Sales Gravy: Jeb Blount

We are coming off of a week that can only be described as a stock market bloodbath—amping up uncertainty and making selling even harder.  As the new tariffs imposed by the US government were announced, kicking off what is expected to devolve into a global trade war, the Dow Jones plunged by over 2,200 points, the S&P 500 lost more than 10%, the Nasdaq entered into a bear market and more than $6.6 trillion dollars were wiped from the US stock market in two days. These losses compounded in markets all across the globe. If you were brave enough to take a peek at your 401k, I have no doubt that you felt this pain and at least a twinge of the fear that raced through business communities across the globe.  Uncertainty and a Stream of Bad News In an instant, everything changed. Starting today, selling just got even harder. Your buyers are facing uncertainty and a relentless stream of bad news; and where there is uncertainty, your prospects and customers will put off making decisions and doing anything that they p

All’s fair in love and war—and sales. At the end of the day, what really matters is whether the deal closed or if you were left holding the bag.  Did you make quota this quarter? Did you crush your numbers? Or did you fall short? If you missed quota, chances are you played it too safe. You followed the so-called 'best practices'—the ones that average reps cling to. Top performers don’t just follow the playbook. They know when to bend the rules, take calculated risks, and do what it takes to win. Be a Pattern Breaker The greatest don’t stick to rules and expectations. They forge their own path in a sea of conformity. They constantly reinvent themselves and their practices to push boundaries and find new ways to win. What you won’t see is an elite sales rep following the same script day after day and struggling to escape mediocrity. As venture capitalist Mike Maples Jr. put it on this week’s Sales Gravy Podcast, “People who are winning are the ones who change the rules and tell people how to think about

Dennis from Chesterfield, Missouri, wants to know if sales coaching truly moves the performance needle, especially when shifting from transactional approaches to more consultative selling. Below are the key insights from our conversation on why coaching matters, how it boosts sales and culture, and what leaders should do right now to make it happen. Why Sales Coaching Is Essential Sales is a skill position. Even the best reps lose their edge if they’re left on their own for too long. Much like elite athletes, sales professionals need ongoing input to fine-tune their mechanics, recharge their motivation, and keep small errors from turning into big problems. Coaching can be the difference between a rep who has plateaued and one who keeps climbing—because it provides immediate, personalized feedback when it counts most. From Knowledge Acquisition to Knowledge Application Training is vital for learning new strategies, product details, and selling techniques, but it doesn’t guarantee that anyone will actually us

This is a very important Monday because this is the first Monday of the second quarter, and it’s time for a major gut check and assessment of where you are against your number coming out of Q1, and what you need to adjust and think about as we move into Q2. Start with setting aside a dedicated, focused time block of one to two hours for reviewing your: Q1 Results Current state of your pipeline 2025 goals & personal business plan Evaluate Your Q1 Performance Against Your Sales Goals Begin with an honest evaluation of your Q1 sales performance. It’s likely that your performance falls into one of three scenarios:  You Crushed It – You had a killer quarter, blew away your goals, and you are walking on cloud nine.  You Hit Quota – You're on track and right where you are supposed to be against your number You are in trouble – You missed your number, are behind quota, and are feeling the pressure. Incredible Quarter. Crushing It! If You Crushed It, and you’re on the top of the ranking report: Congra

Great advice is everywhere, but most of it is fluff. In sales, you don’t need clichés—you need real strategies that help you win more deals. We’ve pulled together five of the biggest game-changing sales tips from the Sales Gravy Podcast so far this year.  These are proven tactics from top sales pros who know what it takes to close deals, stay sharp, and dominate the competition. If you want to crush your numbers, start here.  https://youtu.be/gmf7YzzlPkQ?feature=shared The Grind Gets You Gold You won’t become a sales expert overnight.  But you can practice your way to excellence and then—one day—reach elite levels of selling. As sales guru Tony Morris said, “You get out what you put in. … You don’t have to be the greatest; you’ve got to be the hardest [worker].” In other words, be ready to roll up your sleeves and get in the trenches. Everyone sees the skills of great athletes, but not everyone considers all the consistent work it took to hit that home run or make that perfect golf swing. Sales succes

