Inside the Mind of Top Salespeople with Tim Geisert
Release Date: 05/29/2025
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...
info_outline
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...
info_outline
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...
info_outline
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...
info_outline
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...
info_outline
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...
info_outline
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...
info_outline
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...
info_outline
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...
info_outline
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 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 here.
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 to retire from flying.
- Mark believes that if sales carried the same penalties as flying an airplane without a checklist, we'd all be more disciplined about following our processes.
- Tim highlights that just like pilots rely on checklists to survive, salespeople need structure to avoid fatal missteps, because forgetting one small detail can cost you everything.
- Tim warns that “happy ears” have killed more deals than any objection—assuming rapport or shared background equals a win can be a fatal assumption in sales.
- Tim explains that the profile of top B2B salespeople has evolved—from valuing courage and competitiveness to prioritizing learning agility, networking ability, and individualized connection.
- Success in sales used to be 70% talent, but today, it’s competencies and the learned skills that predict performance more reliably.
- Mark and Tim explain that every minute with a customer matters; wasting just six minutes in a 60-minute demo means losing 10% of your chance to influence the sale.
- Tim notes that you don’t need a big personality to win in sales—you need the ability to connect what the buyer wants to what the solution actually delivers.
- Mark reminds us that gatekeepers matter. You can’t ignore or underestimate anyone in the sales process because influence is no longer limited to just one decision maker.
- Why managers should look beyond the résumé. When hiring, ask questions to understand what life has taught a person and how that shapes the value they bring to the team.
- Mark recommends asking, “What did you do to make money when you were young?” That question reveals early drive, which often translates into sales hunger and sales success.
- Tim emphasizes that understanding a new hire’s competencies and natural talents from day 1 can fast-track their productivity and impact.
- Mark believes storytelling is a powerful indicator of exceptional sales talent. Top candidates don’t just tell stories, they use stories to drive home relevant points.
- Mark and Tim stress the importance of uncovering motivation early, because knowing what drives a salesperson is essential to leading, coaching, and retaining them effectively.
Mentioned in This Episode:
BuildingYourSalesEngine.com/follow
BuildingYourSalesEngine.com/sandler
Tim Geisert on LinkedIn
BuildingYourSalesEngine.com/23
Building Your Sales Engine on Linktree