucial for sales success.
Understanding buyer needs is essential for effective selling.
AI does not inherently motivate or improve average performers.
Sales productivity should focus on revenue generated per hour.
Effective use of AI requires strategic thinking and planning.
Sales leaders should analyze time spent on opportunities to improve efficiency.
Automation can lead to cutting corners rather than enhancing productivity.
Sales effectiveness is about helping buyers make progress.
The future of AI in sales will depend on how well we adapt our strategies.

In this episode of the Win Rate Podcast, Andy welcomes Besnik Vrellaku, CEO of Salesflow.io. They discuss the current state of B2B sales, emphasizing the necessity for sellers to better leverage their existing leads rather than merely generating more. Besnik talks about the importance of connecting lead generation with win rates through intelligent automation and market alignment. He and Andy also get into the evolving role of AI in sales, exploring its potential to enhance prospecting and deal execution while retaining the essential human touch in customer relationships, and underscore the enduring significance of trust and personal interaction in high-stakes sales scenarios.

Today, Andy welcomes long-time friend of the show Vince Beese, Fractional CRO & Sales Consultant at The Start Up CRO, to discuss the evolution of sales strategies, particularly focused on remote work and the challenges faced by sales teams. He and Andy explore the importance of focusing on win rates, and the need for effective coaching and management in sales. Vince shares insights on the future of B2B sales, emphasizing the significance of top performers and the necessity of adapting to changing market dynamics. They also dig into the intricacies of sales performance, discussing the importance of high performance metrics, the debate between individual and team quotas, innovative compensation strategies, and the significance of securing big deals for revenue growth. They also discuss the need for effective coaching and collaboration within sales teams to enhance overall performance.

Today Andy is joined by special guests, Carole Mahoney, Founder of Unbound Growth, Paul Fuller, CRO at Membrain, and Sean Burke, Executive Advisor & Interim CRO at SBI, The Growth Advisory

To begin, the group dissects the tagline "how you sell matters" and explore the nuances of the sales process. They analyze factors that influence the selection of a vendor, the role of trust and adaptability, and the power of understanding the buyer's business.

But it's not just about the process or methodology. It's about how individuals adopt and personalize these techniques for the buyer's experience. We'll explore the consequences of unrealistic goals and pressure on sales teams, as well as the impact of confidence and client satisfaction on sales performance.

The roundtable challenges conventional beliefs about sales, debunking the negative stereotypes often associated with the profession, and shed light on the true meaning of sales as a collaborative exchange of value and emphasize the importance of actively listening to clients.

Host Andy Paul is the expert on modern B2B selling and author of three best-selling, award-winning sales books, including his latest Sell Without Selling Out. Visit andypaul.com to subscribe to his newsletter for even more strategies and tips to accelerate your win rate!

Today on The Win Rate Podcast, Andy welcomes Keith Peiris, Co-Founder and CEO of Tome, to discuss the rapidly evolving landscape of sales technology, particularly the role of AI in enhancing the sales processes. They emphasize the importance of human creativity in sales, the need to reframe the sales process to focus on helping buyers make decisions, and the significance of understanding customer needs. They also touch on the metrics that matter in sales, the shift in buyer-seller dynamics, and the future of sales technology.

Host Andy Paul is the expert on modern B2B selling and author of three best-selling, award-winning sales books, including his latest Sell Without Selling Out. Visit andypaul.com to subscribe to his newsletter for even more strategies and tips to accelerate your win rate.

Takeaways:

AI can help identify patterns in sales processes.
Sales is fundamentally a creative act that requires human involvement.
The focus should shift from selling more to helping buyers make decisions.
Win rates are the most important metric for sales effectiveness.
Sales technology has often missed the opportunity to enhance buyer experiences.
Building relationships and understanding customers is crucial for sales success.
Sales strategies need to adapt to the changing dynamics of buyer-seller interactions.
Effective sales processes should prioritize creativity and problem-solving.
The future of sales technology lies in open-ended, flexible tools.
Time spent with customers compounds into greater sales opportunities.

Welcome back to the Win Rate Podcast. Today Andy welcomes Mehdi Tehranchi, CEO of KnowledgeNet.ai, to discuss the transformative role of AI in sales, emphasizing the shift from transactional selling to a model focused on helping the buyer make a decision and creating relationships with a little help from AI, or as Mehdi likes to call it, 'augmented intelligence.' Mehdi highlights how AI can enhance decision-making, improve sales preparation, and foster better relationships between sellers and buyers. He and Andy also talk about the importance of differentiating in competitive markets and the need for companies to adopt AI strategically to maximize efficiency and effectiveness in their sales processes.

Host Andy Paul is the expert on modern B2B selling and author of three best-selling, award-winning sales books, including his latest Sell Without Selling Out. Visit andypaul.com to subscribe to his newsletter for even more strategies and tips to accelerate your win rate.

Welcome to a very special and important episode of the Win Rate Podcast. Andy brings you a profound discussion about the intersection of mental health, sobriety, and sales culture. He is joined by panelists Marin Nelson, Founder and CEO of Sobrynth, a startup providing substance use disorder solutions to employers, Lindsey Boggs, VP of Global Business Development at DG Matrix, and Earl Murphy, Enterprise AE at Salesforce and Soberforce President.

They begin by talking about the creation of SoberForce, a supportive community for individuals in recovery at Salesforce, and the broader implications for corporate America. They dive into their personal journeys of sobriety sharing their experiences, the impact on their careers, the challenges of navigating a sales environment often centered around alcohol, and the importance of creating recovery-friendly workplaces.

They also share their experiences and insights on how to foster a culture that supports mental health and sobriety, and the need for systemic change in how companies address substance use disorders. They wrap up by explaining the concept of 'sober curious' and the role of leadership in breaking the stigma surrounding addiction.

Host Andy Paul is the expert on modern B2B selling and author of three best-selling, award-winning sales books, including his latest Sell Without Selling Out. Visit andypaul.com to subscribe to his newsletter for even more strategies and tips to accelerate your win rate.

Happy New Year and welcome back to a new episode of The Win Rate Podcast! Andy is joined by two long-time friends and sales veterans, Charlie Green, Co-Author of the legendary book, 'Trusted Advisor' and Founder of Trusted Advisor Associates, and sales consulting expert and Founder and CEO of Partners in Excellence, Dave Brock.

They start off the top, digging into the importance of establishing trust in sales, especially in an era heavily focused on products over customer relationships, and how what is sometimes dismissed as old school, is more important than ever. They discuss the impact of AI, the need for genuine human connections, and the deficiencies in current sales training practices that neglect essential trust-building and communication skills. They also talk about empathy, curiosity, and understanding being the core qualities in fostering effective and trusted sales interactions.

Host Andy Paul is the expert on modern B2B selling and author of three best-selling, award-winning sales books, including his latest Sell Without Selling Out. Visit andypaul.com to subscribe to his newsletter for even more strategies and tips to accelerate your win rate.