Your Friend In Business - B to B Sales Podcast

Season 4 - Episode 5FireStarter.Ai is your spark...and I'm about to light it up.It's so hard to be productive and get your butt in gear everyday, and especially during the summer months.Whether, it's your Mom's birthday celebration week, your daughter's driving lessons, or summer weekend plans at Top Sail Island, there are distraction all around, and you need that extra "Kick" every morning to keep you hitting your top priorities right out of the gate.FireStarter.Ai does just that...it's your 20-30 second audio ZEN to outline those top objectives for each day on the job...hitting your CRM, your Coaching Tools, your Emails/Slacks, and your Forecasting tools to point you in the right direction to light  up your day.Hear how I shape out the FireStarter.Ai program and introduce your new best friend in business.Enjoy the Listen...Cheers!!!~Your Friend in Business~

Season 4 - Episode 4Why Sales You AskI got the chance to spend the entire week with my Mom as she was visiting from NY to see my girls play 3 soccer games in 5 days.  While we were driving to one of the games she asked me why did I choose sales as my career path.   I looked over and she was smiling, and she said I know why but just thought I'd ask.I had to think about my answer for less than a second and then I proceeded to rambled on about all the reasons I love my job.Then I thought about sharing that ramble in my podcast and take to the mic to outline all the aspects it takes to be successful in sales.Listen to how I shape out all the characteristics you need to have to exceed all expectations on your way to choosing sales as your future adventures. Enjoy the Listen!!!~Your Friend in Business~

Season 4 - Episode 3 AI is a thing of the past....Human Intelligence is the futureI love the days of human interaction, when people would call each other and work things out in person or on the phone.Over the last few years, sales people like to hide behind the communication of AI and how it can answers all the needs of your day to day activities.While AI is useful and on the front of your documented activity to get you through tasks, quicker, easier and more efficient it still while never own the emotional moments of your conversation with your prospects & clients.Remember, to use AI when it is necessary but you need to allow more time for human interaction, as you don't win without true connection.Listen to how I discuss the best ways I have been able to incorporate AI into my sales day diary but make sure to bring the human touch along the way.Enjoy the listen....cheers!!!~Your Friend in Business~

Season 4 - Episode 2Mind, Body & Soul Selling My Grandma once told me..."first impressions are the only impression you got to truly connect with someone, so you better be prepared mentally, physically, and emotionally, if you plan to win them over."I always took her advice to heart and I've made it a point to ensure that every first meeting I have with a potential client that I'm ready to listen, learn, and give all I have to ensure their time with me matters.In sales, first impressions can make or break how your client or partner will take the next leap forward to decide to work with you in the future and beyond.  How are you getting ready for your first impression, what's your mindset for the call, how's your body language during your conversation, and have you tried to find important topics that will connect you to your prospect?Listen to how I prepare you to make a difference on your first call to separate you for your competition, and give you the advantage to become the expert in the space that your client seeks for more.Enjoy the Listen!!!~Your Friend in Business~ 

Season 4 Episode 30Last First DayIt’s rare that you have both your daughters starting their first first day and their last first day of high school at the same time.    It sure was a remarkable week to be a part of and it got me thinking about how would you handle your first or last first day in your sales career.  Whatever stage of sales career you are currently in, the cult of the customer is so important to make your best first impression.  As a Customer Account Manager specifically, shaping out the clients requirements, digging into their pain points, finding breaking points in communication, and pinpointing a snapshot in time that you can grow together forward is vitally important to the success of your relationship.  Listen to how I outline a best in class approach to building a repeatable plan to win your customers respect and trust right out the gate and win from there on.  Enjoy the Listen…Cheers!!!~Your Friend in Business~

Season 3 - Episode 9Cross- Functional Collaboration = Advancing Deals ForwardI have been holding this one for a bit longer than normal, as I recorded it back in June but thought it would be a great time to fire it up right now as H2 begins for most sellers.Summertime is a perfect time to take a look around your organization and create  cross-functional collaboration.    As an individual contributor or sales leader you should reach out to different segments of your business to find expertise to achieve common goals.I have found that you can make these groups around a specific topic, project, or common challenge each department may be facing. When you solve issues together internally and as "one" , the next time you need help advancing your next deal forward, you can rely on those individuals you worked with to support your efforts to win more efficiently. Listen to how I shape out the best ways to come together and establish these cross-functional collaboration organically.Enjoy the Listen...Cheers!!!~Your Friend in Business~

