JC Pollard was the top commercial Account Executive at Gong last year and was a top-performing SDR before that. Gong enables revenue teams to realize their fullest potential by unveiling their customer reality. Prior to being elevated to AE, JC was a top Sales Development Representative (SDR). JC is a Continue Reading …

In today’s bonus episode of the Sales Success Stories Podcast, I’m going to do something I’ve never done before. It’s super personal and super uncomfortable, but given how much it resonated with others on our last Sales Success Community call, it feels like a really important thing to share.

I’m trying to Defunkify myself!

I have been off my game for almost an entire year, and I’m sure experiencing some mild depression. I won’t get into all of the causes, because it’s really not that important, and many of us get into this place for a whole variety of reasons. What I want to focus on is getting out of it!

I know myself pretty well, and what I know about my previous bouts with depression and my level of openness is that I’m generally pretty comfortable talking about the experience AFTER I’m through it. I really don’t like to acknowledge it or talk about it when I’m in it.

That behavior probably causes me to experience it longer because I don’t want to acknowledge it and get help outside of myself.

The double edge sword of my current situation is that over this last year, it’s never been that bad. It’s a really mild case and I’ve certainly experienced worse, but I think it’s hampered my previous attempts to break free because it’s a low-level situation, the energy I’ve put into recovering has been pretty low level as well, so nothing has really stuck.

I’m also pretty good at faking it when I’m in this place. Only a couple of really close friends likely had any idea what was going on, and I’m still the top rep in my company and performing above expectations, so I haven’t really been getting any questions there, though I’m sure there are a few on my team who have noticed that my level of proactivity and responsiveness isn’t nearly what it usually is.

It also really upset me when I achieved a new all-time high, on my scale, and the first digit in my weight rolled over for the first time in my life.

I’ve decided that enough is enough and chose to call myself out publicly inside this community that I’m always trying to support. Recognizing that now I need a little bit of help.

Like I said at the beginning, their response, and the number of people who closely identified with feeling a similar level of funk and burnout is what prompted me to go even more public and share all of this here, because I know I’m not alone. This is just one of those things that we really don’t talk about enough, but we need to talk about more and we need to get more help when we’re in it. We need to let people know when we’re struggling.

Again, my intention here is to share my journey out. I’m not so interested in a bunch of unsolicited advice, as I’ve got a pretty strong support network. What I would love to hear is your own story of recovery. If you’ve recently defunkified yourself. I want to know what you did that helped you the most. This is a show about success stories after all, and I can’t get enough of them.

The first thing I did after deciding that enough is enough was to do some journaling. I took some time to write about where I was struggling the most. What some of the biggest issues and sticking points were and I started to write down some new goals and really focus on the activities that I thought would help me turn things around.

The biggest area where I’ve been off has been in my workouts. If you’ve listened to this show for a decent amount of time, then you know that I’m a huge Peloton fan. I’ve done over 750 rides, and you’d probably be surprised to know that I hadn’t been on the bike for basically a year. I was consistent through the end of last February, did 3 rides in March of 2022 and that’s been it. Since then I’ve walked with some regularity. The last few months I’ve gone to the gym and lifted a little bit a couple of times a week on average, but it dawned on me that I basically hadn’t gotten my heart rate up in a meaningful way in almost a year!

This is core to the way that I typically function. Taking that action. Getting sweaty and out of breath most days of the week is probably the most important building block to my routine.

I did get a ride in this last Saturday and by the time you hear this I will likely have gotten in at least one more ride. I felt AMAZING after that first ride back. I went relatively easy, but got a good sweat going and literally forgot how good it made me feel. I also forgot how good Peloton is at pushing my competitive buttons and getting me to think about improvement, progress, and consistency.

That’s the first, most important building block I’m working on putting back in place.

Next will be my routine. Again, those who’ve been around for a while know that my superpower is my productivity process. I haven’t been able to execute that process for basically a year. I’ve tried and tried and tried, but haven’t been able to complete it. So that’s next.

