Leveraging Referrals Positively Impacts Productivity with Joanne Black, Ep #190
Release Date: 04/22/2020
Integrating Physical and Mental Wellness for Peak Performance in Sales, Ep #486
Sales Reinvented
In the world of sales, the relentless pressure to perform can take a toll on physical and mental health. But what if the secret to sustained sales success wasn’t just about hitting targets, but also about how you care for your body and mind? On this episode of the Sales Reinvented podcast, I sat down with Jamie Crosbie, TEDx speaker, sales leader, and founder of Proactivate, to explore the powerful link between fitness and professional sales performance. Here’s how building habits around health can elevate not just your mood, but your sales results. Outline of This Episode [01:20]...
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3 Daily Habits That Guarantee Focus and Energy, Ep #485
Sales Reinvented
B2B sales leader Kent Kononoff is back with us on the show to share his expertise on the crucial, and often overlooked, connection between physical fitness and sales performance. Drawing from over 25 years of experience, Kent shares how discipline, consistency, and resilience developed through fitness routines can directly improve outcomes in the sales world. The conversation uncovers Kent’s favorite daily habits for staying energized, the role of nutrition and sleep, and practical strategies for overcoming the lifestyle challenges sales professionals often face. Whether it’s hiking...
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From Burnout to Breakthrough: Sales Success Starts With Your Health, Ep #484
Sales Reinvented
Jarrod Gies brings more than just sales wisdom to the table; he’s also a dedicated fitness coach, kickboxing instructor, and advocate for the powerful connection between physical fitness and professional success. Jarrod shares practical insights on how routines like morning walks, strength training, and mindful meal prepping are not just good for the body but are vital boosters for energy, focus, and resilience in high-pressure sales roles. He explains how discipline in the gym translates directly to discipline in the office, and why making time for recovery and hydration is just as crucial...
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Fatigue and Stress Aren’t “Just Part of the Job”, Ep #483
Sales Reinvented
What if the key to unlocking these capabilities lies not in another sales workshop, but in a pair of running shoes or a set of gym weights? On this episode of the Sales Reinvented podcast, I talk with Randy Neufeld, President and GM at Kubota Thunder Bay, who shares how his journey from sluggish and overweight to fit and focused transformed not just his health, but his entire sales career. Outline of This Episode [00:00] The role of fitness in building strong customer relationships and leading high-performing teams. [04:50] Consistency and planning ahead are key to effective workouts. [08:24]...
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How Exercise and Well-Being Drive Sales Confidence and Motivation, Ep #482
Sales Reinvented
Managing energy through fitness is vital for sales success, as Steve Whittington, President of Roadmap, go-to-market strategist, and mountain climber, well knows. Steve offers insights into the routines and habits that boost resilience, focus, and motivation in this demanding profession. From lead climbing and HIIT training to the importance of making fitness sacred, Steve highlights how prioritizing well-being can directly impact confidence, stress management, and ultimately, sales results. Steve shares actionable tips on bringing your best self to every client interaction, and shares a...
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Simple Fitness Changes for Salespeople on the Go, Ep #481
Sales Reinvented
Ian Cartwright thrives on maintaining headspace through disciplined organization, both physically and mentally. Drawing inspiration from his training routine, he likens his approach to rowing—focusing on executing every stroke perfectly rather than worrying about the outcome. For Ian, success in sales, much like athletic performance, comes from controlling the controllables: dedicating time to preparation, fitness, and structure. By keeping his environment and routines in order, Ian believes the desired results will naturally follow.Joining me is Ian, a New Zealand-based sales coach,...
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Small Fitness Habits, Big Sales Wins, Ep #480
Sales Reinvented
There’s a powerful link between physical fitness and professional sales performance, and my guest, Nick Kane, founder and managing partner of Janek Performance Group, joins me to dig into the details this week. With over 25 years of experience, Nick shares compelling insights on how building healthy habits and maintaining physical well-being can sharpen your focus, increase energy, boost confidence, and fortify resilience—essentials for thriving in the demanding world of sales. From morning routines and movement throughout the workday to the importance of treating health as an investment,...
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Morning Routines That Boost Sales Energy and Focus, Ep #479
Sales Reinvented
On the show this week, I’m joined by renowned sales expert Mark Hunter—also known as "The Sales Hunter"—for a dynamic conversation about the powerful link between physical fitness and sales performance. Mark shares personal stories and actionable insights, drawing from decades of experience, including his global speaking and best-selling books like "A Mind for Sales" and "High Profit Prospecting." We explore how daily fitness habits foster energy, resilience, and relentless discipline—essential ingredients for thriving in the demanding world of professional sales. You’ll hear...
