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Is sales an art form or a rigorous science? In this episode, Scott and Mike welcome back Barton Schmitz, VP of Strategic Accounts at CAPSA, to settle the debate. The conversation begins with a surprising revelation: Barton prefers driving in absolute silence to foster strategic thinking—a stark contrast to the noise of the daily grind.

Barton shares the philosophy he developed while turning around the culture at Sunrise Medical, defining sales simply as "getting people to do something they would normally not do."

He dismantles the idea that sales is just "presenting" and breaks down a proven, circular methodology that turns order-takers into top performers. Whether you are selling medical devices or Boeing 787 Dreamliners, Barton argues that without a process, you are just painting with your fingers.

Key Takeaways:

• The Power of Silence: Why successful leaders use drive time for deep thinking rather than distraction.
• The Definition of Sales: It isn't just offering a product; it is influencing behavior to change a result.
• The "Will You?" Close: Why asking "Do you like this?" is a trap, and why you must ask "Will you buy this?"
• The Da Vinci Debate: Mike argues for sales artistry; Barton argues that even Da Vinci had a process.

The 4-Step Solution Sales Process: Barton details his "Flywheel" approach to sales, ensuring velocity and results:

1. Prepare: Don't wing it. Understand the pipeline and the customer before the meeting.
2. Present: This is where the commitment happens. If you aren't closing here, you are just talking.
3. Implement: Delighting the customer through the delivery of what was promised.
4. Follow-up (The Refresh): Creating the environment for the next sale.

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Scott Schlofman
Mike Williams - Cell 801-635-7773

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

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Jeff "Raccoon Man" Padilla returns to the show to set the record straight. The episode kicks off with a hilarious listener review from Jeff's nine-year-old daughter, asking why Scott and Mike are "tasting feet" instead of "tasting defeat."

Once the laughter subsides, the trio tackles the most expensive and risky challenge in sales leadership: Hiring.

Jeff breaks down why "Ability" trumps "Knowledge" and "Skills" every time.

The group debates the pros and cons of hiring fresh college graduates (blank slates) versus seasoned veterans (who may come with bad habits). They discuss the difficulty of uncovering "invisible" traits like curiosity and work ethic during a standard interview process.

Finally, Scott proposes a radical new hiring tactic: The "Reverse Ride-Along," where the hiring manager shadows the candidate in their daily life for two days to see if their hustle matches their resume.

Key Takeaways:

• The "Tasting Feet" Blooper: A reminder that even your intro needs a refresh if it sounds like you are eating toes.
• Curiosity & Business Acumen: These are the two non-negotiable traits Jeff looks for. Can the rep understand the customer's business model, not just the product specs?
• The KSA Debate: You can teach product knowledge and sales skills, but you cannot teach "Ability" (intrinsic potential) or desire.
• The Risk of the Unknown: Hiring is a two-way street of risk. The company risks revenue; the candidate risks walking into a toxic culture.
• The "Reverse Ride-Along": A proposed method to verify work ethic by observing the candidate's natural routine before making an offer.

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Scott Schlofman
Mike Williams - Cell 801-635-7773

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

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On this week’s episode, Scott and Mike are joined by one of their "four actual listeners," Jeffrey Padilla, Director of Sales at Rainier Surgical. Jeff shares his journey from a desk-bound bracing coordinator to running the sales department, proving that hate for paperwork can be a powerful motivator.

The trio dives deep into the philosophy of sales leadership. Jeff explains why he stopped giving his reps the answers and started asking "Why?" to build critical thinking. They discuss the concept of "Platinum Hours" —the preparation time outside of 8-5 that separates top performers from the rest—and why willingness to do the work in the dark is the #1 trait he looks for in new hires.

Finally, the group debates whether Cold Calling is truly dead (spoiler: it’s not, but walking in blind is) and Jeff breaks down his "Raccoon" sales style: digging deep to solve problems and being relentlessly reliable. He caps off the episode with a masterclass on Gap Selling, explaining how to move customers from their painful Current State to their desired Future State.

Key Takeaways:

• The "Why" Management Style: Don’t just give reps the answers. Force them to walk through their logic. It creates autonomy and confidence.
• Platinum Hours: Success isn't just about what you do when the customer answers the phone (Golden Hours); it's about the prep work you do when they don't (Platinum Hours).
• Cold Calling 2.0: Walking in blind is dead. Walking in with research, understanding the business problems, and having a hypothesis is very much alive.
• Gap Selling: You aren't selling a product; you are bridging the gap between where the customer hurts now and where they want to be.
• The Raccoon Analogy: Be a problem solver. Sometimes you have to dig through the mess to find the solution.

Support the show

Scott Schlofman
Mike Williams - Cell 801-635-7773

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