Building Your Sales Engine

Learning a new sales skill takes more than understanding it — Mark McGraw and Josh Pitchford walk through seven steps to make any sales technique second nature before the lights come on. Learning a new sales skill is the easy part. Performing it in a live call, under pressure, when the deal is on the line — that's where most sellers fall apart. In this episode, Mark McGraw sits down with co-host Josh Pitchford, a former golf pro who has taught more than 14,000 lessons, to break down seven practical steps for taking a new sales skill from the practice range to the cour...

Weekly planning doesn't need two hours — Mark McGraw walks through the timed 25-minute process he's run every week for years to get fully prepared for the week ahead. Weekly planning is where most salespeople lose the week before it starts. In this solo episode, Mark McGraw shares the exact 25-minute process he's used religiously for the last couple of years, built by taking the Pomodoro technique and overlaying a hard agenda with a countdown timer on every step. His honest confession up front: he used to sit down on a Sunday with the best intentions, work for two hours, and st...

The Kaizen meeting is the one 90-minute block Mark McGraw has protected for nine years — and it's the reason his sales operation stopped running on firefighting. Most sales managers spend their week putting out fires, and the uncomfortable truth is that the same fires keep coming back. In this solo episode, Mark McGraw lays out three types of sales managers — the firefighter, the arsonist, and the fire marshal — and makes the case that your success and your sanity depend on which one you default to. The answer is a weekly Kaizen meeting: a blocked, recurring 90 minutes dedicated to constant and never...

Sales prospecting is never urgent until your pipeline is empty — Mark McGraw and Josh Pitchford break down the habits, blocks, and manager moves that make prospecting consistent before it becomes a crisis. Sales prospecting is the number one constraint sales teams name year after year, and Josh Pitchford's line explains exactly why: "Prospecting is not urgent until it is." In this episode, Mark McGraw and Josh dig into the creative avoidance that keeps sellers busy with everything except finding new business — and what actually breaks the cycle. Josh walks through the group prospecting model he runs with clients: dedicated phone camp...

Getting your CS team to sell starts with mindset, not skill — Steve Popp breaks down how customer success and service teams are being handed revenue responsibility, and how to make the transition stick. Getting your CS team to sell is one of the biggest shifts happening in sales right now. Revenue responsibility is moving away from traditional selling roles and landing on customer success, customer service, account management — even engineering. In this episode of Building Your Sales Engine, host Mark McGraw sits down with Sandler's Steve Popp to unpack why organizations are doing it, why it works, and where it brea...

Head trash — the self-limiting beliefs salespeople carry — quietly kills more deals than any competitor, and simply recognizing it cures about 70% of the problem. Head trash is the psychological baggage salespeople drag into every call, and it costs more revenue than any pricing objection ever will. In this episode, host Mark McGraw sits down with co-host Josh Pitchford to work through a list of 55 self-limiting beliefs they've collected over years of sales training — everything from "the economy is bad and my prospects don't have money" to "I can't close on the first call" to "I need my prospects to like me." Mark a...

The habits of elite sales managers, unpacked in a full workshop replay — how the best sales leaders control their day, coach strategically, and build systems that make their teams self-sufficient. Elite sales managers don't work harder than everyone else — they run a different operating system. In this episode, Mark McGraw shares a full replay of his sales manager workshop on the habits of elite sales leaders, walking through roughly a dozen ideas any manager can put to work immediately. Mark opens with the true story of a manager who elevated 70–80% of the reps he inherited, and unpacks the Three P's of lea...

Sales mastery isn't luck — Rob Fishman breaks down the 5 stages every top performer moves through, from first awareness to the "empty mind" of a seasoned pro. Sales mastery follows a predictable path, and in this episode of Building Your Sales Engine, Mark McGraw sits down with 18-year Sandler veteran and accomplished pianist Rob Fishman to map all five stages of it. Drawing on parallels from classical music, jazz improvisation, and martial arts, Rob lays out how anyone gets great at a craft: Awareness, Knowledge, Application, Skills, and Habit. Along the way, Rob and Mark unpack why deliberate practice — not talent — separa...

