Breaking Sales
Behind the scenes with one of America’s leading sales renegades, Dan Lappin, and his fanatic crew of disruptors from Lappin180. Listen as Dan, his sales training team, and their guests destroy everything you thought you knew about selling. A nonconformist take on rejecting the status quo, Lappin180 annihilates the tried-and-died sales tactics and techniques that have failed you, and your prospects. Here is your chance to break free of convention and tedious sales rules top earners never follow. In interviews with business leaders and industry insiders, Dan will inspire you to think different, stop selling, and break the sale. Join Dan on his unorthodox mission to shatter the dull monotony of performance stagnation.
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What Are Your Prospects Actually Saying?
09/03/2024
What Are Your Prospects Actually Saying?
Have you ever felt a rush of excitement when a prospect says something positive about your sales conversation? That moment when you are sure you have it in the bag? Not so fast. In this episode, Dan and Pam explore a dangerous pitfall in sales - the temptation to hear what you want to believe, not what your prospect is actually saying. They’ll dive into why labeling interactions as "good" or "bad" can sabotage your efforts, and how to stay objective even when things feel optimistic. You'll learn why "buying signals" might not mean what you think they do, and how to keep pushing for deeper understanding instead of settling for surface-level positivity. Dan and Pam break down real examples of sales conversations gone wrong, and give you strategies to avoid the same mistakes. Prepare to challenge your assumptions, and learn how to avoid disappointment by listening with more curiosity.
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SNIPPET: The Right Way to Build Rapport
08/26/2024
SNIPPET: The Right Way to Build Rapport
Most salespeople approach rapport-building wrong, and here's why: they rely on superficial small talk that prospects can see right through, they abruptly switch from "rapport mode" to "sales mode," creating a jarring experience, or they assume rapport is only about finding common ground, when it's really about creating a much deeper connection. These mistakes don't just fail to build trust – they actively damage it. In this snippet, we revisit Dan’s conversation with David Thompson, a master interrogator who shares his expert insights on building rapport. David reveals how to weave rapport throughout your entire conversation, how to be a human first and a salesperson second (and why this distinction matters), and techniques from high-stakes interrogations that can transform your sales approach. Plus, we'll explore the power of strategic questioning and why assuming you understand a prospect's needs is a dangerous game. After listening, scroll back to , to hear our full conversation on dialogue and trust in sales.
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Tough Questions Build Trust
08/19/2024
Tough Questions Build Trust
What if the key to your success is hidden in the words you probably dread hearing most: "Can I give you some feedback?" For most people, those six words might cause your defenses to rise and your mind to race. But what if your mindset around feedback is actually a predictor of your future success? In this episode of Breaking Sales, Dan and Pam challenge the way professionals respond to feedback. We're diving deep into why most people run from criticism, while the top 1% of performers crave it. You'll discover how your instinctive reaction to feedback might be sabotaging your career, why you're probably not as self-aware as you think, and how to transform criticism from a threat into your secret weapon for growth. If you're ready to embrace discomfort and unlock a new level of performance, this episode is for you. It's time to stop running from feedback and start running towards it.
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It’s Time To Create Positive Tension
08/12/2024
It’s Time To Create Positive Tension
Think about the most valuable feedback you've ever received, or that question that really helped you solve a problem by thinking both objectively and differently. Was there some level of discomfort at first? Did you have to lower your guard a little bit so you could objectively receive and debate either the feedback or the question? And more importantly, how did the experience impact how you felt about the person giving the feedback or asking the question? This experience is called positive tension. It's the art of asking questions and making observations that may be at first uncomfortable for the recipient, but the exchange is invaluable because it helps the other person to think differently about their situation, experience, and or results. If you want your prospect to make a change, the psychology would suggest that they will need to feel and work through positive tension. In this episode of Breaking Sales, Dan and Pam dive deep into why creating positive tension is crucial for transformative conversations. You'll learn why your prospects need to feel tension to seriously consider change, techniques for framing tough questions in a way that builds trust, and how to find your authentic voice when discussing sensitive topics. If you want to stop spending so much time chasing prospects for answers and you want to sell more, this episode is for you. Let's break down the psychology behind positive tension and how you can use it as a tool to help your prospects gain conviction toward change.
