Why Salespeople Skip Discovery
Building Your Sales Engine
Summary: Master the discovery call by learning why salespeople fall into pitch mode -- and how to stay focused on qualifying, not convincing. Discovery calls are where deals are won or lost, yet most salespeople skip real discovery and default to pitch mode. In this episode, Mark McGraw and Josh Pitchford break down why sellers fall into the pitch trap -- from bait questions to being too "I-centered" -- and what to do instead. Learn the Sandler behavior-attitude-technique framework for running better discovery: pre-call planning, setting the dial to "no," using reversing to redirect bait...
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Don't Wimp: Achieve Your Goals This Year
Building Your Sales Engine
Master WIMP Junction—the Sandler concept that separates top sellers from those who give away leverage—with a 5-step framework to stay in control of every deal. WIMP Junction is the Sandler concept every seller needs to master: that fork in the road where you either follow the buyer's system and lose leverage, or maintain control of your sales process. When prospects say "Can you send a quote?" or "Can we get a demo?"—these are danger zones, not buying signals. In this episode, Mark McGraw and Josh Pitchford share five practical strategies to overcome WIMP Junction: pre-deciding your...
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Inversion Thinking: How to Fail Before You Fail
Building Your Sales Engine
Inversion thinking helps sales professionals anticipate failure before it happens, creating prevention rules that guarantee goal achievement. What if the secret to hitting your sales goals was visualizing failure instead of success? In this episode, Mark McGraw and Josh Pitchford explore inversion thinking, a powerful three-step framework that flips traditional goal-setting on its head. Instead of imagining success, you imagine failing at your goal and work backward to identify what went wrong. The process is simple but transformative: First, set your goal. Second, imagine it is the end of the...
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The Six-Point Sales Checklist: Start Your Year Strong w/ Josh Pitchford
Building Your Sales Engine
Mark McGraw and Josh Pitchford reveal the six essential checkpoints every seller needs to crush their goals and start the new year with confidence. Are you ready to hit the ground running in the new year? In this milestone 50th episode, Mark McGraw and Josh Pitchford break down the six critical areas every sales professional must address to start strong and finish stronger. From setting stretch goals you'll only achieve 25% of the time (yes, really) to building your "cookbook" of controllable behaviors, Mark and Josh share the exact framework they use with clients to transform overwhelming...
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Stop Failing at Goals: The REACH Method w/ Dustin Schadt
Building Your Sales Engine
Summary: A proven 5-step framework for setting and achieving goals—from removing clutter to celebrating success along the way. Description: Most people fail at goals because they start without a foundation. Dustin Schadt has developed the REACH method—a framework that helped him mentor 18 people, with 16 earning promotions, raises, or recognition as top performers. As a sales leader with 27 years in packaging, Dustin breaks down the REACH framework: Realize greatness and remove clutter, Evaluate your mission and execute your plan, Account for your time and acknowledge failures, Celebrate...
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ReRun: 7 Lies Salespeople Tell Themselves
Building Your Sales Engine
Summary: The 7 biggest lies that keep salespeople stuck—and how to replace them with a winning mindset that closes more deals. Description: Mark McGraw sits down with Josh Pitchford to break down the 7 biggest lies that keep salespeople from reaching their full potential. From believing your job is to educate prospects to thinking you need to win every deal, these mindset traps are costing you sales—and you might not even realize it. In this episode, Mark and Josh reveal why discounting is lazy selling, how to handle price objections like a pro, and why there's never a bad time to call...
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Winning With Indirect Sales: Driving Results Through Third-Party Partners w/ John Rosati
Building Your Sales Engine
How to build a repeatable channel sales engine—from partner selection to enablement to metrics—with a 30-year channel sales veteran. Selling through channel partners without a system feels like that old vibrating football game—everyone's running around hoping to score. John Rosati has spent 30 years building channel sales engines that create predictable revenue, and in this episode, he reveals exactly how he does it. As a channel sales leader at Motorola with experience across distribution, manufacturers reps, and two-tier channels, John knows what separates successful channel programs...
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Dissolving Limiting Beliefs: The Neuroscience of Getting Unstuck Fast w/ Rochelle Carrington
Building Your Sales Engine
Why traditional therapy can make emotional triggers worse—and how neuroscience-based techniques dissolve limiting beliefs in minutes, not years. What if reliving your past trauma actually makes it stronger? Rochelle Carrington explains why traditional approaches to emotional healing can deepen the very patterns you're trying to break—and reveals a faster, neuroscience-based alternative. As a coach specializing in subconscious emotional patterns, Rochelle works with CEOs, business owners, and high achievers who look successful on the outside but are burnt out inside. In this episode with...
