Épisodes

  • Manufacturing Leaders: From "Positional" Authority to "Influential" Power w/ Amos Balongo

    Manufacturing Leaders: From "Positional" Authority to "Influential" Power w/ Amos Balongo
    Jan 21 2026
    Episode SummaryIn this episode of Thoughts on Selling, Lee Levitt sits down with Amos Balongo—a leadership expert joining us from Hawaii who is in the business of "manufacturing leaders." We dig into a critical failure point in most organizations: the gap between Strategy and Communication. Amos argues that many leaders rely on "Positional Leadership" (people follow you because they have to), which yields the bare minimum effort. The goal is to shift to "Influential Leadership," where collaboration drives results. We also explore the Three Pillars of Transformation (Motivate, Inspire, Transform), why simplicity mobilizes teams better than complexity, and how to apply Situational Leadership to ensure you aren't sending 5:00 AM texts to the wrong people. Memorable Quotes:"The bigger you're thinking, the smaller your problems." — Amos Balongo "Motivation is an outside job; Inspiration is an inside job." "Complexity impresses, but simplicity mobilizes. If your team can't understand the plan, they can't act on it." Three Actionable Takeaways for Leaders:Audit Your Leadership Style: Are you Positional or Influential? Positional leaders issue directives ("I told you to do this"). Influential leaders invite participation. If you find yourself saying, "Didn't I tell you to do this?" too often, you are relying on position, not influence. The "Motivate-Inspire-Transform" Framework: Don't stop at motivation. Amos explains the progression: Motivate (get them interested), Inspire (evoke internal drive), and Transform (give them actionable steps to multiply results). Leaving them just "inspired" without a plan is a wasted opportunity. Be Bold, Brief, & Strategic: If you struggle to get executive buy-in for your ideas (or if people keep stealing them!), change your delivery. Executives are time-poor. Cut the stories and focus on being bold, brief, and strategic to land your message. Key Topics & Timestamps:(00:00) – Introduction: Manufacturing Leaders in Hawaii. (06:30) – Positional vs. Influential: Why authority doesn't equal leadership. (11:00) – Simplicity vs. Complexity: Why complex plans fail to mobilize. (13:30) – The 3 Pillars: Motivate (External) vs. Inspire (Internal). (20:00) – Growth Mindset: Why "Goal-Oriented" thinking limits potential. (26:00) – Situational Leadership: Tailoring your communication style (and medium) to the person. (43:30) – Stolen Ideas: How to handle it when someone else takes credit for your work. About Our Guest:Amos Balongo is a leadership expert, speaker, and author of A Voice Empowered. He helps executives and organizations bridge the gap between "strategy" and "action" by manufacturing leaders who are exceptional communicators. Amos is also the host of the Journeys of Inspiration podcast. About the Host:Lee Levitt is a seasoned sales performance consultant, sales coach and the Principal of The Acelera Group.With decades of experience in Sales, Sales Leadership, Sales Enablement, Revenue Operations, and Sales Performance Management, Lee helps emerging and enterprise organizations build disciplined, replicable sales operating systems.He is the voice behind the Thoughts on Selling™ brand, covering the intersection of deal mechanics and the "Inner Game" of selling.Resources & Links:The Book: Transforming Your Life by Amos Balongo. The Podcast: Journeys of Inspiration. Connect with Amos: Visit AmosBalongo.com. Subscribe: Get the Thoughts on Selling newsletter at thoughtsonselling.com.Keywords:Leadership Communication, Situational Leadership, Amos Balongo, Organizational Strategy, Positional Authority, Growth Mindset, Employee Engagement, Executive Presence, Sales Leadership, Team Motivation.
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    36 min
  • Escaping the Sales Treadmill: Cognitive Load & Deal Risk w/ Pete Smith

