Building Your Sales Engine
A show where Mark McGraw, a top Sandler Sales Trainer and David H. Sandler award winner, interviews salespeople and sales managers to discover their successes and how they got to be the people they are today.
We break down the elements of selling success and share mindsets, habits and techniques that help salespeople and managers build a proven, reliable, transferable system for sales.
All Episodes
Hidden Weaknesses: What Assessments Reveal About Hiring Your Next Seller w/ Andy Miller
Discover the hidden weaknesses that sabotage sales hires -- and how assessments reveal the sales DNA that resumes can't show. Hiring the right salesperson is harder than it looks. 72% of salespeople say the job was misrepresented after they were hired -- and most hiring managers focus on technical skills while ignoring the beliefs and mindset that actually predict success. In this episode, Andy Miller of Objective Management Group reveals how to build a hiring system that uncovers hidden weaknesses before they cost you. Andy breaks down the three buckets that determine sales success: will to sell, sales DNA, and tactics. Learn why hunters and farmers require completely different profiles, how need for approval sabotages execution, and why the best candidates often interview the worst. Plus, Andy shares the Goldwing motorcycle story -- a perfect example of how head trash kills deals. About Andy Miller: Andy Miller is a Partner Coach at Objective Management Group (OMG) and a sales consultant with 35 years of experience. He is the author of the international bestseller "The Science of Hiring Quota-Busting Sales Teams." Andy on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bigswiftkick/ Host: Mark McGraw -- Building Your Sales Engine In This Episode: Why 72% of salespeople say the job was misrepresented after being hired Hiring is a system, not just picking the right assessment The three buckets: will to sell, sales DNA, and tactics Why managers hire for technical skills but should hire for attitudinal fit Hidden weaknesses: the beliefs that sabotage sales execution Hunter vs. farmer: why hybrids rarely work Need for approval: how likable candidates often can't close "You hired a cat when you needed a hunting dog" Weeding vs. wooing: why top producers don't respond to job ads Always be recruiting: Google's one-day-a-week rule The Goldwing story: how head trash loses sales Why great resumes and great interviews don't predict performance How your own shopping habits show up in your selling Building relationships vs. having acquaintances One contact disorder (OCD): the danger of single-threaded accounts Links: Sandler: https://www.Sandler.com Episode page: https://www.BuildingYourSalesEngine.com/ Show links: https://linktr.ee/buildingyoursalesengine Mark on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markmcgraw/ Andy on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bigswiftkick/
Why Salespeople Skip Discovery
In this episode of Building Your Sales Engine, I delve into the significance of conducting effective discovery calls. Joined by my colleague Josh Pitchford, we explore why many sales professionals struggle with this crucial aspect of the sales process. We discuss the common pitfalls of falling into pitch mode too early, the importance of understanding the prospect's needs, and how to avoid the trap of focusing on our own solutions instead. By shifting our mindset from selling to understanding, we can foster more meaningful conversations that lead to better outcomes. Tune in as we share practical strategies to enhance your discovery calls, ensuring they are both insightful and productive.
Don't Wimp: Achieve Your Goals This Year
Master WIMP Junction—the Sandler concept that separates top sellers from those who give away leverage—with a 5-step framework to stay in control of every deal. WIMP Junction is the Sandler concept every seller needs to master: that fork in the road where you either follow the buyer's system and lose leverage, or maintain control of your sales process. When prospects say "Can you send a quote?" or "Can we get a demo?"—these are danger zones, not buying signals. In this episode, Mark McGraw and Josh Pitchford share five practical strategies to overcome WIMP Junction: pre-deciding your response, pre-call planning, setting your dial to "no," using reversing techniques, and aligning your intentions. Learn why choosing short-term discomfort leads to long-term sales success. It's hard to prospect, and it's hard to miss your number—choose your hard. About Josh Pitchford Josh Pitchford is a Sandler trainer and coach at Sales Engine, where he helps sales professionals and teams build predictable revenue systems. With extensive experience in enterprise sales and account management, Josh specializes in teaching relationship-building strategies, account planning, and the Sandler methodology. Host Mark McGraw — Building Your Sales Engine In This Episode What WIMP Junction is: the fork in the road between following the buyer's system or your own Mark's desk drawer story and why WIMP Junction "haunted" him for years Golden Retriever Selling: why fetching every request kills deals The moment you lose all leverage (and how to keep it) The Sandler Rule: get equal or greater value for everything you give Five strategies to overcome WIMP Junction: pre-decide, pre-call plan, set the dial to "no," use reversing, and align intentions Why understanding beats "selling" every time Choose Your Hard: trading short-term comfort for long-term success Links Sandler: https://www.Sandler.com Episode page: https://www.BuildingYourSalesEngine.com/ Show links: https://linktr.ee/buildingyoursalesengine Josh on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/josh-pitchford-6163274/
Inversion Thinking: How to Fail Before You Fail
Inversion thinking helps sales professionals anticipate failure before it happens, creating prevention rules that guarantee goal achievement. What if the secret to hitting your sales goals was visualizing failure instead of success? In this episode, Mark McGraw and Josh Pitchford explore inversion thinking, a powerful three-step framework that flips traditional goal-setting on its head. Instead of imagining success, you imagine failing at your goal and work backward to identify what went wrong. The process is simple but transformative: First, set your goal. Second, imagine it is the end of the year and you have failed. Third, create prevention rules that eliminate those failure points before they happen. This pre-mortem approach leverages our natural tendency toward negative thinking and turns it into a strategic advantage. Mark and Josh dive into practical applications, from shortening sales cycles to building prospecting habits. You will learn how to "pre-decide" your actions to remove willpower from the equation and why public accountability can leverage your need for approval to keep you on track. As the Sandler rule states, you have to learn to fail to win, and this episode shows you how to fail before you fail. About Josh Pitchford Josh Pitchford is a Sandler trainer and coach at Sales Engine, where he helps sales professionals and teams build predictable revenue systems. With extensive experience in enterprise sales and account management, Josh specializes in teaching relationship-building strategies, account planning, and the Sandler methodology. 🔗 Josh on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/josh-pitchford-6163274/ Host Mark McGraw — Building Your Sales Engine In This Episode The three-step inversion thinking framework for goal achievement Why imagining failure works better than visualizing success How to conduct a pre-mortem before things go wrong The concept of pre-deciding to eliminate willpower in the moment Creating non-negotiable prevention rules Common reasons salespeople fail to hit goals: not prospecting enough, extended sales cycles Getting to the ultimate decision maker to shorten sales cycles Finding the buyer's compelling event instead of relying on your own Why humans are wired for negative thinking and how to leverage it The importance of clear next steps in every sales conversation Bulletproofing your deals to mitigate risk Public accountability and leveraging need for approval Bringing future pain into the present moment to drive action Never let how you feel determine how you act Building rumble strips as guardrails toward your goals Links Sandler: https://www.Sandler.com Episode page: https://www.BuildingYourSalesEngine.com/ Show links: https://linktr.ee/buildingyoursalesengine Josh on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/josh-pitchford-6163274/