Relationship curiosity is the secret to connecting with anyone — Sandler's Rich Isaac reveals how making the conversation about them makes you unforgettable. Rich joins host Mark McGraw to unpack the deceptively simple mindset behind his uncanny ability to build rapport with prospects, clients, and complete strangers alike — without awkward small talk or a pushy sales persona. Rich shares how his own path from aerodynamics engineer to sales trainer taught him that being "non-threatening" is a strength, not a weakness. The pair explore why genuine curiosity is mutually beneficial, how to keep the spotlight on the other person with a single foll...

Customer success is the new revenue engine — Mark McGraw, Kelly Ross, and Steve Popp unpack how to turn CS teams into commercially-minded contributors without losing trust, identity, or the client relationship. Customer success teams are being asked to drive revenue — and CROs are making it the #1 priority for 2026. In this episode of Building Your Sales Engine, host Mark McGraw sits down with Kelly Ross and Steve Popp to unpack the trend of turning CS, account management, and client success roles into revenue contributors responsible for renewals, expansion, upsells, and cross-sells. The conversation goes beyond tactics. Mark, Kelly, and Steve dig into...

A 38-year sales management veteran breaks down his six-facet framework for building and running a high-performing sales team. In this episode of Building Your Sales Engine, host Mark McGraw sits down with Pete Fasulo -- a 38-year sales management veteran and fractional sales manager -- to unpack his six-facet framework for running a high-performing sales team. From hiring the right reps to disciplining the wrong ones, Pete shares the structure he uses inside Sandler's fractional sales manager program to drive 15-40%+ revenue gains for his clients. If you're a sales manager, a business owner without one, or a top rep...

The movable middle — that 60% in the center of every sales team — is where leaders win or lose the year, and Kelly Ross joins Mark McGraw to unpack exactly how to elevate them. The movable middle is the 60% of your sales team that decides whether your year is great or just "okay." In Episode 62 of Building Your Sales Engine, host Mark McGraw sits down with Sandler enablement leader Kelly Ross to break down the 20/60/20 rule and how sales managers can systematically shift their middle performers upward. Kelly and Mark unpack why top performers show up bright-eyed to every training while the midd...

A friendly, no-pressure tour of practical AI use cases for sales -- shared not by self-proclaimed experts, but by fellow learners passing along what's actually working. AI use cases for sales don't have to feel overwhelming. In this webinar-style episode, Mark McGraw opens up the toolbox and walks through a wide range of practical ways he and the Sandler Sales Engine team are using AI -- with one honest caveat up front: nobody here claims to have the world's knowledge of AI. The goal isn't to crown gurus or sell you on getting left behind. It's to give everyone an...

In this episode of Building Your Sales Engine, I sit down with Josh Pitchford to discuss the intricacies of team selling. We delve into strategies for managing the chaos that often arises when multiple team members participate in sales calls. Learn how to effectively prepare through pre-call planning, ensuring each member knows their role and how to contribute. We explore the importance of maintaining balance in team presence, avoiding overwhelm, and the necessity of clear communication. Additionally, we emphasize the value of debriefing after meetings to capture lessons learned and ensure everyone is aligned on next steps. Join us for...

In this episode of Building Your Sales Engine, I sit down with Steve Popp to delve into the critical topic of driving adoption within sales organizations. We explore the challenges sales leaders face when implementing new initiatives and the importance of prioritizing effectively. Steve shares his insights on how to engage team members, crowdsource ideas, and establish a culture of buy-in for new training programs. We discuss the necessity of having influential advocates within the sales team to champion initiatives and the role of strategic planning in ensuring successful execution. If you’re looking to enhance your organization’s ability to a...

Discover why sales forecasts miss the mark -- and how curiosity, skepticism, and clear future commitments can fix your pipeline accuracy for good. Happy ears have ruined more sales forecasts than bad markets ever will. In this episode, Mark McGraw and Josh Pitchford break down the real reasons sellers miss their forecasts -- starting with the dangerous habit of hearing only what they want to hear when a prospect gives them positive signals. Josh shares his go-to rule -- "curiosity and skepticism is the antidote to hope and happy ears" -- and explains why sellers are always just one question...

