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What do Navy SEALs, professional athletes, and top sales professionals all have in common? On the surface, it may not seem like much.
However, when you dig a little deeper, youâll notice a crucial commonality: They actively cultivate and practice learned mental disciplines to optimize their performance under pressure.
In part two of our conversation with Dr. Eric Potterat and Alan Eagle, authors of "Learned Excellence: Mental Disciplines for Leading and Winning from the World's Top Performers,â we'll explore crucial topics like curiosity, reflective thinking, and adversity toleranceâskills that are essential for success in any field, but especially in sales and leadership.We'll unpack how top performers use visualization techniques, breathing exercises, and pre-performance routines to prepare for high-stakes situations.
Whether you're gearing up for an important sales call, a crucial presentation, or leading your team through challenging times, Eric and Alanâs insights will help you elevate your game.
Read âLearned Excellenceâ here: https://a.co/d/9vQiv2I -
For the 150th episode of Breaking Sales, weâre welcoming âLearned Excellenceâ co-authors Dr. Eric Potterat, a leading performance psychologist who has worked with everyone from professional athletes to Navy SEALs; and Alan Eagle, a former Managing Director at Google and an executive communications consultant, to explore how excellence can be learned and is absolutely accessible to all of us, regardless of our field or stage in life.
We'll examine the mental disciplines that drive high performance, how to strengthen adversity tolerance, and how the power of identity drives elite performers.
If you're ready to understand what truly drives excellence and how you can apply these principles in your own life and career, this episode is a must-listen.
Read âLearned Excellenceâ here: https://a.co/d/9vQiv2I
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Have you ever found yourself walking a tightrope between being perceived as too aggressive or not assertive enough in the workplace?
In this episode of Breaking Sales, Pam and Kristie share their perspective on assertiveness in the workplace. Drawing from their extensive experience as female leaders in male-dominated industries, they challenge common gender biases and explore the difference between assertiveness and aggression.
You'll discover how personality type affects your natural level of assertiveness, and learn tactics designed to help you develop this essential leadership skill. Pam and Kristie share practical strategies for delivering confident, direct communication while maintaining authenticity and building trust.
Listen in as we unpack the art of confident communication and learn how to match your assertiveness to any situation.
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Have you ever wondered why some salespeople consistently outperform others, even those who, on the surface, appear equally talented? High performance is not just about natural ability - itâs also about the intensity and quality of preparation. Chances are, these top sales professionals are spending more time and energy preparing for their meetings than their peers.
In this Snippet, Dan sits down with Nick Hardwick, former Center for the San Diego Chargers, to explore the parallels between preparing for a high-stakes football game and preparing for crucial sales meetings. Theyâll dive deep into why talent alone isnât enough to succeed in the long run, how to build systems that position you for greater success over time, and preparing for the unexpected so you can stay flexible when the game (or sales conversation) changes. Nick's insights from the world of professional football will challenge you to rethink your approach to sales preparation and give you practical strategies to elevate your game.
Ready to transform your sales preparation and performance? Listen to this snippet, and then scroll back to Episode 10, Preparing to Win with NFLâs Nick Hardwick, to hear the full conversation on the power of preparation in high-stakes situations.
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Have you reached your full potential?
If youâre a high performer, the answer should be a resounding "not yet." There's always room for growth, always another level to reach. Personal growth is a never-ending journey where we are constantly working toward becoming the next version of ourselves.The secret is learning how to embrace that change.
In this episode of Breaking Sales, Dan and Pam dive deep into the power of change and experimentation. Theyâll explore why experimentation is crucial for personal and professional growth, and how it can help you reach that next level of performance. We'll break down the mindset shifts needed to embrace change, and why being willing to make mistakes is essential for learning and growth. You'll learn how to approach change as a game of creation, and discover practical exercises to visualize and work towards your future goals.
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It's no secret: many people in high-performance careers pride themselves on their work ethic. At first, the late nights, early mornings, and minimal sleep feel exciting and fulfilling. But as time goes on and they advance further in their careers, many begin to realize this approach isn't sustainable, or even productive in the long run.
In this episode of Breaking Sales, Dan and Pam explore the critical importance of rejuvenation and grounding for high achievers and why taking time to recharge isn't just a luxuryâit's a necessity for maintaining clarity and avoiding burnout.
You'll discover how small, intentional habits can make a big difference in your overall well-being and productivity, the hard choices that come with prioritizing rejuvenation, and why being deliberate is so critical to avoiding burnout. Dan and Pam even share their personal methods of mental and physical rejuvenation, from evening walks and classical music to early morning workouts and prioritizing sleep, as inspiration on how you can make a change in your life.
Tune in if you're ready to transform your mindset and boost your performance without sacrificing your well-being.
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Has this ever happened to you?
You walk into a sales conversation with your product demo ready. Youâve rehearsed your presentation to perfection, knowing every line and figure by heart, only to find your prospect is disengaged and uninterested in your production.Thereâs a reason this didnât work: You made the conversation about yourself.