    Escaping the Sales Treadmill: Cognitive Load & Deal Risk w/ Pete Smith
    Jan 13 2026
    Episode SummaryAre your enterprise sales reps drowning in tools but starving for insight? In this episode of Thoughts on Selling, Lee Levitt sits down with Pete Smith, founder of SpotLogic and veteran sales leader, to discuss the "Cognitive Load" crisis in modern selling.We explore why 84% of enterprise deals stall after the first meeting and how Sales Enablement leaders can help reps stop "winging it" and start winning. From his days at NCR’s legendary "Sugar Camp" to building deal intelligence software, Pete reveals how to earn the status of a "Trusted Insider" rather than just another vendor.Memorable Quotes:"Customers buy from the reps who understand them best." — Pete Smith"Discovery is the most important part of the job in complex sales... No, it IS the job.""I've got three critical meetings today... and I'm going to have to wing two of them." — The reality of the modern rep.3 Actionable Takeaways for Leaders:Audit Your "Cognitive Tax": Look at your tech stack. If a tool requires data entry but doesn't give the rep immediate insight for their next call, it is a tax, not a tool. Remove or consolidate it to lower burnout.The "Insider" Test: Ask your champion, "If we weren't in the room, how would you describe our value to the CFO?" If they can't answer, you haven't crossed the threshold from "Vendor" to "Partner."Stop "Event-Based" Discovery: Discovery isn't a stage in Salesforce; it's a continuous loop. Train reps to re-validate pain points in every meeting, not just the first demo.Key Topics & Timestamps:(00:00) – Introduction: The crisis of the Sales Treadmill.(03:45) – The Cognitive Load Problem: Why more tools often equal less productivity for reps.(10:20) – The "Insider" Threshold: Moving from "column fodder" to trusted partner.(16:50) – The Goldman Sachs Lesson: Why deals die due to organizational risk, not feature gaps.(24:15) – Discovery as a Mindset: Why treating discovery as a "phase" is a death sentence.(32:30) – The "Pajama" Problem: Navigating the shift from NCR suits to Zoom casual.(39:00) – SpotLogic Demo: How to prep for a critical meeting in minutes, not hours.About Our Guest:Pete Smith is the Founder and CEO of SpotLogic, a deal intelligence platform designed to reduce cognitive load for enterprise sellers. A veteran of the industry, Pete began his career at NCR Corporation (attending the famous "Sugar Camp" sales academy) and has spent decades leading sales organizations. He built SpotLogic to solve his own problem: needing a "force multiplier" to manage complex, multi-stakeholder deals without burning out.About the Host:Lee Levitt is a seasoned sales performance consultant, sales coach and the Principal of The Acelera Group.With decades of experience in Sales, Sales Leadership, Sales Enablement, Revenue Operations, and Sales Performance Management, Lee helps enterprise organizations build disciplined, replicable sales operating systems.He is the voice behind the Thoughts on Selling™ brand, covering the intersection of deal mechanics and the "Inner Game" of selling.Related Episodes You Might Like:Ep 25: When Sales People Do Their Homework w/ Deb Berman: A masterclass in deep preparation and discovery.Ep 76: Who Are You? w/ Gerhard Gschwandtner: Exploring the mindset required to lead in high-pressure sales environments.Resources & Links:Reduce Rep Burnout: See how SpotLogic helps reps prep for meetings in minutes.Connect with Pete: Email pete@spotlogic.com or find Pete Smith on LinkedIn.Subscribe: Get the Thoughts on Selling newsletter at thoughtsonselling.com.Keywords for Search:Sales Productivity, Cognitive Load, Complex Sales, Deal Risk Management, Sales Enablement, Enterprise Selling, Discovery Skills, Buyer Psychology, SpotLogic, Sales Tech Stack, Sugar Camp, B2B Sales Strategy, Revenue Operations, RevOps, Sales Leadership, Mental Health in Sales, Burnout Prevention, SaaS Sales, Pipeline Generation, Account Planning.
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    39 min
  • Why Sales Training Fails: The Science of Attention & Practice w/ Tom Kiernan