"If you're not committed to doing the work to get to a goal, don't set the goal. Because all you do is hurt your self-esteem and hurt your confidence." Discover the critical difference between desire and commitment -- the two ingredients of the will to sell that determine whether your sales goals drive you forward or drag you down. Every sales manager has seen it: a rep who knows what to do but won't do it consistently. In this episode, Mark McGraw and Josh Pitchford unpack why desire without commitment creates a dangerous gap -- and how managers can uncover...

Discover why having a proven sales system beats winging it every time -- and how it transforms results for both sellers and managers.

Most salespeople default to the buyer's process without realizing there's another option. In this episode, Mark McGraw and Josh Pitchford unpack the real benefits of having a system for selling -- from creating predictability and shortening sales cycles to recognizing patterns that repeat in every deal.

The conversation shifts to the manager's perspective, exploring how a shared system improves forecast accuracy, strengthens pre-call planning, and makes debriefing actionable instead of guesswork. Josh...

"If you don't have a system, it's backyard football, after Thanksgiving dinner, everybody go out there and get open. You score touchdowns every now and then, but there's too much on the line to play backyard football." Discover why having a proven sales system beats winging it -- and how it transforms results for sellers and managers alike. Most salespeople default to the buyer's process without realizing there's another option. In this episode, Mark McGraw and Josh Pitchford break down the real benefits of systematizing your sales approach -- from creating predictability and shortening sales cycles to recognizing patterns, combating...

Learn how to put a dollar amount on any sales problem -- the skill that justifies investments, creates urgency, and helps buyers sell internally.

Quantifying pain is one of the most powerful skills in sales, yet most sellers avoid the financial conversation entirely. In this episode, Mark McGraw and Josh Pitchford break down why putting a dollar amount on a problem changes everything -- from justifying the investment and creating urgency to empowering buyers to sell internally to decision makers.



Learn practical tactics for doing the math with prospects: stacking numbers to lead the witness, unco...

Learn how to put a dollar amount on any sales problem -- the skill that justifies investments, creates urgency, and helps buyers sell internally. Quantifying pain is one of the most powerful skills in sales, yet most sellers avoid the financial conversation entirely. In this episode, Mark McGraw and Josh Pitchford break down why putting a dollar amount on a problem changes everything -- from justifying the investment and creating urgency to empowering buyers to sell internally to decision makers. Learn practical tactics for doing the math with prospects: stacking numbers to lead the witness, uncovering opportunity costs, calculating the...

Discover the hidden weaknesses that sabotage sales hires -- and how assessments reveal the sales DNA that resumes can't show. Hiring the right salesperson is harder than it looks. 72% of salespeople say the job was misrepresented after they were hired -- and most hiring managers focus on technical skills while ignoring the beliefs and mindset that actually predict success. In this episode, Andy Miller of Objective Management Group reveals how to build a hiring system that uncovers hidden weaknesses before they cost you. Andy breaks down the three buckets that determine sales success: will to sell, sales DNA, and tactics...

Discover the hidden weaknesses that sabotage sales hires -- and how assessments reveal the sales DNA that resumes can't show.

Hiring the right salesperson is harder than it looks. 72% of salespeople say the job was misrepresented after they were hired -- and most hiring managers focus on technical skills while ignoring the beliefs and mindset that actually predict success. In this episode, Andy Miller of Objective Management Group reveals how to build a hiring system that uncovers hidden weaknesses before they cost you.

Andy breaks down the three buckets that determine sales success: will to...

In this episode of Building Your Sales Engine, I delve into the significance of conducting effective discovery calls. Joined by my colleague Josh Pitchford, we explore why many sales professionals struggle with this crucial aspect of the sales process. We discuss the common pitfalls of falling into pitch mode too early, the importance of understanding the prospect's needs, and how to avoid the trap of focusing on our own solutions instead. By shifting our mindset from selling to understanding, we can foster more meaningful conversations that lead to better outcomes. Tune in as we share practical strategies to enhance your...