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Beyond Your Main POC: Build New Relationships That Protect Your Accounts w/ Josh Pitchford
Building Your Sales Engine
How to expand relationships in your accounts, identify all the influencers, and protect yourself before your main contact leaves or competitors wedge in. If you're only talking to one person in your account, you're one resignation away from losing everything. Josh Pitchford reveals why the "best defense is a good offense" when it comes to account relationships—and shares practical frameworks for expanding higher, deeper, and wider. As a Sandler trainer and coach at Sales Engine, Josh helps sales teams protect and grow their key accounts through strategic relationship building. In this...
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How to Lead When You Don't Manage: Influence, Trust & Career Growth w/ Darryl Stromberg
Building Your Sales Engine
How to build influence and lead without a title—from an individual contributor to recognized leader in your organization. Can you be a leader without managing anyone? Absolutely. Darryl Stromberg reveals exactly how to position yourself as a leader even when no one reports to you. As a Sandler Coach at Sales Engine with 30+ years of experience, Darryl knows what separates people who get promoted from those who get stuck. In this episode, he shares the strategies that helped him mentor 18 people—16 of whom earned promotions, above-average raises, or recognition as top performers. You'll...
info_outlineMark McGraw sits down with Scott Foernsler to discuss what it really takes to sell to the C-suite. They talk about building champions inside a company, how to stand out in sales events, and ways to have real, effective conversations with top execs like CMOs and CEOs. Scott shares stories from the field, lessons on trust, and what most salespeople miss when trying to land big deals.
To find our handout for this episode, click here.
Tune in to hear how to break through the noise, connect with decision-makers, and close deals faster.
- Scott starts by sharing why sales success is never a solo achievement. The right support team—both personal and professional—makes all the difference.
- Mark explains why selling is a team sport—until you miss your number. When things are going well, everyone celebrates the team. But when results dip, it can become about solo performance real quick.
- Scott breaks down what most people get wrong about events. They sit quietly in the back and hope something happens. The real connections come from showing up, asking questions, and putting yourself out there.
- How to stand out at events: Stop asking business questions and instead ask something that makes people smile or think. That spark of authenticity is what gets you remembered.
- Scott shares how a single personal question at an event led to a CEO-level meeting. Asking authentic and relevant questions is how you earn time with high-level decision makers.
- Why trust matters more than charm in enterprise sales. A client once told Scott, “I trust you not to fail me.” That kind of confidence is not built through slick talk—it’s earned through delivering on your promises.
- Scott shares one of his boldest sales questions: “What would get me fired?” It instantly uncovers what the client really values and opens the door to the kind of honesty that moves deals forward.
- Mark explains why brand promises only matter if you deliver. It sounds obvious, but most sellers fall short after closing a deal. Real credibility comes from doing exactly what you said you would.
- Scott breaks down the importance of upfront contracts. When you clearly define what success looks like, you avoid confusion later.
- Why Scott says clicks are the wrong thing to measure when analyzing ad performance. Impressions don’t mean anything if they don’t convert.
- How to turn happy clients into your best salespeople. Peer validation carries more weight than any sales deck ever could. When you tell the story of how you helped them, the deal moves faster.
- Scott shares his referral strategy. He delivers value first—then asks for an intro only when it makes sense. That’s how you build a warm, high-trust referral tree.
- How to stay top of mind without being annoying. Scott calls his contacts once a quarter—or even once a year—to check in. That small gesture keeps relationships strong over time.
- Scott shares why sitting in the back of the room at events is a missed opportunity. If your company is investing in you, act like you belong up front. Visibility leads to connection—and connection leads to deals.
- Why Scott avoids drowning people in product features. Buyers don’t want a list—they want a story. Show them how real problems have been solved, and they’ll pay attention.
- Mark explains why your champion is your best sales asset. When they’re pitching your product in meetings you’re not in, you’ve already won. That kind of advocacy closes deals faster.
- Scott reveals how he uses AI in his sales processes. It won’t replace your skill, but it will save you serious time. What can take five days now takes minutes with AI.
- Mark breaks down what separates great sellers from everyone else. When everybody else is focused on pitching, the best reps walk in with insights, actionable tips, and relatable problem-solving stories.
- Scott shares why in-person meetings still matter—especially at the C-suite. Nobody spends millions without knowing who they’re buying from. So show up, shake hands, and build trust faster.
- Mark explains why everyone in the room now has influence. The number of people who can say no has doubled. So treat every voice like it matters—because it does.
Mentioned in This Episode:
BuildingYourSalesEngine.com/follow
BuildingYourSalesEngine.com/sandler
Scott Foernsler on LinkedIn
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Building Your Sales Engine on Linktree