Fortunately, my work laptop just came off of lease. I’ve got a brand new one that I’m in the process of setting up and I’m using that as an excuse to change and update my environment. One of my monitors went out, so I’m getting a couple of new screens that are just a little bit larger, and nicer.  If you’ve read Atomic Habits then you know how big a role your environment plays in helping you develop new habits.

You’re welcome to ask me about my progress with my productivity process, because that’s the second most key thing for me.

It really comes down to action. What I’ve read, and what I know about myself, is that action impacts emotion. It’s getting into action and doing things that has the biggest impact on how you feel. So getting back into my productivity process and really starting to crank again, I know is going to create a virtuous cycle. The more I do, the better I’ll feel. The better I feel, the more I’ll want to do.

I’ll also be working to address my diet in some simple ways so I can start taking some weight off, but maybe the biggest thing that has me excited is actually talking about this journey.

I started this process maybe a week and a half ago, and the morning of our last Sales Success Community call I decided that I was going to look for some input from everyone as I start to build the agenda for our one-day Basecamp event I’ll be hosting here in Austin on May 9th. But I had one of my shower ideas and decided that I was going to talk about this journey. It’s been a few years since I’ve taken the stage myself to talk about what I’m doing and it’s time. So at this year’s Basecamp event, I’ll be talking about Defunkifying and Overcoming Burnout.

Again, I’d love to hear your stories. Those success stories where you overcame the funk or overcame an intense feeling of burnout. I’ll focus primarily on my own story, but would love to share some other examples and lessons learned, because what we each need is very individual. Not everyone needs to work out the way I do for example.

Knowing myself, I know that I’m driven by public commitments like this. There’s no way I’m going to get up on that stage 75 days from the day this episode drops and won’t be in a better place.

So that’s me and what I’m working on, but if you’re also in this place. Send me a note. Email is best: [email protected]. I’m not sure what I’m going to do with that yet as this was a very spur-of-the-moment idea and I honestly haven’t thought everything through, but maybe I’ll share some more regular updates with that group of fellow funkers. I might even put together a small support group and we can jump on a call every couple of weeks as we work through this together. But I think the first step is just acknowledging that you’re not at 100% and telling somebody. Even if it’s only me.

There’s also the broader Sales Success Community where I know you’ll find support and like I said, I’ll be talking about all of this in more detail at our Basecamp event in May. You can learn more about that event and about joining the Sales Success Community at top1.fm/2023 that’s T-O-P the number One dot F-M forward slash 2-0-2-3.

And this is just the beginning for me. I’m going to continue to work on this. There are a few more resources I’m planning to experiment with as I work through this process and I hope you’ll follow along.

Ok, that wasn’t quite as scary as I thought. Thanks for listening. Thanks for letting me share something intensely personal and I’d appreciate it if you’d share this with someone else who you think might need it.

We’ll get back to business next week with another brand-new interview episode. Thanks again!

Jack English is the top-performing Account Executive at Zencity, a complete 360 solution that enables local government leaders to understand diverse community needs by hearing from more voices. The platform brings all the essential tools into one place to help government agencies improve services, build trust and increase overall satisfaction with their communities. Prior to being elevated to AE, Jack was a Continue Reading …

In today’s bonus episode of the Sales Success Stories podcast, I’ve got the complete audio from another of the top-rated presentations from the 2022 Sales Success Summit. This is Lynn Powers, who was the star of episode 147 on this podcast delivering her presentation on Grit & Tenacity For The Win, and just a note having just rewatched this myself, the Q&A at the end is just as good as Lynn’s killer presentation, so stay tuned for that and for a link to the video version so you can actually see Lynn’s presentation, click over to top1.fm/lynn2022. Here it is:

Again, for links to the video version of Lynn’s presentation, to her original interview episode and to learn more about how to just us at this year’s Sales Success Summit and more, just click over to top1.fm/lynn2022. Once you’ve done that, make sure you’re subscribed to the podcast and come back next Tuesday for another interview with another top sales performer. Thanks for listening!

