The Truth About Value-Based Selling That Most Salespeople Never Learn
Building Your Sales Engine
Mark McGraw sits down with Josh Pitchford to unpack one of the most misunderstood concepts in sales: Value. You’ll learn what it actually means to deliver value, why it’s different for every buyer, and how to uncover it by focusing on the customer's needs. To find our handout for this episode, click . Tune in to hear practical tips, real-world insights, and a fresh perspective on value-based selling. Josh starts by explaining why most salespeople struggle with “bringing value” in sales: Because we assume we know what the other person wants. According to Josh, value is one of the most...
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Breaking Into New Markets with Harris Fogel
Building Your Sales Engine
Mark McGraw sits down with Harris Fogel, founder of TechCPG—a company that helps organizations break into the U.S. market and work with consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies. To find our handout for this episode, click . You’ll learn how to enter new markets, define your ideal client profile, and build a go-to-market strategy that actually gets results. Tune in to hear Harris break down what it really takes to succeed in the U.S. market, the benefits of having a local guide in a new market, and how to win over your first customers in a brand-new region. Harris starts by sharing how...
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The 3 Rules That Transformed My Sales Career — And My Life — with Terry Turley
Building Your Sales Engine
Mark McGraw sits down with Terry Turley, the Senior National Sales Director at Primerica. Terry shares the habits and principles behind his extraordinary rise from a nervous, struggling salesperson to leading over 600 offices across the country. You’ll learn why systems, accountability, and a guiding life philosophy are essential to winning both professionally and personally. To find our handout for this episode, click . Tune in to hear practical insights on mastering sales with authenticity, the power of lifelong learning, and how to build a sustainable, purpose-driven career. Terry...
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Grow Your Pipeline Through Strategic Partners with Sheri Spencer Bachman
Building Your Sales Engine
Mark McGraw sits down with Sheri Spencer Bachman to unpack what really makes business partnerships work. Sheri shares practical insight on how to choose the right referral partners, why trust is the key to stronger business relationships, and what it takes to build a network that keeps sending you business. To find our handout for this episode, click . Tune in to learn how to design a strategic partnership strategy that wins you more leads, better clients, and long-lasting partnerships. Sheri starts by revealing how she met Mark—he walked into her office 18 years ago. No hard sell, just a...
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Inside the Mind of Top Salespeople with Tim Geisert
Building Your Sales Engine
Mark McGraw sits down with Tim Geisert to break down how to be a great salesperson in today’s ultra-competitive market. To find our handout for this episode, click . Tim shares practical strategies for building trust, navigating complex deals, and identifying top performers—not just by talent, but by the competencies they bring to the table. Learn how to avoid the “happy ears” trap, why checklists are a salesperson’s best friend, and what really separates modern sales winners from the rest. Tim shares how a near-accident during a crosswind, caused by an old knee injury, forced him...
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Dealing with Difficult Conversations with Markku Kauppinen
Building Your Sales Engine
Mark McGraw sits down with Markku Kauppinen, an expert on conversations and behavioral styles, particularly the DISC model. To find our handout for this episode, click . Markku shares practical strategies for handling difficult conversations and reframing how we think about “difficult people.” Learn how to stay calm under pressure, use emotional control to close the deal, and lead more productive sales conversations. Markku starts by highlighting why the phrase “difficult people” sets us up for conflict. When you reframe it as “different people,” you open the door to empathy and...
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Using the BAT Framework to Accomplish Any Goal with Carlos Garrido
Building Your Sales Engine
Mark McGraw sits down with Carlos Garrido, founder of Miami Absolute, who’s nearly 100 pounds down and credits Sandler principles for the transformation. To find our handout for this episode, click . In this episode, Carlos shares how the BAT system (Behavior, Attitude, Technique) helped him reshape not just his business, but his health, mindset, and lifestyle. Tune in to hear how a strong health mindset can improve your life in and out of work. Carlos starts the conversation by explaining how Sandler principles apply beyond sales and into life. Carlos shares a powerful shift: “I...
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How to Become the Unselfish Salesperson with Brian Kavicky
Building Your Sales Engine
Mark McGraw sits down with Brian Kavicky, the most recent David H. Sandler Award winner. They dive deep into the concept of the unselfish salesperson and why putting the client’s needs first is the key to not just closing sales, but building long-term relationships. To find our handout for this episode, click . Tune in to hear Brian explain how shifting your mindset and serving your clients with integrity will help you close more sales and stand out as a trusted advisor in your field. Brian starts by revealing the title of his talk at the 2025 Sandler Client Summit: "Defying the Norm: The...