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SNIPPET: Helping Your Prospects Think Critically
08/05/2024
SNIPPET: Helping Your Prospects Think Critically
Are you comfortable asking the tough questions? Or do you find yourself holding back, afraid to rock the boat? That hesitation can be counterintuitive, as the ability to ask challenging questions may be the difference between closing a deal and watching it slip away. So how do you develop the confidence to push past your comfort zone and take the conversation into uncharted waters? In this snippet, Quinn Damon and Dan explore the art of asking tough questions, and Quinn shares a pivotal moment in his career where a single, well-crafted question turned the tide in a sales conversation. If you're ready to learn how to ask the questions that truly matter to your prospect, listen in, and then scroll back to episode 44, “” to hear our full conversation on mastering the art of tough questions.
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Mindset Should Come From Within
07/29/2024
Mindset Should Come From Within
What would happen if excuses and insecurities no longer held you back, and you were able to approach your prospecting with calm, confidence, and conviction? In this episode of Breaking Sales, Dan and Pam talk about how you can evolve your mindset and minimize annoying insecurities that hold you back. They cover conviction and how it can transform your performance, including why waiting for external factors to boost your confidence is a losing game, and how you can get results by manufacturing that "I don't give a sh*t" attitude. This conversation might just be the wake-up call you need to break through to your next level of achievement.
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SNIPPET: Sticking to Your Process
07/22/2024
SNIPPET: Sticking to Your Process
In this Snippet, Pam and Dan explore the power of process in transforming your sales results. You'll learn how to scale your prospecting efforts and build a consistent, high-performing sales machine. We'll break down how to tackle prospecting in an organized, consistent way, and why daily habits reduce stress. If you're ready to take your sales game to the next level, listen to this snippet, and then scroll back to Episode 12, to hear the full conversation.
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The Real Prospecting Silver Bullet
07/15/2024
The Real Prospecting Silver Bullet
More and more salespeople are spending too much time and energy trying to find the perfect prospecting message—a silver bullet that guarantees success. The truth is that the real key to effective prospecting is not in the message itself, but in how we frame our goals and expectations. You can’t control most things in life, including how your prospect responds to your messaging. However, there are four things you can control: Your mindset, effort, actions, and consistency. In this episode of Breaking Sales, Pam and Kristie dive deep into the mindset traps that hold us back, and the opportunities to change our approach—and thus, our results. Whether you’re a seasoned pro or just starting out, get ready to reconsider everything you think about prospecting.
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How to Create Freedom With Your Calendar
07/08/2024
How to Create Freedom With Your Calendar
Are you spinning your wheels, feeling like you never have enough time? Think having a wide-open calendar would mean more freedom? Think again. Dan and Pam are about to challenge everything you thought you knew about managing your time. Resident time-management expert Pam sits down with Dan to unpack two crucial questions: 1. Does your schedule represent where you are today, or where you want to be tomorrow? 2. Are your calendar practices an asset or hindrance? They dive deep into how top performers use their calendars as powerful assets, common misconceptions about scheduling that might be sabotaging your success, and how to transform your relationship with time. You’ll find out why having the discipline to plan and stick to a schedule isn't just about getting more done. It's about safeguarding your promises—to yourself, your team, and your clients. Whether you're in sales, leadership, or any field where performance matters, this episode is your roadmap to next-level productivity.
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The Myth of Sales Effectiveness
07/01/2024
The Myth of Sales Effectiveness
There will be a time where enough is enough. When all of us in sales look back and say, “What were we thinking?” And we ask, “Why would anyone accept a 20 percent win standard from 20 percent of the population?” Let’s start questioning the sales norms and redefining how we measure success. It will be up to you to decide what level you’ll play at. Will convention and the current misguided “expertise” keep you stuck, or will you have the conviction to challenge and carve your own path? In this episode of Breaking Sales, Pam and Dan start to debunk the myth of sales. They move past the temptation to standardize and label prospects, push past closing ratios, and get to the heart of the matter—how to tear into that other 80 percent.
