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The Selling Podcast

The Selling Podcast

By: Mike Williams and Scott Schlofman
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About this listen

Do you want to grow your business? Looking for more sales? Trying to add new leads to your pipeline?

Mike and Scott are two experienced sales professionals with over 50 years of selling experience (and many airline and hotel points!) sharing a common goal: Sell better, Live better, and most of all...Enjoy more!

They share deep-ish thoughts (and some mediocre advice) on sales and life as they exchange stories, philosophies, experiences, insights, and random thoughts with some special guests who provide even more (and deeper) insights along the way!

Join the conversation! Email Mike (mike@thesellingpodcast.com) or Scott (scott@thesellingpodcast.com) and let them know what's on your mind!

© 2025 The Selling Podcast
Career Success Economics Management Management & Leadership
Episodes
  • Playing to Win in Sales: The Mental Edge Beyond Just Having Fun
    May 21 2025

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    Unleashing Sales Potential: The Behavioral Edge with Mike Crotta & Geoff Miller (Part 2)

    In this powerful follow-up episode of "The Selling Podcast," we once again welcome insights from former professional baseball player Mike Crotta and Geoff Miller, author of "Intangibles," as we delve deeper into the psychological and behavioral aspects of sales success. Building upon our previous discussion on mental toughness, we explore how understanding and leveraging behavioral assessments can unlock untapped potential and drive winning performance in sales teams.

    Mike and Geoff share their expertise on how to identify and match potential hires and existing team members to roles where their natural behavioral tendencies will thrive. They discuss the importance of recognizing individual strengths and tailoring coaching and development strategies accordingly. This moves beyond simply looking at past performance and focuses on inherent traits that predict future success in specific sales functions.

    We then shift our focus to the crucial distinction between playing to win versus playing for fun. Drawing parallels from the competitive world of professional sports, Mike and Geoff emphasize the importance of a results-oriented mindset in sales. While enjoyment is valuable, the ultimate goal is to achieve and exceed targets. We explore how to cultivate a winning mentality within sales teams and align individual efforts with overarching business objectives.

    The conversation then turns to the challenges of overthinking and getting "stuck in your head." Mike and Geoff highlight that when facing pressure or complex situations, it's essential to take a step back and focus on the long-term perspective. By visualizing the ultimate goals and understanding that short-term anxieties are often transient, sales professionals can regain clarity and make more strategic decisions.

    A key element for effective team management and individual performance is the explicit expression of expectations. Mike and Geoff underscore the importance of clearly articulating what is required of each team member, leaving no room for ambiguity. Once expectations are clearly understood, holding individuals accountable for their performance becomes a fair and necessary step in driving results and fostering a culture of responsibility.

    Finally, we address the common pitfall of overanalyzing the "right" way to do things. Mike and Geoff explain that excessive focus on theoretical perfection can often paralyze individuals and hinder their ability to execute the fundamental aspects of their roles effectively. The key lies in understanding the core principles of sales and then allowing individual strengths and styles to flourish within that framework.

    Throughout the episode, Mike and Geoff emphasize the importance of maintaining a balanced drive – a focused determination to succeed without succumbing to burnout or neglecting other crucial aspects of professional and personal well-being. This episode provides actionable strategies for sales leaders and individual contributors alike to leverage behavioral insights, cultivate a winning mindset, and optimize performance for long-term success.

    Scott Schlofman
    Mike Williams - Cell 801-635-7773

    #sales #podcast #customerfirst #relationships #success #pipeline #funnel #sales success #selling #salescoach

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    52 mins
  • Sales Intangibles: Building Mental Toughness to Dominate Your Market (with Mike Crotta & Geoff Miller)
    May 15 2025

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    In this powerful episode of "The Selling Podcast," Mike and Scott dive deep into the critical role of mental toughness in achieving sales success. We're thrilled to welcome two exceptional guests: Mike Crotta, a former professional baseball player with the Pittsburgh Pirates, and Geoff Miller, the acclaimed author of "Intangibles," a book that breaks down the mental game in baseball and beyond. Together, we draw direct parallels between the mental fortitude required in professional sports and the resilience needed to thrive in the demanding world of sales.

