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It's Not a Skill Problem, It's an Identity Problem episode artwork

Aug 24, 2026 23 min

It's Not a Skill Problem, It's an Identity Problem

from The Advanced Selling Podcast Hosted by Bill Caskey and Bryan Neale: B2B Sales Trainers

Send us Fan Mail Why do good sellers freeze up the second a conversation moves from a director-level buyer to the CFO? It's not a skills gap — it's identity. Bill Caskey and Bryan Neale break down why sellers resist doing new things, even when they know exactly what it's costing them. Bryan shares what happened when he volunteered to try something brand-new outside of sales — nervous, uncomfortable, and more locked-in than he's felt in years. That leads into why "just say this instead" coaching doesn't work, why the block that keeps a rep out of the CFO's office (or a $400K advisor from becoming a $1M advisor) is about identity, and a simple reframe for calling on anyone above your comfort level: find what's the same before you worry about what's different. It's the 20th anniversary of the show, and Bill and Bryan want to hear from you — send a short voice memo to [email protected] for their September anniversary celebration. The Insider program is open for enrollment. To check out our small learning group, go to http://advancedsellingpodcast.com/insider If you haven't already, join 14,000+ other sales professionals in our LinkedIn group at advancedsellingpodcast.com/linkedin Is it time to make a BOLD move in your business? If so, download our brand new book, "12 Bold Moves - Insider Secrets to Reinventing Yourself and Your Business." http://12boldmoves.com

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Send us Fan Mail Why do good sellers freeze up the second a conversation moves from a director-level buyer to the CFO? It's not a skills gap — it's identity. Bill Caskey and Bryan Neale break down why sellers resist doing new things, even when they know exactly what it's costing them. Bryan shares what happened when he volunteered to try something brand-new outside of sales — nervous, uncomfortable, and more locked-in than he's felt in years. That leads into why "just say this instead" ...

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It's Not a Skill Problem, It's an Identity Problem

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This episode was published on August 24, 2026.

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