    Why Sales Training Fails: The Science of Attention & Practice w/ Tom Kiernan
    Jan 7 2026
    Episode SummaryIs your organization guilty of the "T-Word"? In this episode of Thoughts on Selling, Lee Levitt sits down with Tom Kiernan, a veteran sales enablement practitioner (formerly of APC and Schneider Electric), to debate the critical difference between "Sales Training" (an event) and Sales Enablement (a process).We dive into the neuroscience of selling, exploring how the Reticular Activating System (RAS) filters information and how you can trigger it to cut through the noise. Tom also challenges leaders on the "Practice Deficit"—asking why professional athletes spend 90% of their time practicing, while sales reps practice only when they are live in front of a customer.Memorable Quotes:"Motive is transparent. It's written right up on that yellow sticky note on your forehead." — Tom Kiernan"The best swing is the one that I didn't think about... I practiced to get there, but I just hit the ball.""If you don't have a defined process, there's nothing to practice." — Lee Levitt3 Actionable Takeaways for Leaders:Kill the "Event" Mindset: Stop treating enablement as a one-time "bootcamp." Adopt the Toyota Way (Kaizen) approach: small, continuous process improvements integrated into the daily workflow.Hack the Buyer's RAS: Your buyer's brain is designed to ignore you. To trigger their Reticular Activating System, you must shift to "Other Centered Selling." Stop pitching "our solution" and start speaking "their problem."Schedule "Safe Failure": If your reps are only practicing on live calls, you are burning leads. Create safe, internal role-play environments where failure is free. As Tom notes, amateurs play the game; professionals practice the drill.Key Topics & Timestamps:(00:00) – Introduction: The forbidden "T-Word" (Training).(04:15) – Process vs. Event: Lessons from APC and Schneider Electric on building global enablement engines.(11:30) – The Neuroscience of Attention: What is the RAS and why does it block your sales pitch?(19:45) – The Practice Deficit: Comparing the NFL/Broadway preparation model to corporate sales.(27:00) – The "Toyota Way": Applying manufacturing rigor to the sales process.(33:20) – Commission Breath: Why motive is transparent and how to align with the buyer's success.(41:00) – Lumpy Bones: Tom’s "Books as a Service" non-profit for children facing difficult life challenges.About Our Guest:Tom Kiernan is a seasoned Sales Enablement leader with a career spanning major global enterprises like American Power Conversion (APC) and Schneider Electric. Known for his process-driven approach to performance, Tom is also the founder of Lumpy Bones, a 501(c)(3) non-profit. Through "Books as a Service," Lumpy Bones creates and distributes humorous, inspiring books to help children navigate difficult topics like cancer and illness.About the Host:Lee Levitt is a seasoned sales performance consultant, sales coach and the Principal of The Acelera Group. With decades of experience in Sales, Sales Leadership, Sales Enablement, Revenue Operations, and Sales Performance Management, Lee helps enterprise organizations build disciplined, replicable sales operating systems.He is the voice behind the Thoughts on Selling™ brand, covering the intersection of deal mechanics and the "Inner Game" of selling.Related Episodes:Ep 74: Listen, Don’t Think w/ Kevin Hubschmann: Using improv rules to practice active listening.Ep 43: The Inner Game of Selling w/ Jeff Lipsius: How internal coaching drives results.Resources & Links:Tom’s Non-Profit: Visit LumpyBones.com to support "Books as a Service."Connect with the Guest: Find Tom Kiernan on LinkedInSubscribe: Get the newsletter at thoughtsonselling.comKeywords for Search:Sales Enablement, Sales Training, Neuroscience of Selling, Reticular Activating System, RAS, Sales Coaching, Practice Drills, Toyota Way, Kaizen, Process Management, Buyer Psychology, Trust Based Selling, Commission Breath, Lumpy Bones, CSR, Corporate Social Responsibility, B2B Sales Strategy
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    35 min
  • The Accidental Manager Crisis: From Top Performer to Leader w/ Ben Perreau

    The Accidental Manager Crisis: From Top Performer to Leader w/ Ben Perreau
    Dec 31 2025

    Episode Summary

    Are you part of the 82% of leaders who feel like "Accidental Managers"? In this episode of Thoughts on Selling, Lee Levitt talks with Ben Perreau, a former music journalist turned leadership expert and founder of Parafoil.