Wes from Flower Mound, Texas, has a familiar challenge: how to attract more qualified B2B leads and convert them before they slip away. He’s already tried a variety of channels, including inside sales, social media, and email, but is struggling to ramp up both volume and quality. Below are the key insights from our conversation, along with practical strategies to multiply your lead count and build a system that secures face-to-face meetings with the right buyers. Why a Multi-Channel Strategy Matters There’s rarely a single magic trick that opens the floodgates of perfect leads. In B2B lead gen often requires multiple touch points before prospects even see why they need to talk to you. A blend of outbound prospecting, inbound content marketing, and nurturing activities generally works best. The sum of these efforts can accelerate your pipeline more effectively than leaning on one channel alone. Lead with Pain-Focused Messaging If you expect busy decision-makers to respond, talk about their pain—not your cred

George Foreman gave us a masterclass in resilience, on never giving up. His pivots and comebacks from defeat were legendary. He was a force of nature and one of the greatest boxers, salesmen and personalities the world has ever known. His inspirational story matters to us because one of the most critical mental disciplines for sales professionals is resilience.  Foreman’s "In the Mud" Moment The George Foreman most of us remember, the man with the big charismatic smile selling grills on TV, was a far cry from the young man growing up in poverty in Houston’s Fifth Ward, where lunch was often a mayonnaise sandwich.  As a teenager, George was an angry, mean bully who stole from kids at school and was shoplifting and mugging his way through his neighborhood. He was living on the edge, one arrest away from landing in a jail cell and potentially a life behind bars. One night, he was lying flat on his face in stinking mud, hiding from the police, when it hit him like a left hook that he was going nowhere like this

Wherever you are in your sales journey, you need a mentor—now.  If you’re serious about becoming a top performer or want to stay at the top of your game, you need more than just grit and determination. You need a guide. A mentor who’s been through the fire and who can help you avoid costly mistakes.  Sales expert Tony Morris stands behind the power of mentorship and the impact it can have on confidence in The Sales Gravy Podcast. Sales is about 80% confidence—you can’t afford to miss out. The truth is, the best salespeople aren’t born—they’re built. And behind almost every top closer is a mentor who showed them the ropes. https://youtu.be/QqXHY7ONs_k Mentorship Means a Better You. Period. Let’s imagine you’re new to sales. Or you’ve got some time under your belt. Or maybe you’re a seasoned vet. What do you all have in common? You all need a mentor. Most salespeople fail not because they lack talent, but because they try to figure everything out on their own. They treat sales like a solo sport when it’s

Gaius, who runs an insurance brokerage in Ohio wants to know how to get his new sales agents cold calling and building pipeline earlier in their training cycle, without making them feel overwhelmed and sabotaging their confidence. If you’ve ever hired a sales class or tried to ramp up new hires in an industry with complex products or strict guidelines, you’ll relate to Gaius’s dilemma. Below, you’ll find the key takeaways from our conversation on accelerating new rep success, establishing realistic expectations, and blending company marketing with individual agent prospecting efforts. The Challenge: New Hires, Big Learning Curves Gaius plans to hire new property-casualty agents in classes of four, each going through about 3–4 months of training. During that time, they have to learn multiple carriers, underwriting guidelines, and compliance rules so they don’t accidentally write poor-fit policies or lose deals over technicalities. It’s crucial they build confidence before being “thrown to the wolves.” But her

One of the most vivid memories from my childhood was the day I was bucked off of my pony. The pony’s name was Macaroni and I was six. We were in an arena where my mother was giving me my very first riding lessons.  Macaroni was stung by a bee, and she reacted by bucking. I couldn’t hang on and I landed hard on my back. It knocked the breath out of me. I gasped for air. Then as I finally caught my breath, I started bawling at the shock of being involuntarily dismounted.  My mom caught the pony, led her back over to me, and gently told me to dust myself off and get back on. But by this time I was sobbing the way kids do when they’ve cried so hard that they can’t stop.  Failure is Just a Bruise I shook my head and refused to get back on the pony. My mother tried her best to calm me down and reason with me but I still refused to get back on.  Then she took a different tact and got tough. Her stern, direct tone of voice made it clear that she was not asking me to get back on the pony—she was telling me. That's

