S6E20 - Chris Cicconi - Freelance Hustle: Navigating all the Ups and Downs
Surf and Sales
Chris Cicconi joins the Surf and Sales Podcast to discuss what it was like to officially cut the W2 cord and go out on his own. Topics include... Importance of focusing on revenue-generating activities vs. getting bogged down in branding/marketing tasks when starting a consulting business Strategies for building a sustainable client base through networking, partnerships, and leveraging your personal brand Challenges of scaling a consulting business too quickly and the risks of over-hiring/overhead Benefits of maintaining multiple income streams and not being overly reliant on a single client...
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S6E19 - Sean Tepper Navigating Sales and Investing in Turbulent Times
Surf and Sales
In this episode of the Surface Sales Podcast, we sit down with Sean Tepper, the founder of Tykr, a SaaS platform that helps investors make informed decisions in the stock market. Sean shares his expertise on building a successful SaaS business, as well as his insights on the current state of the market and how investors can navigate the turbulence. Key Takeaways: Sean discusses the importance of focusing on product-market fit and churn rates as key metrics for SaaS growth. He shares his strategies for building partnerships and leveraging channel sales to scale a SaaS business. Sean provides...
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S6E18 - Shawn Sease Fixing Cold Calling in the SDR Industrial Complex
Surf and Sales
The Professor of Prospecting reveals why cold calling isn't dead but your approach might be killing you. The founder of INeverAnswer.com, Sean Sease, shares his deep expertise on effective outbound prospecting and why the traditional cold calling approach fails for most companies. Key topics covered: Why there's no "secret sauce" in prospecting—it's about doing the work properly The surprising data on follow-up calls generating 2-12x more meetings than first-time connects How to rethink your first-call objectives to build a pipeline of follow-ups Sean's innovative "Round Table"...
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S6E17 - Eric Iannello - Surf's Up, Prospects Down: Riding the Waves of Relationship-Driven Sales
Surf and Sales
In this episode of the Surf and Sales podcast, hosts Richard, Scott, and special guest Eric Iannello, Head of Sales at Commsor, dive deep into the evolving landscape of sales outreach. The discussion covers a range of topics, including: Eric's journey from experiencing consecutive layoffs to embracing a network-driven sales approach, and how that shaped his perspective on the value of relationships. The pros and cons of leveraging AI and automation in the sales process, particularly when it comes to managing warm introductions and preserving the human element of prospecting. The panelists'...
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S6E16 - Kevin Hopp - How AI Will Destroy Sales Reps (But Make Them Superheroes)
Surf and Sales
Richard and Kevin go head-to-head in an epic battle of sales tactics, AI hype, and generational warfare. Discover the secret to booking meetings on Discord and why email will never die (no matter how hard we try). And how the future of the top of funnel will begin in Reddit more than Google This episode has it all - don't miss out!
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S6E15 - Anis Bennaceur - Finally, A Founder Who Got it Right
Surf and Sales
In this episode of Surf and Sales, Richard Harris and Scott Leese interview Anis Bennaceur, CEO and co-founder of Attention.com, a platform revolutionizing sales with AI agents that automate sales conversations. Anis shares his journey from hacking web servers as a kid to working at Tinder in its early days, and then founding his own startups. The most fascinating revelation? He joined forces with his biggest competitor to create Attention.com after years of "waging war" against each other. Key highlights: Why Attention.com's AI was able to identify the exact reason a six-figure deal was...
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S6E14 - Mark Ackers - How to Know Your Sales Leader Doesn't Care
Surf and Sales
Scott Leese and Richard Harris talk with Mark Ackers, founder of My Sales Coach, about the massive disconnect in sales coaching today. Mark reveals shocking stats from his 1,600-person survey showing 38% of reps rarely or never receive coaching, while 90% of leaders claim they coach monthly. Mark also shares his personal journey from mediocre sales rep to successful founder, including the brutal first coaching session that changed everything. The hosts also explore the future of coaching with AI and why human coaches will remain essential for accountability and relationship building. Key...
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S6E12 - John Karsant - Being Honest Being Good in Sales
Surf and Sales
In this episode of the Surf and Sales Podcast, Scott Leese and Richard Harris are joined by John Karsant, Founder and CEO of Level Up Leads, an appointment setting and sales development agency. Key Topics Covered: How Level Up Leads helps companies implement sales campaigns and book more demos Why only 8% of companies report positive experiences with outsourced sales development The importance of setting realistic expectations with clients How to stand out in a commoditized industry Latest effective cold calling tactics that are working in 2025 The debate on permission-based openers vs....
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S6E13 - AJ Mahar and Butch Hudson The Science of High-Velocity Transactional Sales: Proven Scripts That Make Money Tomorrow
Surf and Sales
Are you struggling to close more deals in your transactional sales role? Looking for a scientific approach that actually works in the real world? In this value-packed episode of the Surf and Sales podcast, hosts Scott Leese and Richard Harris welcome AJ Mahar and Butch Hodson, co-authors of "Sales Lab Scripting: The Proven Playbook to Scientifically Crush Your Sales Goals" and sales performance leaders at Sellfire. AJ and Butch have perfected the art and science of transactional sales. They share their journey from discovering the power of a single effective script (which doubled or tripled...
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S6E11 - Melissa Gaglione - Turning Passion into Profits
Surf and Sales
Senior Sales Manager at Warmly and CEO and Founder of AsyncSalesCo joins us on the podcast today. Melissa shares her incredible career transformation from elementary school teacher and news reporter to a successful sales professional and entrepreneur. Key Highlights: Navigating career transitions from education to journalism to sales Strategies for identifying and following market opportunities Insights into signal-based selling and AI-powered demand generation Advice for early-stage sales leaders on prioritizing learning and growth The importance of understanding your industry and...
info_outlineMark Fleming a true entreprenurial spirt with a true Fortune exit and shares his experience on turning a non-technical industry into a tech approach with an old school pen and paper company. And then how to stay motivated post exit.
What are you waiting for? Time to reserve your spot at www.surfandsales.com