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How Fitness Habits Drive Sales Success, Ep #478
Sales Reinvented
Karen Kelly’s approach to corporate sales has always gone beyond scripts and talk tracks—it’s rooted in her personal commitment to fitness and wellbeing. Early in her career, Karen set herself apart not just through her expertise, but through the discipline of starting each day with a run. Her colleagues quickly came to recognize that when she arrived fresh from her morning exercise, Karen was “unstoppable.” This daily ritual gave her mental clarity, energy, and stamina for the long days and tough meetings ahead. Unlike others who needed a caffeine boost by midafternoon, Karen found...
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Why Strong Bodies Build Better Sales Careers, Ep #477
Sales Reinvented
This week on the show, we welcome Denis Champagne—a trilingual sales coach, elite athlete, and creator of the Body Business Balance framework—for a powerful conversation all about the link between physical fitness and sales performance. Drawing on over 35 years of experience in international sales leadership and coaching, Denis shares how athletic discipline, strength training, and healthy lifestyle choices can transform not only your personal well-being but also your professional sales results. From the value of discipline over motivation, to practical advice on building resilience...
info_outlineStaying productive is an ever-evolving problem as a sales professional—but leveraging the power of referrals could help. Salespeople wear many hats: they prospect, write proposals, work with internal teams, handle customers, and more. Utilizing any tactic to help smooth the process can be a gamechanger. In this episode of Sales Reinvented, Joanne Black joins Paul to share her take.
Joanne Black founded No More Cold Calling 23 years ago and has been helping sales leaders drive revenue for their teams ever since. She is a referral consultant, speaker, and author of multiple books on sales. Her goal is to help sales professionals ensure qualified pipeline leads and shorten prospecting time and increase close rate.
Outline of This Episode
- [0:19] Joanne Black joins Paul!
- [054] What is productivity?
- [2:00] Salespeople need to focus on discipline
- [3:43] Do what’s closest to cash every day
- [5:55] Attributes of a productive salesperson
- [7:13] Joanne’s #1 recommendation
- [9:45] Top productivity dos and don’ts
- [11:32] Joanne’s favorite productivity story
Sales professionals must face a hard truth
Joanne doesn’t mince words—she believes many sales professionals are lazy and lack discipline. She notes that salespeople do everything they can to avoid prospecting and connecting with customers. Salespeople resist CRM and systems because it is more work. It’s expected that marketing will source and send leads down the pipeline.
But sales professionals are accountable for what they produce. They must take a long hard look at their behaviors and systems in place. Society as a whole wants the end results without the work that goes with it. Sales professionals must work hard to overcome the preconception that people have that they’re lazy. That starts by learning to be disciplined and staying accountable.
Do what’s “closest to cash” every day
Joanne’s mantra is “do what’s closest to cash every day”. What do you have to do to move things along and meet your quota? Is it writing a proposal? Do you have to corral a team and strategize? She points out that your job is all about prospecting and proposal writing—and whatever it takes to move forward.
To stay focused, you must prioritize and time-block what’s important. Limit how often you’re checking email and don’t get lost in the social media time-suck. She also recommends exercising and eating healthy. If you are tired and unfocused, you won’t be able to do your best work.
STOP cold-calling and embrace referrals
According to Joanne, it takes at least 8 touches to reach someone with cold calling. But if you get a referral? It’s one phone call and you’re in a conversation with someone who wants to speak with you. Her #1 recommendation to be more productive is to STOP cold calling and embrace referrals.
This allows you to spend less time prospecting, shortens the sales process, and helps your conversion rates soar to over 70%. How? Trust. When a client refers someone to you, they have already forged a level of trust with that person. That bond of trust gets transferred to you and completely changes the conversation you have.
Focus on what customers are saying (or NOT saying)
Joanne believes many salespeople are so bent on “doing” that they don’t think to ask what customers actually need. Every customer needs and wants different things and you can’t assume you know what those needs are without listening first. Joanne believes, “Every individual has a different need to know at a different time”. It’s your job to find out what that need is and provide a solution.
You also need to be able to know when a client is giving you the brush-off—by understanding their silence. Joanne worked for a company that was contacted to submit a proposal for what would have been a million-dollar deal. They were looking for some advanced sales training and their current vendor didn’t offer what they needed. But her contact gave her the runaround and Joanne ended up losing the deal.
The constant stalling and dodging of calls was a red-flag that Joanne missed. Be sure you’re paying attention to a potential client to get a concrete answer—”maybe” or “not sure” isn’t good enough. Getting a concrete “yes” or “no” will keep you from wasting your time and lead to more productivity. Listen to the whole episode for all of Joanne’s strategies to stay productive!
Resources & People Mentioned
- The SPEED of Trust by Stephen Covey
- No More Cold Calling by Joanne Black
Connect with Joanne Black
Connect With Paul Watts
Audio Production and Show notes by
PODCAST FAST TRACK
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