How many times have you gotten to the meeting but your pitch fell flat? You went in guns blazing, thinking the hard part was over and you’d land the deal—but instead you face-planted. It’s not your product or your pricing. It’s your messaging that’s failing you—and blocking you from a sale. A Framework to Tap Into Your Prospect’s Pain So what’s missing?  A framework that actually speaks to your prospect’s pain, builds urgency, and moves them toward a ‘yes.’  As The Sales Gravy Podcast guest Mike Malloy points out, the PASTOR messaging method can solve that disconnect. You tap into your customer’s pain points and you close. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BkML4D0BPIU The PASTOR Method Created by renowned copywriter Ray Edwards, the word “PASTOR’ is about guiding your prospect through the process with messaging that grabs attention and prompts action. As a salesperson, you lead your potential client toward a solution. True sales relationships aren’t forced—it’s natural and authentic. You’re not stereotypi

Cindy is struggling to set appointments and handle the "How Much Does it Cost?" objection. She recently switched from media sales to the home services industry. Suddenly, she finds herself making all her own cold calls—no marketing team, no pre-existing territory full of warm leads. And unlike her old desk-bound clients, these new prospects are likely to be on a roof or at a job site when she calls. Not surprisingly, Cindy’s facing more objections than she’s used to: “Is this advertising?” “What’s the price?” “I’m busy—call me later.” Below, you’ll find the strategies we discussed to help Cindy navigate these challenges, book more appointments, and build a solid pipeline in a brand-new industry. Don’t Let Your Assumptions Become Their Objections When Cindy began calling busy contractors who often pick up the phone on a roof, she caught herself feeling anxious or apologetic in her delivery. The lesson? Emotions are contagious. If you sound insecure or rushed, your prospects sense it. Stop Projecting You migh

No matter if you've had a great month, closed a big deal, or made it to the winner's circle at President's club, winning makes you more vulnerable to losing. A Winning Message for Sales Winners Last week, I delivered a keynote at a large company's President’s club event. It was fun! Great hotel. Tropical destination. People were upbeat and happy because they were celebrating success. And frankly, I love hanging out with ultra-high performers. It’s so energizing to be with winners. The challenge though was figuring out exactly what I was going to say to them.  Think about it. These sales professionals are the best of the best. Cream of the crop. The Bee’s Knees in the words of their VP of Sales. They’ve proven that they know what to do. They already are motivated. The last thing I wanted to do was bore them to tears or cause them to feel that I was talking down to them. So I spent several weeks nervously working on my keynote speech for this group of winners. I went around and around in circles unable to na

You’re stalled. You’re stuck. You’ve plateaued. No matter how you put it, you’re seeing your sales hit a rut. And let’s face it, you’re in a rut, too. So, how do you pull yourself out of it? The answer: invest in yourself. https://youtu.be/odBObaiywlg?feature=shared The Power of Personal Development In sales, it's easy to get caught up in the grind—calls to make and deals to close. But if you don’t make time to invest in yourself, sooner or later, you’ll hit a wall and fall into a rut.  As Sales Gravy Podcast guest Robert Herbst points out, one of the key reasons that sales people stagnate is a lack of personal development. The reason top performers prioritize learning new skills and pushing their boundaries is because it makes them better and helps them sell more. When you choose to prioritize yourself and your professional development you are choosing a better and happier you. Personal development isn’t a ‘nice-to-have’—it’s the backbone of sustained success.  Cultivating a Growth Mindset A growth min

Matt from Grand Rapids says, “If I don’t make my cold calls, our pipeline will go dry.” He is juggling everything from operations to customer service escalations, all while trying to generate fresh leads through cold calls. Sound familiar? In this Ask Jeb segment of the Sales Gravy Podcast, I walk Matt through practical strategies to carve out time for prospecting and target the right prospects, so that he can keep his sales pipeline full—even while being pulled in a dozen directions. The Problem: Too Many Hats, Too Little Time Matt’s role covers operations, customer support, escalations, and sales. That’s a lot of hats for one head. Between urgent issues (like system outages) and everyday distractions (Slack messages, emails, ticket follow-ups), his cold-calling efforts often get pushed to the back burner. If urgent tasks always overshadow your pipeline-building activities, you’ll end up with a dangerously thin pipeline. Remember: “The Pipe is life.” The longer you allow other priorities to get in the way,