    We discuss the most dangerous leap in any career: the transition from Individual Contributor (IC) to Team Leader. Ben explains why companies set new managers up to fail by promoting them for technical skills but ignoring the emotional intelligence required to lead. We also geek out on photography as a metaphor for management (moving from "Auto" to "Manual Mode") and why ignoring the fact that we are all "emotional meat sacks" leads to burnout and high Employee Churn.

    Memorable Quotes:

    • "There's a reason why 82% of early career managers consider themselves accidental... and a reason why a third of their teams leave within a year." — Ben Perreau

    • "We are all just 'emotional meat sacks' trying to be professional."

    • "Never doubt that a small committed group of people can change the world." — Quoting Margaret Mead

    Key Topics & Timestamps:

    • (00:00) – Introduction: The crisis of the Accidental Manager.

    • (04:30) – The Promotion Trap: Why high-performing salespeople fail when promoted to management.

    • (12:15) – The "Man in the Arena": Lessons on resilience from the BBC newsroom to the boardroom.

    • (18:45) – Photography & Leadership: Moving from "Auto Mode" (reacting) to "Manual Mode" (vision and composition).

    • (24:20) – Emotional Intelligence (EQ): Why suppressing emotion at work leads to burnout.

    • (31:00) – Listening Circles: How Parafoil uses AI-driven peer groups to build psychological safety.

    • (38:50) – The "Manual Mode" Challenge: Practical steps for new managers to take control.

    About Our Guest:

    Ben Perreau is the founder of Parafoil, a leadership development platform designed to stop the churn of new managers. A former music journalist and media executive, Ben has led teams at large organizations and consulted for Fortune 50 C-Suite executives. He specializes in Organizational Behavior, Leadership Development, and the intersection of technology and human connection.

    About the Host:

    Lee Levitt is a seasoned sales performance consultant, sales coach and the Principal of The Acelera Group. With decades of experience in Sales, Sales Leadership, Sales Enablement, Revenue Operations, and Sales Performance Management, Lee helps enterprise organizations build disciplined, replicable sales operating systems.

    He is the voice behind the Thoughts on Selling™ brand, covering the intersection of deal mechanics and the "Inner Game" of selling.

    Resources & Links:

    • New Manager Training: Explore how Parafoil uses AI-driven listening circles.

    • Connect on LinkedIn: Find Ben Perreau here.

    • Subscribe: Get the Thoughts on Selling newsletter at thoughtsonselling.com.

    Keywords for Search:Leadership Development, New Manager Training, Employee Retention, Sales Management, Emotional Intelligence, Corporate Culture, Accidental Manager, Imposter Syndrome, Ben Perreau, Parafoil.
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    42 min
  • The Unicorn Model is Dead: Building the Autonomous Business w/ Amos Bar-Joseph