Season 3 - Episode 8the O.C.E.A.N is calling youWhether you are seeking a new promotion, a new career, or growing your current sales space to the next level, knowing your own personality traits and how you interact with people everyday is vital to your success.I believe that you are always working on who you are as a person, and your characteristics that you bring to the table can be a major factor in your sales growth.If you stop and listen, you can hear the O.C.E.A.N calling you, the O.C.E.A.N are the big 5 personality traits,  openness, conscientiousness, extroversion, agreeableness and neuroticism and these five traits represent broad domains of human behavior that account for differences in both personality along with your decision making.Listen to how I discuss the importance of knowing your own personality traits and the best ways to interact with each type along the way.Enjoy the Listen...Cheers!!!~Your Friend in Business~

Season 3 - Episode 7 It's remarkable what you can learn in 24 hoursI explore the remarkable potential of learning and self-improvement within a 24-hour timeframe.   By focusing on getting just 1% better each day, I discuss how small, consistent efforts can lead to significant growth and development. I take a deep dive into the importance of cultivating meaningful relationships with others, highlighting how these interactions can not only enhance our personal growth but also create lasting connections that enrich our lives for years to come.Listen to how this commitment to improvement can translate into tangible sales benefits, such as enhanced skills, increased productivity, and a more effective approach in engaging with partners to cultivate lasting relationships that not only enrich our personal lives but also boost sales success in the long run."Enjoy the Listen...Cheers!!!~Your Friend in Business~

Season 3 - Episode 6Anyone can make plans...it's the ones that execute that win!!!Executing on the plans that have been rolled out from your company, your executive leadership team, or the ones you have boarded out as an individual contributor at the beginning of the year, is what is going to make the difference between winning and missing the marks.Anyone can set goals, make plans, update spreadsheets to show what your are going to do, but it's the sales professionals that actually execute on these plans that are standing in the winner circle year over year.In order to execute, there are many elements that you need to prepare to set for yourself to achieve these plans, like identifying your target markets, creating a solid sales pipeline, measuring and adjusting your cadences, and reviewing your progress at a regular intervals while driving results forward with a consistent sales process. Listen to how I shape out each of these strategic maneuvers and build plans to truly execute on the plans that have been put in place on my path to success.Enjoy the Listen....Cheers!!!~Your Friend in Business~

Season 3 - Episode 5Happy Partners...Happy Sellers...Happy ClientsWhen was the last time you really took a deeper dive into what causes pain for your partners, pain for you as a seller, and at the same time the pain your customers are experiencing daily.It's difficult to uncover these pain points and put pressure on the hot buttons that are causing them.   We all have tendencies to avoid, blame, or divert from asking these tougher questions, and continue to stay on the surface with our discoveries. If you don't dig in, make changes, or adjust to the ever changing landscape, then you will be left in the dust.Listen to how I discuss the key elements to finding out what causing pain, and what really matters most to make happy partnerships turn into a happy sellers which ultimate makes for more happy clients.   Enjoy the listen...Cheers!!!~Your Friend in Business~

Season 3 - Episode 4Rapport...Rapport....RapportThe waters are always mirky and unsettling in January, especially in the sales world.    As a seller you are concerned about your number, your objective, your goals, your partner ecosystem, and all the work ahead of you.    I have always found that the best way to attack these anxieties, is to start focusing on establishing as many new business relationships as possible.Rapport...Rapport....Rapport, it's all about building new channels in your space, finding best ways to communicate with your prospects, reaching out new clients, visiting new technology partners, and getting to know more internal folks at your organization.Listen to how I smile my way through the different avenues of rapport building and specific questions to mirror and match your new friends in business.Enjoy the Listen...Cheers!!!~Your Friend in Business~