If you’ve hung around me for longer than five minutes, you’ve heard me say that sales is about talking with people. The fact is, the more people you talk with, the more you’ll sell. The good news is that there are lots of people to talk with to make a sale. The problem is, far too many salespeople have quit talking with people. Email Prospecting Has Suddenly Stop Working Instead they keep prospects and customers at arms length through asynchronous communication channels like email - especially when prospecting.  They lean on email because it’s easier to hide behind a keyboard than pick up the phone and face rejection. But here’s the cold, hard truth: Email as a prospecting channel has suddenly stopped working.  Recent data indicate that salespeople today are sending three to eight times more emails than they were just a couple of years ago … yet they’re getting only a tenth of the response.  Let that sink in for a moment. Three times more email and a tenth of the response. These days you can send your pr

You nailed the pitch. The budget was there. The decision-maker was engaged. So why did the deal go cold? The problem might not be your process. It might be you. Before a prospect buys from you, they have to buy into you. Your professional presence sets the stage for every interaction.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELR-Mhzv7eA First Impressions Matter If you don’t make a strong first impression, it won’t matter how great your service is. Your appearance tells a prospect what to expect before you even open your mouth.  Well-groomed, polished, and with a professional presence? You’re perceived as credible and competent. Over the phone or through email, if you’re engaging, confident and well-spoken, then you’re going to open more doors. Match your appearance and tone to the company you’re approaching. A simple LinkedIn search or visit to a company website will shed light on company culture. If this is a more informal environment, don’t show up in a suit. If everyone dresses sharp, then your polo and khaki

Caroline is dealing with a dilemma so many sales professionals face this time of year: How do you shake off a mid-winter rut and regain your momentum when it’s cold, dark, and everyone else seems to be dragging too? On this Ask Jeb episode, I offer practical, real-world strategies to help you thaw out from the winter freeze. Whether you’re fighting the gloom of early sunsets, the aftereffects of holiday downtime, or the struggle to get your customers back in “buying mode,” these tips will help you power through and regain your momentum. Surround Yourself with Positive Inputs When you’re in a mid-winter sales rut—especially in cold, gray weather—your environment can either lift you up or drag you down. The content you consume and the people you interact with have a direct impact on your attitude. Limit NegativitySkip cable news and doom scrolling. It’s toxic and drains energy. Steer clear of co-workers who only want to complain. Instead, find colleagues or mentors who keep the conversation upbeat and producti

Three weeks ago it warmed up here in Augusta, Georgia, so I played hooky from work to take advantage of the nice weather and play a round of golf. While I was waiting for the group in front of me to clear the green my phone rang. I answered but I couldn’t hear anything on the other end so I hung up.  Ten minutes later it rang again with a call from the same number. This time, however, I was walking up to a birdie putt, so I sent the call to voicemail.  After finishing my round, I looked at my voice messages to see who had called, but there was no message so I didn’t give it another thought.  Later that day, I found an email from the rep asking for a meeting. He said he had called but we'd been disconnected.  It was at that moment that I realized I had my earbuds in when I answered the phone the first time. Sometimes calls do not automatically transfer to them. That is why I couldn’t hear him when I picked up the phone.  I considered responding to his email at that moment, but it was dinner time, and I wa

In sales - especially in product knowledge training - we’re taught from day one how to pitch, how to present, and how to overcome objections. We rehearse our spiels, memorize talking points, and perfect our scripts.  But too often we forget one of the most basic truths in sales: The more you listen, the more you learn. And the more you learn, the faster and easier it is to close a deal. Silence — shutting up and listening — is your secret weapon.  Yes, you need to speak confidently about the value you bring to the table, and you need to be clear when you’re asking for the deal. But the words that actually sway a prospect don’t come from you — they come from them.  Prospects convince themselves to buy. Your job is to guide the conversation in such a way that they articulate the problems they’re trying to solve, the goals they want to achieve, and the obstacles blocking their path. When you can get them to articulate those issues in their own words, you close deals.    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ovBdh