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SNIPPET: The Relationship Between Trust and Competence
06/24/2024
SNIPPET: The Relationship Between Trust and Competence
If you had one chance to build trust with someone, would you choose the path of sharing your competency or seeking to understand their point of view? Common sense would dictate that most will choose “seeking their point of view,” but why then during conversations does it so often switch? How many times have you caught yourself telling the other person what they should do, or sharing your expertise and experience hoping they adhere to your advice? This snippet revisits Dan’s conversation with Kent Grayson, an associate professor and researcher at the Kellogg School of Management and an expert on trust and authenticity in the marketplace. Kent and Dan unpack an analogy that demonstrates why competence in and of itself is not enough to build trust. To hear the full episode, scroll back to .
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Rethink RFPs
06/17/2024
Rethink RFPs
It’s no secret: many salespeople dread participating in RFPs (request for proposals). Many feel they are unfair, unclear, inefficient, and otherwise difficult. However, with more businesses adopting RFPs as part of their decision-making process, it’s crucial that sales professionals know how to approach them. More importantly, the problem may be less about the process and more about your mindset. In this episode of Breaking Sales, Dan and Pam discuss adopting a mindset that will help you to disrupt RFPs, and what tools and tactics can be used to help organizations in their decision-making during the RFP process.
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Your Strength Is What You Can Control
06/10/2024
Your Strength Is What You Can Control
While control provides us with a sense of comfort and security, it doesn’t benefit us to keep an iron grip on every aspect of our lives. If you want to create something new, different, or special in your life, you’ll have to learn to embrace things that you can’t control and trust what you can. In this episode of Breaking Sales, Kristie and I discuss different perspectives on control, and how to develop a healthy mindset around it. The conversation also explores how trying to control too much can cloud our judgment and prevent us from making good objective decisions.
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How High Performers Keep Accountable
06/03/2024
How High Performers Keep Accountable
How do we make sure we remain accountable to ourselves and our commitments when faced with discomfort? Continually evolving ourselves and our mindset is essential to propelling our lives, careers, and businesses forward. Sustainable change requires a steady adherence to processes and principles that may sometimes be uncomfortable, but encourage long-term personal growth. In this episode of Breaking Sales, Pam and Kristie explore what it takes to be accountable to oneself, and why this practice is one of the most important contributors to high performance.
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Language Creates Courage with Dr. George S. Everly, Jr.
05/28/2024
Language Creates Courage with Dr. George S. Everly, Jr.
Language is one of the single most important factors in shaping human behavior and psychology. The words we choose dictate how we think, how we behave, and what experiences we have, positive or negative. How do we use our words to control our own thoughts and approach new situations with clarity and confidence? In this episode of Breaking Sales, Dan continues his discussion with Dr. George S. Everly Jr., a highly accomplished psychologist, researcher, and author. We discuss the relationship between language and psychology: How self-talk helps us find courage and strengthen our tolerance for rejection or failure. We also discuss how questions help build trust and create new possibilities.
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Routine and Cognitive Function with Dr. George S. Everly, Jr.
05/20/2024
Routine and Cognitive Function with Dr. George S. Everly, Jr.
High performers often cite their routines and sleep habits as essential ingredients to improving cognitive ability, productivity, and other aspects of performance. It’s no different when we think of having meaningful conversations as leaders, teammates, or sales professionals. Powerful communication is no accident, and it can be learned. In this episode of Breaking Sales, Dan continues his conversation with Dr. George S. Everly, Jr., a prolific researcher and author. George and Dan discuss how we can maximize our conversations and interactions with strong cognitive function through routine, sleep, exercise, and support.
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Do You Make Careful or Committed Decisions? with Dr. George S, Everly, Jr.
05/13/2024
Do You Make Careful or Committed Decisions? with Dr. George S, Everly, Jr.