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The Power of Curiosity to Grow Sales with Andy Sherman
Building Your Sales Engine
Mark McGraw sits down with Andy Sherman to discuss curiosity and why it’s a superpower in sales. They cover how curiosity helps you stay grounded when conversations get tense, why it leads to better questions (and better outcomes), and what it takes to build it into a daily habit. To find our handout for this episode, click Tune in to hear the difference between using curiosity as a tactic vs. living it as a principle, and how this shift can change the way you sell, lead, and show up. Join us to learn how to get curious on purpose—and why it might be the most powerful habit you can...
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Pre-Call Planning Your Next Sales Call with John Rosso
Building Your Sales Engine
Mark McGraw is joined by sales legend and longtime friend John Rosso for a deep dive into the critical (and often overlooked) discipline of pre-call planning. Together, they unpack the four-step framework that turns average sales calls into powerful, purposeful conversations—and why skipping this step is not just inefficient, but borderline criminal. To find our handout for this episode, click . From defining clear objectives and setting upfront contracts to asking the right questions and getting your mindset right, this episode is packed with practical insights and real-world examples that...
info_outlineMark McGraw sits down again with Josh Pitchford to break down the 7 biggest lies that keep salespeople stuck—and how to replace them with a winning mindset. They discuss ways to qualify better, protect your pricing, and stop wasting time on unwinnable deals.
To find our handout for this episode, click here.
Tune in to hear what really drives buyers to say yes and how to overcome the 7 lies most struggling salespeople tell themselves.
- Mark and Josh break down the 7 biggest lies salespeople tell themselves.
- #1 Lie: My job is to educate the prospect
- Mark and Josh both agree—your job is not to teach buyers. They’ve already done their research. Your job is to qualify them. If you must give away information, get something valuable in return.
- #2 Lie: I have to win every deal.
- Salespeople are super competitive, and they believe every deal is winnable. According to Josh, not every deal is worth your time. Smart sellers focus on winnable deals.
- Mark says time is like ammo. If you chase every deal, you’re wasting ammunition shooting at the wrong targets, so pick your battles wisely.
- #3 Lie: I have to discount in order to win
- Mark explains how a 10% discount can mean you need to sell 50% more to break even.
- For Mark, discounting is lazy—it’s the easiest thing for buyers to evaluate your deal. If you’re always competing on price, you’re losing.
- Learn how to handle price objections like a pro.
- Sellers need to set price aside and focus on real value. You can win on price, but you can also lose on price because there will always be other sellers willing to go lower than you.
- #4 Lie: It’s a Bad time to call.
- Salespeople love to justify not making calls. But Mark and Josh agree that there’s never a bad time to reach out.
- Instead of sitting there justifying to yourself why it's not a good time to call, develop a mindset where you believe that it’s always a good time to call.
- #5 Lie: I’m not ready.
- Josh shares a Sandler rule: It’s not how I feel that determines how I act—it’s how I act that determines how I feel. You’ll never feel ready. The secret is to take action first, the confidence will follow.
- If you struggle with taking action, start small. Tiny, achievable goals make taking the next steps easier. Over time, this builds confidence and makes you unstoppable.
- #6 Lie: I have to do everything the buyer asks.
- Mark warns against being a "sales golden retriever"—fetching everything a buyer asks. Buyers don’t just want a friendly sales rep, they want someone who brings real value.
- Josh believes that buyers don’t need to like you to buy from you. They need to respect you because you bring value.
- Mark and Josh talk about relationships and why salespeople need to stop trying to be the buyer’s best friend.
- Value trumps relationships 9 times out of 10.
- #7 Lie: People buy on logic, not emotion.
- People think they buy on logic. But Mark and Josh agree that every purchase starts with emotion. Logic just justifies the decision later.
- Learn how to trigger emotions and close more deals.
- Josh explains why sales is about qualifying, not convincing. If you spend all your time trying to win every deal, you’ll burn out fast.
- Every deal you chase has an opportunity cost. Mark and Josh explain why spending time on the wrong deals can mean losing the right ones.
- Josh covers why you need to stop wasting time on dead-end prospects.
Mentioned in This Episode:
BuildingYourSalesEngine.com/follow
BuildingYourSalesEngine.com/sandler
Josh Pitchford on LinkedIn