Season 3 - Episode 3Dont' be a ZERO HEROIt's not about starting at zero again...it's about picking up where you left off and building on what worked and what didn't work.Don't take the mindset into the new year...that you have to do it all over again, look at it as an opportunity to keep rolling on. Find your strength in reflection, set a new mission for success, and think about your plans on another step up level.Get up, get out, and get going. Listen to how I shaped out the ways to exercise your pipeline muscles. Enjoy the listen...Cheers!!!~Your Friend in Business~

When I was a kid I use to go to the park my father built for our community and I would also end up on the teeter totter with him.     Every Sunday morning, I would try and balance him on one end and me on the other but it would never even out.     No matter what I did to balance that beam it would always end up with me high in the air and him slammed down on the ground.      Those moments are so magically for me, I can easily snap my finger and be back in my mind to that park with my Dad...and him challenging me to get balanced.Well ever since starting my sales career, I've been trying to find my inner sales balance beam.   Desperately trying to figure out what the best way to approach every sales situation, what works for me and what doesn't, and most importantly how to weave my way through my personal and professional emotions. Listen to how I have overcome these challenges that are thrown my way and how I keep going back to that park every day in mind to one day even everything out.Enjoy the Listen...Cheers!!!Your Friend in Business

Season 3 is here - Episode 20Who are we...if we don't change!How often are you tweaking, adjusting or making a change in your life, whether it's in your sales career or in your personal development.    Changing is a never easy, it takes a commitment, dedication, and the will to go after it, every single day with conviction and a real purpose.Discovering where you need to make a change is just the beginning, taking action, and building a clear path forward to accomplish this change is the hard part.Listen to how I outline best ways to make a change in your sales career, while creating repeatable habits to do so, and visually seeing the outcomes come to light.   Enjoy the Listen...Cheers!!!Your Friend in Business,     

Season 2 Episode 20 The Sweet 16 ApproachRemember when you turned 16 years old and how everything was so exciting, fresh, and the thought of being able to do something on your own was at your finger tips.Time sure seems to be flying by way to fast and in sales, time is so vital to the success of your career.  Listen to my recap of this season, and how throughout Season 2, I talk about how to utilize your time wisely, focusing your efforts on revenue driven activities, spending quality time improving your craft and having the persistence to make it happen.   Enjoy the Listen....Cheers!!!Your Friend in Business,

Season 2 Episode 19Waves of SalesBeing a Sales Professional is an extremely challenging career path and its certainly not for the faint of heart, as the ups and downs are like waves in an ocean.  It's all about how you handle the currents and the storms ahead, and the best of the best, are able to keep calm and steady in the wake of challenges they face.   It's always been an illusion that successful people are successful because they have something unique about them, but I beg to differ, successful people create plans, build goals, invest in themselves, practice their craft and consistently deliver on their promises they set to achieve.  Listen to me discuss how I've handle these waves of sales and that's its never to late to start your journey of success.Enjoy the Listen...Cheers!!!Your Friend in Business, 

Season 2 - Episode 18"Air"ing it out on the Sales Court!!!I got a chance to watch "Air" on Amazon Prime and thought it was one of the best sales movies ever made.     Sonny Vaccaro's relentless efforts to land Micheal Jordan to be the face of Nike basketball is the biggest blockbuster deal of all time and showcases all phases of the sales process with perfection. Listen to how I compare the three act structure of the movie to what it takes for each salesperson to make or break their one big whale deal they have out there.Enjoy the Listen....Cheers!!!Your Friend in Business, 

Season 2 - Episode 17 It shouldn't be a secret...knowledge is power!It's mind blowing to me but most people that are in the business of selling, don't know that being a consultive seller is way more beneficial for their customers than being a salesperson.   So many sellers these days, do show and tell...and not listen and learn, and they are left wondering why prospects go dark.    Consultive selling is done from the customer perspective, outlining their goals, understanding their needs, and ultimately helping them find their way to accomplish these initiatives through strategic plans.Listen to how a secret room at my last conference show, opened my eyes to how important it was for me to let the secret out about how choose the path of consultive selling. Enjoy the listen...Cheers!!!Your Friend in Business, 