    Mike shares his firsthand experiences navigating the pressures of professional baseball, highlighting the mental strategies he employed to stay focused, overcome setbacks, and maintain a winning mindset. Geoff, drawing from his expertise in the "intangibles" of athletic performance, unpacks key mental skills such as focus, composure, and the ability to bounce back from adversity.

    We then bridge these insights directly to the sales arena, exploring how sales professionals can cultivate similar mental toughness to:

    1. Handle Rejection: Learn techniques to view rejection as a learning opportunity rather than a personal failure, building resilience and preventing discouragement.
    2. Maintain Focus: Discover strategies to stay present and laser-focused on the task at hand, especially amidst distractions and long sales cycles.
    3. Manage Pressure: Understand how to perform effectively under pressure, whether it's facing a tight deadline or a high-stakes negotiation.
    4. Build Confidence: Explore methods for cultivating unwavering self-belief and maintaining a positive attitude, even during challenging periods.
    5. Stay Persistent: Learn how to develop the mental stamina to consistently follow up and persevere in the face of obstacles.

    Mike and Geoff provide actionable strategies and real-world examples, drawing from their experiences in high-pressure environments, to equip sales professionals with the mental tools needed to stay in the game, overcome challenges, and ultimately achieve peak performance. This episode is a masterclass in developing the mental edge that separates good salespeople from the truly great.

    Scott Schlofman
    Mike Williams - Cell 801-635-7773

    #sales #podcast #customerfirst #relationships #success #pipeline #funnel #sales success #selling #salescoach

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    39 mins
  • Fueling Sales Success: How Passion Drives Trust, Resilience, and Growth
    May 8 2025

    Send us a text

    In this energizing episode of "The Selling Podcast," Mike and Scott delve into the often-underestimated superpower of passion in the world of sales. We explore how genuine enthusiasm for what you sell can be a game-changer, influencing trust, resilience, and ultimately, your success. We break down four key ways passion fuels sales excellence:

    1. Passion Instantly Increases Trust: We discuss how genuine excitement about your product or service is contagious and immediately builds rapport and trust with prospects. When your belief shines through, it reassures potential customers that you are not just trying to make a sale, but that you truly believe in what you offer. This authenticity is a powerful trust-builder.
    2. Your Persistence and Resilience Go Up Proportionally to Your Passion: We explore how passion acts as an internal engine, driving your persistence in the face of rejection and fueling your resilience when deals don't go your way. When you genuinely care about what you're selling, setbacks become less discouraging and more like opportunities to learn and improve. Your passion becomes your unwavering motivation.
    3. Passion Fuels Continual Improvement: We highlight how a deep passion for your product or industry naturally leads to a desire for continuous learning and improvement. You're more likely to stay informed, seek out new knowledge, and refine your sales techniques when you are genuinely invested in what you do. This proactive approach keeps you ahead of the curve and enhances your effectiveness.
    4. People Like Speaking with People Who Are Passionate About a Specific Topic: We emphasize the simple human truth that enthusiasm is engaging. Prospects are more likely to be receptive and even excited when speaking with someone who genuinely loves what they do. Your passion becomes a point of connection and makes the entire sales interaction more positive and memorable.

    The key takeaway is that while passion is powerful, it needs to be focused and coupled with perspective. Understanding your audience and tailoring your enthusiasm to their needs is crucial. This episode provides insights on how to cultivate and effectively channel your passion to become a more influential and successful sales professional.

    Scott Schlofman
    Mike Williams - Cell 801-635-7773

    #sales #podcast #customerfirst #relationships #success #pipeline #funnel #sales success #selling #salescoach

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    31 mins
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