Mike gets asked to read a lot of books about sales and sales management. Most recently, he read Focused – from his Canadian buddy, sales management expert, and former fantasy football adversary, Steve Rosen. Mike was so blown away that he actually asked Steve if he could provide the foreword and help promote the book. Truly, it was that good. So good, in fact, that this was Mike's visceral reaction…

The Bold Statement (from Mike's foreword):

FOCUSED is the single best and most helpful book for sales leaders to be published in years!

If you lead a sales team, or lead leaders of sales teams, the introduction to this book will take your breath away. It will stop you in your tracks.

I am serious: Do NOT read FOCUSED unless you are ready to be smacked in the face with the cold, hard truth and willing to address what is arguably the biggest challenge in sales today. Truly, by page 2 my chest tightened as the all-too-real scenarios described by Rosen perfectly depicted exactly what I see every. single. day. in companies where I speak, train, consult and coach.

The Big Issue:

Sales managers live in reactive mode, often overwhelmed, and are regularly distracted and diverted from their highest-payoff activities. Rosen not only calls it out, but provides practical help for overcoming this massive challenge.

Enjoy this engaging conversation between Steve and Mike. But beware, if you lead a sales team, it may cause you to laugh, cry, or scream.

Be sure to grab the free copy of the Foreword, Table of Contents, and the Introduction that Mike mentions in the episode!

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

This episode is sponsored by Pursuit Sales Solutions. If you are looking for help adding A-player talent to your team, contact Mike's friends at pursuitsalessolutions.com/weinberg

Episode 105 starts with a startling proclamation as Mike reveals what feels like a seismic decision to pull the plug on LinkedIn. He transparently shares what's going on in his mind and heart, along with what he's reading and experiencing, that prompted this bold (and surprising) move.

The episode concludes with a simple, practical sales management checklist that Mike will be working through during a large client's upcoming annual learning conference. Listen in as he briefly unpacks these Sales Management. Simplified. Fundamentals:

1. Master the 1:1 Accountability Meeting (and the RPA progression)
2. Get a True Hunter (DNA) in a Sales Hunting Role
3. Identify and Address Underperformance Quickly (coach-up or out)
4. Ensure Every Sales Rep Is Targeting a Strategic, Finite List
5. Observe and Coach Your Salesperson (get your head out of the CRM & spreadsheets)

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

Mike's LinkedIn post

The hospice nurse's article about the final thoughts from 300 patients

It's Sales Management Malpractice to Ignore Underperformance podcast episode

Just Announced: October 7 Supercharge Your Sales Leadership event

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This episode is sponsored by Pursuit Sales Solutions. If you are looking for help adding A-player talent to your team, contact Mike's friends at pursuitsalessolutions.com/weinberg

Dennis Sorensen is back!

A former super successful senior sales executive who has built a thriving, multifaceted sales improvement firm, Dennis is embedded inside companies doing real transformational work around sales leadership, playbooks, process-driven selling, and unlocking crazy potential through his concept of Ambition.

In this episode, Dennis shares what he's seeing on the front lines — what's working, what's not, and how challenging times are forcing sales leaders to become better coaches and skill developers. We dig into talent gaps, the idea of "everboarding" (not just onboarding), strategic sales planning, and why too many teams limit their potential by focusing on how far they think they can climb instead of asking, "How big is the mountain?"

Dennis also recently launched his own podcast, Think Big. Win Bigger. — and I had the privilege of being his guest on the inaugural episode. You'll want to check that out as well. Guaranteed you walk away with a handful of BIG IDEAS after listening to (or watching) our dialogue!

Enjoy this powerful conversation with one of the most strategic and driven sales leaders I know.

This episode is sponsored by Pursuit Sales Solutions. If you are looking for help adding A-player talent to your team, contact Mike's friends at pursuitsalessolutions.com/weinberg