Season 2 Episode 16Prescribe Some Persistence in Your Sales DietIf you are sitting back and waiting for deals to fall in your lap, or prospects to call you back, or your pipeline to magically increase, then I think you may need a nice prescription of persistence added to your sales diet.Persistence levels the playing field, and the majority of salespeople aren't born with it, while many give up to soon, and need dig deep to find motivation within to overcome the difficulties of the job.Listen to how I discuss best practices, building a support system, and finding different ways to incorporate persistence in your sales process.      Enjoy the Listen....Cheers!Your Friend in Business

Season 2 - Episode 15Powering Up...Your Sales Super PowerBoom....Bang...Pow....Zip....Zing....Swoop.Those are just some of the sounds Super Heroes make when they are bring out their Super Powers...and as a Salesperson it's time to bring out your Super Power. There has never been a better time then, right now, to find your Sales Super Power, as you bring out your Mantra, and crush all the villains in your way.   Listen to how I found my Sales Super Power and utilize my strengths to win the deals, overcome my challenges, and make the most of my opportunities. Enjoy the Listen...Cheers.Your Friend in Business, 

Season 2 Episode 14 - Bulldog Seller...from UnderDog to Becoming GonzagaAs you continue to drive towards your successful sales plans this year, and building on momentum that you have created, there is always going to be obstacles in your way.Having the bulldog mentally can help you run through those walls, by being kind but courageous, friendly but dignified and more importantly have the courage and tenacity with the underdog mantra.Listen to my (M4M) mission for more, and how I position the underdog mantra to eventually achieve consistent wins like Gonzaga!!!Enjoy the Listen....Cheers.Your Friend in Business,

It's time to gear up and get your conference jam on.    Tis the Season for partnership conferences, user groups, technology summits all across the US.    From Houston, to Scottsdale, to Clearwater, and back around to Charlotte I go over the next 3 months driving opportunities, establishing long term relationships, and aligning others vendors to provide added value to our clients with the 1 + 1 = 3 business approach.Listen to how I separate myself and our brand to attract people to our table to engage in a meaningful conversations, how I prepare for each show, and more importantly the equation I use to make sure each trip has true (ROPSI) return on partnership strategy investment.   Enjoy the Listen...Cheers!!!Your Friend in Business,

After spending a week away in Seattle last month for SKO, I got a chance to engage in so many of my teammates, colleagues, and leaders that haven't  seen in years and learn all about their path to success.During one of the many breakouts sessions, I got a chance to really dig deep with one of my favorite reps that I've worked with over the years and ask him all about his best practices and what truly separates himself from the pack.He simply said, there's no luck in sales bro!!!  It's all about being organized, having structure in your day to day, reducing stress every step of the way, and taking the selling out of sales.Listen to how I break down our conversation and provide insight on how he made it once again on to the President's Club stage.Enjoy the listen....Cheers!!!Your Friend in Business,  

As I continue down the rabbit hole of the entire sales journey that a rep or leader goes through during the day, I started thinking about how often are you prepping before your calls?Preparation is the key to being able to answer anticipated discovery questions, it gives you the edge against your competition, and shows confidence to your prospect throughout your conversation.The difference between being prepared vs just winging, can be the single most important piece to the sales puzzle.  Listen to how I discuss different tactics for pre planning for a call, executing effectively with the pre work you have done and examining your approach for future success.Enjoy the Listen...Cheers!!!Your Friend in Business, 

As many of us our getting back into new habits, resolutions, changing diets, or adding a gym membership to our daily routine...I like to get back to basics for the new year.Back to basics means getting back to what has always worked for you, what makes you feel confident, what keeps driving you forward, and most importantly what has brought you success year in and year out.One of the biggest misses sales professional tend to do as they grow into their roles, is to not following a structure sales process from beginning to end, and they tend to skip steps along the way.        Listen to how I discuss the World Class Selling methodology and what it takes to be prepared, focused, and equipped to own your message in every conversation.Enjoy the Listen...Cheers !!!Your Friend in Business,