Have you ever wondered what it would take to add some cognitive and behavioral horsepower to your routines and activities? Or what really influences the choices that you make? In this episode of Breaking Sales, Dan sits down with Dr. George S. Everly, Jr., a highly accomplished psychologist, researcher, and author whose work spans multiple scientific disciplines. The conversation explores the neuroscience behind decision-making, reframing your mindset to be more conducive to what you want to achieve, and what you can do to maximize your cognitive power.
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Meet the Lappin180 Team: Feedback Strengthens Everyone
05/06/2024
Meet the Lappin180 Team: Feedback Strengthens Everyone
How has honest but difficult feedback helped shape the individual members of the Lappin180 coaching team for the better? In this behind-the-scenes episode, Dan, Pam, and Kristie share the stories behind the toughest feedback they have ever received, and how it has helped them learn, grow, and achieve better outcomes. This conversation highlights why feedback is so essential to personal and professional growth at all stages of life.
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Stop Labeling Conversations As Bad
04/29/2024
Stop Labeling Conversations As Bad
Our innate instinct to label things as bad may have worked to protect us 20,000 years ago, but it often works against us in today’s modern world. How are people that work in the most high-stakes roles able to keep their composure despite the elevated sense of urgency? In this episode of Breaking Sales, Dan shares how his recent conversations with pediatricians treating the sickest children have continued to shape his thinking around the power of detachment. Dan and Pam discuss how these extreme examples of using detachment can be very useful in helping us stay calm and poised in difficult conversations. They also examine why we label potential threats through the lens of evolutionary psychology, and why this runs counter to the demands of today’s conversations and experiences.
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SNIPPET: How Do You Know That You’re Evolving?
04/22/2024
SNIPPET: How Do You Know That You’re Evolving?
How can you be certain that your day-to-day activities are helping you achieve your goals? Additionally, how do you identify opportunities that you may have missed, so you can capture them the next time around? In this snippet, Pam shares why metrics are fundamental to knowing whether or not you are growing in your business, and what metrics you need to understand whether or not you are making progress. To hear the full episode, scroll back to
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The Controversy Between Choices and Commitment
04/15/2024
The Controversy Between Choices and Commitment
High-performance is heavily influenced by your choices. There are studies that suggest that those who seek immediate gratification are less successful than those who delay gratification. Do you sacrifice the present for the future? Or do you give up the future to indulge in the present? This is not an easy question. Join Dan and Pam as they explore how our choices either promote or hinder our routines, commitments, and sense of fulfillment. In this episode, you’ll hear some interesting perspectives on the relationship between commitment and choices that will help you frame your thinking and decide what viewpoints you do and don’t agree with.
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Start Your Conversations With More Trust
04/08/2024
Start Your Conversations With More Trust
Your prospects are constantly being sold to, and as a result, they have developed a series of biases that help them filter out what conversations are going to be helpful or harmful to them. This reaction is primal, based on instinct that dates back tens of thousands of years. Even a referral from a trusted source may not be enough for them to let down their guard. What can sales professionals do to ease the prospect’s initial uncertainty and innate lack of trust? In this episode of Breaking Sales, Dan and Pam explore how you can level the playing field with your prospects and clients so that both parties can enter the conversation with more courage and curiosity. They’ll explore the psychology behind the beginning of human interactions and what you can do to make a positive early impact.
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Bonus Episode: Meet the Lappin180 Team
04/01/2024
Bonus Episode: Meet the Lappin180 Team
Get to know the Lappin180 team in this bonus episode of Breaking Sales. In this candid conversation, you’ll get a behind-the-scenes look at coaching and gain insights on how teams operate and build relationships over time. Dan, Pam, and Kristie share their journeys to becoming coaches, the dynamics that allow them to function as a team, and reminisce about some of the successes and challenges they’ve faced together along the way.