Summary: Master the discovery call by learning why salespeople fall into pitch mode -- and how to stay focused on qualifying, not convincing.

Discovery calls are where deals are won or lost, yet most salespeople skip real discovery and default to pitch mode. In this episode, Mark McGraw and Josh Pitchford break down why sellers fall into the pitch trap -- from bait questions to being too "I-centered" -- and what to do instead.

Learn the Sandler behavior-attitude-technique framework for running better discovery: pre-call planning, setting the dial to "no," using reversing to redirect bait...

Master WIMP Junction—the Sandler concept that separates top sellers from those who give away leverage—with a 5-step framework to stay in control of every deal.

WIMP Junction is the Sandler concept every seller needs to master: that fork in the road where you either follow the buyer's system and lose leverage, or maintain control of your sales process. When prospects say "Can you send a quote?" or "Can we get a demo?"—these are danger zones, not buying signals.

In this episode, Mark McGraw and Josh Pitchford share five practical strategies to overcome WIMP J...

Master WIMP Junction—the Sandler concept that separates top sellers from those who give away leverage—with a 5-step framework to stay in control of every deal. WIMP Junction is the Sandler concept every seller needs to master: that fork in the road where you either follow the buyer's system and lose leverage, or maintain control of your sales process. When prospects say "Can you send a quote?" or "Can we get a demo?"—these are danger zones, not buying signals. In this episode, Mark McGraw and Josh Pitchford share five practical strategies to overcome WIMP Junction: pre-deciding your response, pre-ca...

Inversion thinking helps sales professionals anticipate failure before it happens, creating prevention rules that guarantee goal achievement.

What if the secret to hitting your sales goals was visualizing failure instead of success? In this episode, Mark McGraw and Josh Pitchford explore inversion thinking, a powerful three-step framework that flips traditional goal-setting on its head. Instead of imagining success, you imagine failing at your goal and work backward to identify what went wrong.

The process is simple but transformative: First, set your goal. Second, imagine it is the end of the year and you have failed...

Inversion thinking helps sales professionals anticipate failure before it happens, creating prevention rules that guarantee goal achievement. What if the secret to hitting your sales goals was visualizing failure instead of success? In this episode, Mark McGraw and Josh Pitchford explore inversion thinking, a powerful three-step framework that flips traditional goal-setting on its head. Instead of imagining success, you imagine failing at your goal and work backward to identify what went wrong. The process is simple but transformative: First, set your goal. Second, imagine it is the end of the year and you have failed. Third, create prevention rules that...

Mark McGraw and Josh Pitchford reveal the six essential checkpoints every seller needs to crush their goals and start the new year with confidence.

Are you ready to hit the ground running in the new year? In this milestone 50th episode, Mark McGraw and Josh Pitchford break down the six critical areas every sales professional must address to start strong and finish stronger.

From setting stretch goals you'll only achieve 25% of the time (yes, really) to building your "cookbook" of controllable behaviors, Mark and Josh share the exact framework they use with clients to transform...

A proven 5-step framework for setting and achieving goals—from removing clutter to celebrating success along the way. Most people fail at goals because they start without a foundation. Dustin Schadt has developed the REACH method—a framework that helped him mentor 18 people, with 16 earning promotions, raises, or recognition as top performers. As a sales leader with 27 years in packaging, Dustin breaks down the REACH framework: Realize greatness and remove clutter, Evaluate your mission and execute your plan, Account for your time and acknowledge failures, Celebrate successes and challenge yourself, and Hone your skills while helping others. You'll learn why phys...

Summary: The 7 biggest lies that keep salespeople stuck—and how to replace them with a winning mindset that closes more deals.

Description: Mark McGraw sits down with Josh Pitchford to break down the 7 biggest lies that keep salespeople from reaching their full potential. From believing your job is to educate prospects to thinking you need to win every deal, these mindset traps are costing you sales—and you might not even realize it.

In this episode, Mark and Josh reveal why discounting is lazy selling, how to handle price objections like a pro, and why ther...