What a first season of Your Friend in Business B to B Sales Podcast it has been...helping provide fellow sales professionals with advice on how to navigate through the ups and downs of their selling careers.    Over the last 8 episodes, I weave my way around all my different sales experience, from supporting sales leads to direct selling door to door, to now leading a team here in the software space.I discuss creative ways to communicate through your sales process, how to get inside the mind of your buyer, how to best express yourself...sell yourself and enjoy the ride and how to become a Partners Partner.In episode 5, I talk about your mental health and how important it is to make sure you pay attention to your triggers, and know how to keep your head above water.   In the last 3 episodes, I switch my focus more on the complete sales process and how adding all the right ingredients with effective measures can change the game in many ways.    While bringing the passion and all the right resources to the pitch is so valuable to the end result of the sale, and your never ending belief is what will get to the top year in and year out.      Enjoy the Listen...Cheers & Happy New Year, Y'all!!!Your Friend in Business, 

Season 1 / Episode 8 - You better BELIEVE it.Belief unleashes your mental states which make up our consciousness, we know we believe because we experience it in a similar way that we experience thoughts and desires.Belief is so powerful, and crushes through doubt and distractions, belief is spark that activates your ability to operate at max capacity. It gives you full access to your talent and ability, while providing a clear vision to become a Sales Superstar.Nobody can motivate you, only you can motivate yourself.Listen to how I shaped out strategic plans to build belief structures that empowers you to perform at the highest level.Enjoy the listen...Cheers!!!Your Friend in Business, 

My whole life I spent looking up to the US Men's National Soccer Team, and envisioned my future one day playing on that same pitch.Well, my future didn't pan out that exact way and I didn't find myself on that particular pitch in Qatar yesterday, however I did find myself leading my team towards their sales victories.Bringing the same passion that I learned from the game of soccer to the my sales career has helped me shape out a successful path for my future.  Listen to how I shaped out  a recent client objection and position best practices to win the deal.Enjoy the listen...Cheers!!!Your Friend in Business,  

Closing a deal doesn't just happen, it takes planning, preparation, smooth presentation, trial and error, and most importantly persistence to improve your skills day in and day out.Baking your favorite dish, is very similar to building your sales process, creating a methodology that fits your style, and developing a particular sales motion that puts together the framework from start to finish.I discuss how buyers' buy differently now and how technology research plays a big part in how you prepare your battle cards.Listen to how I set the stage throughout the sales cycle and create agreed upon next steps along the way and get predictable with my exclusive executive sign-off meetings.Enjoy the Listen...Cheers !!!Your Friend in Business,  

Winning is hard, hitting your sales objectives month in and month out is hard, pushing yourself to limits to make success a reality can become a struggle within but it's how you handle it that matters most.I discuss the keys to success, through clarity of finding your purpose, having a growth mindset, and bringing out your courage to accomplish all your goals.I talk about the truth behind my sales success along with the ups and downs that have come along the way, and battling through adversity to keep my head above the water.Enjoy the Listen...Cheers!!!Your Friend in Business, 

Creating a true partnership takes time, patience, understanding their go to market strategy and developing real relationships that you have earned right to be a part of.Clear communication is key to establishing a great long term partnership while being accountable and responsive to all their clients requirements.Learn how to established measurable results that will impact your partners goals and and become value add benefit to their business for years to come. Enjoy the Listen...Cheers!Your Friend in Business, 

If I asked you the question...when you were growing up did you want to be a Salesperson, what would you say?Well, my answer may surprise you...as I talked about my SALES Journey throughout my life and how I applied my learnings to help succeed along the way.From NY to Hawaii to NC...selling all along the way, find out how to Express Yourself, Sell Yourself...and Enjoy the Ride.Enjoy the Listen...Cheers!Your Friend in Business, 

An "open minded" discussion about the mindset of your buyers and how sellers can position better conversation throughout their buying cycle to become a true advisor.I dig deep into the mind of the buyer and use real life scenarios to outline different ways to approach situations that can enhance decisions to purchase.Enjoy the listen....Cheers!!!Your Friend in Business,

An in depth discussion around creative communication and how to incorporate these techniques into your sales prospecting efforts, on your discovery calls, during each requirement review, when you are presenting your proposals, and even during the executive close meetings.I outline how to build real rapport through the sales cycle, create memorable conversations that will have your clients wanting more from you every step of the way, and drive collaboration through team creative collaboration.  Enjoy the listen....Cheers!!!Your Friend in Business, Nicholas E.M. Boetcher