Links Mentioned:

Grit & Tenacity For The Win! – Lynn Powers
147: Lynn Powers of Clari: How Lynnergy & Resilience Help Her Overcome Adversity
2023 Sales Success Summit

Jonathan Ball is a top Global Key Account Director in the Life Sciences space. Jonathan is a Continue Reading …

In today’s bonus episode of the Sales Success Stories podcast, I’ve got the complete audio from Ian Koniak’s presentation at the 2022 Sales Success Summit last October. This was the top-rated presentation at the last Summit and he’s now done that back to back and is working towards doing it again in 2023 as he’s already committed to present again at this year’s Summit. 2 quick notes before we get started. One, there’s a bit of language in this one, so fair warning, and Two, there are definitely some visual elements, so I’d encourage you to check out the links at top1.fm/ian2022 where you can find links to the videos of both his 2022 and 2021 presentations. You’ll also find links on that page to connect with Ian and learn more about his coaching and speaking. Top1.fm/ian2022. Here it is:

Again, for links to the videos of both of Ian’s Summit presentations from 2022 and 2021, to connect with him and learn about his coaching programs and of course details about the 2023 Summit where Ian will be presenting yet again, just click over to Top1.fm/Ian2022

Once you’ve done that, make sure you’re subscribed to the podcast and come back next Tuesday for another interview with another top sales performer. Thanks for listening!

Links Mentioned:

Habits of Sales Champions – 2022 Sales Success Summit Presentation
You Are NOT Your Number – 2021 Sales Success Summit Presentation
2023 Sales Success Summit
Ian Koniak Sales Coaching
Ian Koniak on LinkedIn
Ian Koniak YouTube Channel
Ian Koniak on Sales Success Stories Interview

Brantley Atkinson is the top Account Executive at Triple Whale, an organization that compiles data into one easy-to-use dashboard. Brantley is a focused team leader with the ability to leverage research, resources, and emerging technologies to create relevant communications. Brantley has Continue Reading …

Today’s bonus episode might be a little bit redundant if you’re also a subscriber and regular listener of the Daily Sales Tips podcast, but I thought I’d put together this ultra-convenient set of all 10 of the top sales tips from that show in one bingable pack. Enjoy the countdown!

Top 2022 Tip #1 – No Nonsense Strategy to Build More Pipeline – Anthony Natoli
Top 2022 Tip #2 – Be Grateful – Jack Wilson
Top 2022 Tip #3 – Be Creative in Connecting with Customers and Win More – Irfan Jafar
Top 2022 Tip #4 – Use this Trick to Get Any Prospect to Call You – Shari Levitin
Top 2022 Tip #5 – Mindset of a Top Performer – Jason Koons
Top 2022 Tip #6 – 13 Traits of a Successful Salesperson – Meshell Baker
Top 2022 Tip #7 – Resonance: The Only Thing that Matters in Your Messaging – Tyler Lessard
Top 2022 Tip #8 – Winning with the Questions you Ask – Katie Jane Bailey
Top 2022 Tip #9 – High Conversion Prospecting – Tom Burton
Top 2022 Tip #10 – Facilitate the Sales Process – Sabrina Simmers

Leon Baumann is a Senior Account Executive and Client Champion at Dell Technologies. Leon’s focus at Dell Technologies and his career are both centered around being a Champion for his Clients. He is a firm believer Continue Reading …

I’ve got one more short update episode for you as we wrap up the year. We should be back with a new interview episode the first week of January, so make sure you’re subscribed to the podcast.

The first update is that the videos from the 2022 Sales Success Summit should be available just in time for Christmas. If you’ve already signed up and are waiting for those to be delivered. Keep an eye on your inbox. If you didn’t fill out the form at Top1Summit.com to get access to all of those videos for free, this is your last chance. You’ll need to do that before December 31st. After that, they’ll be going up behind a paywall. That said if you’re listening to this in 2023 and beyond. You can get a couple of access codes to individual videos by joining our mailing list at top1.fm. That’s T-O-P the number 1 dot FM, and the link to the summit page is available there as well. Hit pause and do that now if you haven’t already!