Instead of approaching the prospect with curiosity and asking questions about their business, you relied on a rehearsed demo presentation that didnât require you to step out of your comfort zone and engage with the prospect on their level. So how do we fix this?In this snippet, Dan shares why relying on your demo, though tempting, can hurt your ability to connect with your prospects and close the deal. Weâll explore why this leads to missed opportunities and misaligned solutions, and how you can adjust your mindset to better serve your prospectâs needs, not your own need for comfort and security.
Listen to this snippet, and if you liked it, scroll back to episode 42, âDisqualifying You Is Easierâ to hear the full conversation. -
Sales leaders often stress the importance of differentiation. But what if I told you that the conventional wisdom on how to stand out in sales conversations actually makes you sound more like everyone else?
When have you ever heard a competitor of yours say to the prospect, âour resources arenât that good?â
Differentiation isn't about having the most offices, the smartest people, or even the best product. True differentiation has to come from within you - how you show up mentally.
In this episode of Breaking Sales, Dan and Kristie dive deep into what it takes to stand out in a crowded marketplace. Theyâll challenge the conventional wisdom about differentiation and explore why your mindset matters more than any feature or benefit you can tout. How itâs often your ability and willingness to ask the questions others are afraid to ask.
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When was the last time you actually enjoyed responding to an RFP?
The harsh reality is that buyer expectations are through the roof. The old playbook just doesn't cut it anymore. But what if there was a way to completely flip the script on RFPs? To turn them from a soul-crushing exercise into a chance to truly connect with your prospects?
In this episode, Kristie and Dan dive into the mindset shift that can help you disrupt the RFP game, challenging everything you think you know about the process.
What if instead of a scripted song and dance, you could have a real dialogue? What if you could build trust by being radically honest? And what if setting clear boundaries actually led to more success?
Dan and Kristie break down exactly how to approach RFPs in a whole new way. One that keeps you objective, strategic, and focused on what really matters: helping your prospects make the best decision possible.
If youâre ready to throw out the old RFP rulebook and try something that might just transform your entire sales approach, listen in.
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Are you brave enough to ask a prospect if they've tried fixing their problem with their current provider? Or does the risk that you could potentially lose a deal fill you with dread?
Sales professionals often struggle with getting too attached in these situations, especially when theyâre excited about closing a deal. If you want to improve your sales conversations, you have to become very self-aware about this tendency, and remind yourself that your attachments and insecurities arenât serving anyoneâs best interests.
In this Snippet, Dan explores how adopting this mindset can help you build trust with insurance industry leader Danielle Lombardo. You'll learn how to shift your focus from closing at all costs to truly serving and understanding potential clients, focusing on creating long-term trust instead of short-term gains.
If you're ready to challenge what you think you know about sales tactics, listen to this snippet, then scroll back to Episode 3, Breaking the Sales Mindset with Danielle Lombardo, to hear the complete discussion on avoiding these common sales conversation pitfalls.
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Have you ever felt a rush of excitement when a prospect says something positive about your sales conversation? That moment when you are sure you have it in the bag?
Not so fast.
In this episode, Dan and Pam explore a dangerous pitfall in sales - the temptation to hear what you want to believe, not what your prospect is actually saying. Theyâll dive into why labeling interactions as "good" or "bad" can sabotage your efforts, and how to stay objective even when things feel optimistic. You'll learn why "buying signals" might not mean what you think they do, and how to keep pushing for deeper understanding instead of settling for surface-level positivity. Dan and Pam break down real examples of sales conversations gone wrong, and give you strategies to avoid the same mistakes. Prepare to challenge your assumptions, and learn how to avoid disappointment by listening with more curiosity.
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Most salespeople approach rapport-building wrong, and here's why: they rely on superficial small talk that prospects can see right through, they abruptly switch from "rapport mode" to "sales mode," creating a jarring experience, or they assume rapport is only about finding common ground, when it's really about creating a much deeper connection. These mistakes don't just fail to build trust â they actively damage it.
In this snippet, we revisit Danâs conversation with David Thompson, a master interrogator who shares his expert insights on building rapport. David reveals how to weave rapport throughout your entire conversation, how to be a human first and a salesperson second (and why this distinction matters), and techniques from high-stakes interrogations that can transform your sales approach. Plus, we'll explore the power of strategic questioning and why assuming you understand a prospect's needs is a dangerous game. After listening, scroll back to Episode 18, Questions that Build Trust with David Thompson, to hear our full conversation on dialogue and trust in sales.
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What if the key to your success is hidden in the words you probably dread hearing most: "Can I give you some feedback?"
For most people, those six words might cause your defenses to rise and your mind to race. But what if your mindset around feedback is actually a predictor of your future success?