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SNIPPET: Stop Being The Main Character in Your Prospect's Story
03/25/2024
SNIPPET: Stop Being The Main Character in Your Prospect's Story
Sharing your credentials with prospects may seem like a strong way to demonstrate your value, but in reality, leaning on your past accomplishments to convey your worth stems from insecurity and scarcity. Worse, while your prospective clients may be able to gain a lot from your experience and expertise, putting it at the forefront of your conversations to prove your capability and worth may actually have a negative effect. In this snippet, Dan explores why credentialing is a common pitfall for professionals, and how pitching your solution or expertise can unintentionally trigger the wrong reaction from your prospect. To hear the full conversation, scroll back to Episode 69,” ”
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Competing When The Pressure Is On with Kirsten Markley
03/18/2024
Competing When The Pressure Is On with Kirsten Markley
Assertiveness and persistence can add value to a conversation, but only if aligned with helping the other person assess their circumstances more honestly. Neither should be practiced to advance your agenda. How do you know when it is time to slow down and assert? In this episode of Breaking Sales, Dan continues his conversation with management consultant Kirsten Markley, to explore how curiosity, assertiveness, slowing down, and persistence all work together to create conversations that build trust and differentiate.
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How to Compete Against Goliaths and Win
03/11/2024
How to Compete Against Goliaths and Win
It’s human nature to revert to our routines when under pressure. If you’ve been taught to sell or position value, then you’ve grown accustomed to defaulting to your expertise when pressured by the prospect. You lead with competency in hopes the prospect will eventually “get” your point. Unfortunately, this doesn’t work as often as we’d like, and it often leaves us feeling disconnected and chasing the prospect for a decision. On this episode of Breaking Sales, Dan sits down with management consultant veteran Kirsten Markley to explore how she uses curiosity to learn and build trust, and take share of wallet away from the better well known competitors in her space.
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Risk Perception Outweighs Risk Reality
03/04/2024
Risk Perception Outweighs Risk Reality
Explaining why your product, service, or expertise is a better alternative isn’t enough. Decisions are not made based on benefits alone. There might be many “pros” in your prospect choosing to do business with you, but it’s the perceived risks, discomfort, and hurdles that will hold them back. In this episode of Breaking Sales, Dan and Pam continue their exploration into the psychology of decision-making. They share some personal experiences that have helped them better understand why it’s human nature to rationalize and avoid change, and provide examples of questions you can ask to slice through your prospect’s decision biases.
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Powering Through Your Prospects Procrastination
02/26/2024
Powering Through Your Prospects Procrastination
The purpose of any traditional sales conversation is to help the prospect objectively assess and debate how or if they should make a change to your product, service, or expertise. This requires enough self-awareness to minimize their biases, identify their attachments, and control their fears. Does your current conversation process and strategy account for this? In this episode of Breaking Sales, Dan and Pam discuss the psychology behind decision-making and explore how human beings approach and debate difficult choices. We’ll explore how facts alone are rarely enough to form a decision, and that it’s most often the relationship between perceived risks and gains that determine your fate.
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SNIPPET: Discipline Overcomes Procrastination
02/19/2024
SNIPPET: Discipline Overcomes Procrastination
In a world filled with endless distractions, willpower is our first line of defense against procrastination, and one of the greatest tools we have to accomplish our goals. But is willpower a finite resource, or one that we can learn to manage, grow, and expand? In this snippet, Pam shares how she uses willpower to manage distraction, and offers an approach to discipline that you can use to stay focused and achieve your goals. To hear the full episode, scroll back to Episode 78: “.”
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Strengthen Your Results Through Gratitude with Chris Schembra
02/12/2024
Strengthen Your Results Through Gratitude with Chris Schembra
What you achieve, create, or experience in your professional and personal journey is reflective of your mindset. When decoding the world around you - your thoughts follow a thinking pattern. This routine dictates the actions you take, or don’t take. So if you want to achieve, create, or experience something more or different - strengthen your mindset. Gratitude is a simple and powerful place to start. In the final part of my conversation with Chris Schembra, a gratitude expert and the author of Wall Street Journal bestseller Gratitude Through Hard Times, we explore the connection between gratitude and how we think and the actions we take. As well as the impact of negative biographical experiences, and how to shift them to positive.
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