How to build a repeatable channel sales engine—from partner selection to enablement to metrics—with a 30-year channel sales veteran.

Selling through channel partners without a system feels like that old vibrating football game—everyone's running around hoping to score. John Rosati has spent 30 years building channel sales engines that create predictable revenue, and in this episode, he reveals exactly how he does it.

As a channel sales leader at Motorola with experience across distribution, manufacturers reps, and two-tier channels, John knows what separates successful channel programs from chaotic ones. In this conversation with Mark M...

Why traditional therapy can make emotional triggers worse—and how neuroscience-based techniques dissolve limiting beliefs in minutes, not years.

What if reliving your past trauma actually makes it stronger? Rochelle Carrington explains why traditional approaches to emotional healing can deepen the very patterns you're trying to break—and reveals a faster, neuroscience-based alternative.

As a coach specializing in subconscious emotional patterns, Rochelle works with CEOs, business owners, and high achievers who look successful on the outside but are burnt out inside. In this episode with Mark McGraw, she breaks down how emotions drive actions (which crea...

How to expand relationships in your accounts, identify all the influencers, and protect yourself before your main contact leaves or competitors wedge in.

If you're only talking to one person in your account, you're one resignation away from losing everything. Josh Pitchford reveals why the "best defense is a good offense" when it comes to account relationships—and shares practical frameworks for expanding higher, deeper, and wider.

As a Sandler trainer and coach at Sales Engine, Josh helps sales teams protect and grow their key accounts through strategic relationship building. In this episode with Mark Mc...

How to build influence and lead without a title—from an individual contributor to recognized leader in your organization.

Can you be a leader without managing anyone? Absolutely. Darryl Stromberg reveals exactly how to position yourself as a leader even when no one reports to you.

As a Sandler Coach at Sales Engine with 30+ years of experience, Darryl knows what separates people who get promoted from those who get stuck. In this episode, he shares the strategies that helped him mentor 18 people—16 of whom earned promotions, above-average raises, or recognition as top performers.

You...

How to run sales kickoffs that actually work—align, enable, inspire—from a CCO who's transformed 3+ organizations.

Most sales kickoffs overwhelm teams with content and drain energy by day three. Lisa Gosselin has cracked the code on SKOs that inspire action, not confusion.

As Chief Commercial Officer at Cars Commerce, Lisa has transformed go-to-market organizations at three different companies—and she's phenomenal at setting vision. In this conversation with Mark McGraw, she breaks down her SKO framework: align the team around vision, enable them with simple playbooks (not 100-page manuals), and inspire them to execute. She al...

How a brain cancer diagnosis became the best thing that ever happened—and what it teaches us about responding to adversity in business and life.

"It was one of the best things that ever happened to me." That's how David Karp describes his brain cancer diagnosis—and he means it.

On his 60th birthday, David got a call from a neuro-oncologist confirming he had a tumor in his brain. Instead of falling into despair, he made a choice—and that choice changed everything.

In this conversation with Mark McGraw, David shares the mindset shifts...

How to build a sustainable sales career by prioritizing quality prospecting, strategic partnerships, and giving value—without burning out on empty activity.

🔗 Download exclusive sales resources at: buildingyoursalesengine.com/giveaway

Most salespeople start their careers chasing numbers—60, 70, 80 dials a day—hoping volume will lead to wins. Rich Simons did exactly that. But 17 years later, he's built a thriving sales career by flipping the script: quality over quantity, relationships over transactions, and giving over taking.

In this conversation with Mark McGraw, Rich shares his journey from cold-calling burnout to sales leadership. He walks through his morni...

Why Q4 isn't 92 selling days — and how to keep deals from slipping to January.

🔗 Download exclusive sales resources at: buildingyoursalesengine.com/giveaway

The calendar says 92 days in Q4. The reality? Subtract weekends, holidays, PTO, and slowdowns in legal and purchasing — and you've got a fraction of that. In this conversation, Mark McGraw and Sandler trainer Josh Pitchford map out how to close strong when time is short:

Count your real selling days and plan around them

Start earlier — budgets are set sooner every year

Get higher in the organization to accele...