In this episode of Breaking Sales, Dan and Pam challenge the way professionals respond to feedback. We're diving deep into why most people run from criticism, while the top 1% of performers crave it. You'll discover how your instinctive reaction to feedback might be sabotaging your career, why you're probably not as self-aware as you think, and how to transform criticism from a threat into your secret weapon for growth.
If you're ready to embrace discomfort and unlock a new level of performance, this episode is for you. It's time to stop running from feedback and start running towards it.
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Think about the most valuable feedback you've ever received, or that question that really helped you solve a problem by thinking both objectively and differently. Was there some level of discomfort at first? Did you have to lower your guard a little bit so you could objectively receive and debate either the feedback or the question? And more importantly, how did the experience impact how you felt about the person giving the feedback or asking the question?
This experience is called positive tension. It's the art of asking questions and making observations that may be at first uncomfortable for the recipient, but the exchange is invaluable because it helps the other person to think differently about their situation, experience, and or results. If you want your prospect to make a change, the psychology would suggest that they will need to feel and work through positive tension.
In this episode of Breaking Sales, Dan and Pam dive deep into why creating positive tension is crucial for transformative conversations. You'll learn why your prospects need to feel tension to seriously consider change, techniques for framing tough questions in a way that builds trust, and how to find your authentic voice when discussing sensitive topics.
If you want to stop spending so much time chasing prospects for answers and you want to sell more, this episode is for you. Let's break down the psychology behind positive tension and how you can use it as a tool to help your prospects gain conviction toward change.
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Are you comfortable asking the tough questions? Or do you find yourself holding back, afraid to rock the boat? That hesitation can be counterintuitive, as the ability to ask challenging questions may be the difference between closing a deal and watching it slip away. So how do you develop the confidence to push past your comfort zone and take the conversation into uncharted waters?
In this snippet, Quinn Damon and Dan explore the art of asking tough questions, and Quinn shares a pivotal moment in his career where a single, well-crafted question turned the tide in a sales conversation.
If you're ready to learn how to ask the questions that truly matter to your prospect, listen in, and then scroll back to episode 44, âNo Shortcuts to Sales Successâ to hear our full conversation on mastering the art of tough questions.
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What would happen if excuses and insecurities no longer held you back, and you were able to approach your prospecting with calm, confidence, and conviction?
In this episode of Breaking Sales, Dan and Pam talk about how you can evolve your mindset and minimize annoying insecurities that hold you back. They cover conviction and how it can transform your performance, including why waiting for external factors to boost your confidence is a losing game, and how you can get results by manufacturing that "I don't give a sh*t" attitude.
This conversation might just be the wake-up call you need to break through to your next level of achievement.
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In this Snippet, Pam and Dan explore the power of process in transforming your sales results. You'll learn how to scale your prospecting efforts and build a consistent, high-performing sales machine. We'll break down how to tackle prospecting in an organized, consistent way, and why daily habits reduce stress.
If you're ready to take your sales game to the next level, listen to this snippet, and then scroll back to Episode 12, Prospecting: The Missing Link to hear the full conversation.
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More and more salespeople are spending too much time and energy trying to find the perfect prospecting messageâa silver bullet that guarantees success. The truth is that the real key to effective prospecting is not in the message itself, but in how we frame our goals and expectations.
You canât control most things in life, including how your prospect responds to your messaging. However, there are four things you can control:
Your mindset, effort, actions, and consistency.
In this episode of Breaking Sales, Pam and Kristie dive deep into the mindset traps that hold us back, and the opportunities to change our approachâand thus, our results. Whether youâre a seasoned pro or just starting out, get ready to reconsider everything you think about prospecting.
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Are you spinning your wheels, feeling like you never have enough time? Think having a wide-open calendar would mean more freedom? Think again. Dan and Pam are about to challenge everything you thought you knew about managing your time.
Resident time-management expert Pam sits down with Dan to unpack two crucial questions:
1. Does your schedule represent where you are today, or where you want to be tomorrow?
2. Are your calendar practices an asset or hindrance?
They dive deep into how top performers use their calendars as powerful assets, common misconceptions about scheduling that might be sabotaging your success, and how to transform your relationship with time. Youâll find out why having the discipline to plan and stick to a schedule isn't just about getting more done. It's about safeguarding your promisesâto yourself, your team, and your clients. Whether you're in sales, leadership, or any field where performance matters, this episode is your roadmap to next-level productivity.
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There will be a time where enough is enough. When all of us in sales look back and say, âWhat were we thinking?â And we ask, âWhy would anyone accept a 20 percent win standard from 20 percent of the population?â
Letâs start questioning the sales norms and redefining how we measure success. It will be up to you to decide what level youâll play at.
Will convention and the current misguided âexpertiseâ keep you stuck, or will you have the conviction to challenge and carve your own path?
In this episode of Breaking Sales, Pam and Dan start to debunk the myth of sales. They move past the temptation to standardize and label prospects, push past closing ratios, and get to the heart of the matterâhow to tear into that other 80 percent.
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