Now, if you’re looking to set yourself up for a super solid 2023 I’ve got an incredible offer for you in our All Access Pass and as I talk through this you can find the details at top1.fm/2023. You may have heard me say before that I’m really leaning into the community this year. In addition to our two-day Sales Success Summit next October, we’re adding another single-day event in May called Basecamp. Both events will feature presentations from the top performing sales professionals that you’ve heard here on this podcast and as excited as I am about both of those events, the thing I think is really going to make the biggest difference is the way we’re working to engage and connect the community in a more meaningful and impactful way. We just kicked off a gamified experience just for All Access Pass Holders that’s as much about bringing the community together as it is about public personal accountability and working together to execute at the highest levels.

I’ll make a quick distinction here on who I think this is and isn’t for. If you’re at a stage in your sales career where you’re not sure what you need to do, then this probably isn’t for you. If on the other hand, you know the things you need to do to be successful, you just need the appropriate peer pressure to get it done, then we built this for you!

Imagine surrounding yourself with the best of the best and others who are committed to taking their performance to the next level. Where there’s a strong dose of healthy competition and even some rewards along the way.

Right now, a solid percentage of these active community members are top performers who you’ve heard on this podcast. In fact, I was having a conversation with Luke Floyd who finished at 200% of his annual number again this year and he was talking about how all he’s going to focus on next year is the inputs. He’s going to control his controllables, because he knows that when he does the right things, the results come.

Jack Wilson shared that he wants to be who he says he is. I’ll let that one sink in for a minute, because it’s powerful. He wants to be who he says he is. Talk is cheap right? This community is about action and holding each other and ourselves to a higher standard.

I don’t know about you, but I need this myself. We don’t always get the right kind of support from our leaders. In the Sales Success Community, we’re all about supporting each other and helping each other win in the right way. We’re in this for the long haul. We see sales as our profession, as a craft and we’re committed to being better and doing better in a healthy and sustainable way.

A few people in the community are working to make sure they’re on the right path, because they may not be in the ideal position right now and we’re helping them find that place where they can thrive. In fact, I saw a great post the other day that said a bottle of water might be 50 cents in a bundle at Costco, it might be $3 at a restaurant and it might even be $6 at the airport. It’s the same bottle of water, but it’s valued differently based on the place. Are you in the right place and being valued appropriately?

If you’re in sales for the right reasons, and you have enough experience to know what you need to do, but you could benefit from a strong support system, then we built this community for you, and I’m underselling the heck out of it. Even if you can’t make it to the events that are part of this package, I’m confident that you’ll get a ton of value out of investing in yourself this way.

You’re welcome to use development dollars if your company provides funds for personal improvement, but I’ve personally found these experiences to be the most impactful when you invest in yourself. When you have some of your own skin in the game.

To put your skin in the game, to make that investment in yourself, just go to top1.fm/2023. As soon as you make that payment I’ll be in touch to get you plugged into the Sales Success Community Game so you can start realizing value right away.

And there’s one other thing that we’re offering for free as a bit of a trial, a bit of a test. Next week is the week between Christmas and New Year. A lot of companies are officially closed. It’s likely going to be a slow week. So I asked several members of the core Sales Success Community. The ones who’ve been on the podcast and continually give back and benefit from the community if they’d be willing to offer up some time to talk with podcast listeners in this down week. A bunch of them said yes, and this is your opportunity to have a conversation. To get some mentoring and help to make sure you’re on the right track for 2023.

If you’ll go to top1.fm/EOYCHATS for End of Year Chats, no spaces or anything just top1.fm/E-O-Y-C-H-A-T-S you’ll find links to book a conversation with David Weiss, Jacquelyn Nicholson, Dustin Brown, Chris McNeill, DeJuan Brown, Jack Wilson or myself. The hard part is that we’re asking you to only pick one of us. Of course, if you grab your All Access Pass you’ll have opportunities to interact with many of us one on one, but as our gift to you and a way to give back, we all wanted to offer up some time to see if we can help.

So let me give you one last rundown as a recap and repeat those links for you.

The 2022 Sales Success Summit videos will be coming out right before Christmas. Make sure you’ve filled out the form at Top1Summit.com

To get your All Access Pass and get into the inner circle of the Sales Success Community go to top1.fm/2023

And to book a complimentary session with one of these amazing community members, click over to top1.fm/eoychats

Make that decision, take an action, and take control of your success in 2023 and beyond. I’ll talk to you next year. Thanks for listening!