    The Unicorn Model is Dead: Building the Autonomous Business w/ Amos Bar-Joseph
    Dec 23 2025
    Episode SummaryIs the "growth at all costs" era over? In this episode of Thoughts on Selling, Lee Levitt sits down with Amos Bar-Joseph, a third-time entrepreneur joining from Tel Aviv, to dismantle the broken "Unicorn Playbook."Amos describes himself as an "Anti-Capitalist Capitalist," rejecting the traditional VC model of raising massive rounds to hire bodies. Instead, he is building Swann, an Autonomous Business designed to scale with Artificial Intelligence, not headcount. We explore why Sales is a Zero-Sum Game, why traditional CRMs are becoming obsolete "reporting burdens," and how the next generation of software won't just record data—it will adapt to your workflow to create the 100x Employee.Memorable Quotes:"I’m an anti-capitalist capitalist... The playbook of 'growth at all costs' is not for me." — Amos Bar-Joseph"The future belongs to organizations that turn each person into the 100x version of themselves.""We need to understand... it's not the AI replacing the AE, it's the AI taking the review process... formalizing it and repeating it."3 Actionable Takeaways for Leaders:Stop Hiring for Scale: The old playbook was "raise money, hire 40 reps." The new playbook is "hire 4 reps and give them the AI infrastructure to do the work of 40." Scale intelligence, not payroll.Audit Your "Static" Software: Traditional CRMs are just databases you have to feed. If your software isn't Adaptive (learning your habits and re-tailoring itself to you daily), it is a productivity drain. Demand tools that reduce "system interactions" to zero.Find Your "Zone of Genius": AI should handle 100% of the rote work (research, entry, scheduling) so your humans can focus 100% on the Zero-Sum Game of winning buyer attention. If your humans are doing robot work, you are losing.Key Topics & Timestamps:(00:00) – Introduction: The Anti-Capitalist Capitalist.(05:20) – The Death of the Unicorn: Why raising massive capital before Product-Market-Fit is a broken model.(12:45) – The Autonomous Business: Building a company that scales via code and AI, not bodies.(19:30) – The 100x Employee: How Human-AI Collaboration actually works (augmentation vs. replacement).(26:15) – Sales is Zero-Sum: Why spamming buyers with AI SDRs is a race to the bottom.(34:00) – The End of "Record and Report": Why the future of CRM is adaptive systems that require zero data entry.(41:50) – Swann & The Big Shift: Amos’s vision for the future of work.About Our Guest:Amos Bar-Joseph is a serial entrepreneur, thought leader, and the founder of Swann. Based in Tel Aviv, Amos is a leading voice on the concept of the Autonomous Business. He writes the popular newsletter The Big Shift, where he explores how AI is reshaping the fundamental economics of SaaS and scaling. His digital clone, "Autonomous," is also available in the ChatGPT store.About the Host:Lee Levitt is a seasoned sales performance consultant, sales coach and the Principal of The Acelera Group. With decades of experience in Sales, Sales Leadership, Sales Enablement, Revenue Operations, and Sales Performance Management, Lee helps enterprise organizations build disciplined, replicable sales operating systems.He is the voice behind the Thoughts on Selling™ brand, covering the intersection of deal mechanics and the "Inner Game" of selling.Resources & Links:Join the Movement: Subscribe to Amos’s newsletter, The Big Shift.Try the AI: Interact with Amos’s digital clone, "Autonomous", in the ChatGPT store.Connect with the Guest: Follow Amos Bar-Joseph on LinkedIn (30k+ followers).Subscribe: Get the Thoughts on Selling newsletter at thoughtsonselling.com.Keywords for Search:Autonomous Business, AI Sales, Future of Work, SaaS Growth Strategies, Unicorn Playbook, Venture Capital, Human-AI Collaboration, CRM Trends, Adaptive Software, Sales Productivity, RevOps, Artificial Intelligence in Sales, Swann, Amos Bar-Joseph, 100x Employee.+1+2
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    38 min
  • Agentic AI & The End of "Inside Sales": Autonomous Revenue w/ Garth Fasano

    Agentic AI & The End of "Inside Sales": Autonomous Revenue w/ Garth Fasano
    Dec 16 2025
    Episode SummaryIs your top sales rep fully caffeinated at 5:00 PM? In this episode of Thoughts on Selling, Lee Levitt sits down with Garth Fasano, an ETA (Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition) leader running a high-growth autonomous sales startup.We discuss the massive shift from traditional "Inside Sales" (humans navigating decision trees) to Agentic AI—autonomous agents that think, adapt, and sell 24/7. From sailing mishaps in Long Island Sound to the math of Erlang Models, Garth explains why small businesses are adopting this tech faster than enterprises, and why the future of commerce is "Bot-to-Bot" (your AI negotiating with Google's AI).Memorable Quotes:"They want [the agent] at their 9am fully caffeinated self... not their 5pm, 175 calls deep self." — Garth Fasano"A sales call that's scripted... That's not how sales work. That's not how people buy.""Google knows how you search... we're going to start to know why customers are buying."3 Actionable Takeaways for Leaders:The "Best Day" Standard: The ROI of AI isn't just cost savings; it's Consistency. An AI agent never has a bad day, never gets tired after 175 calls, and never forgets to ask for the close.Visibility as a Service: Stop guessing why revenue is down. Autonomous agents provide real-time data ("Conversion dropped 10% due to price objection"), turning the sales function into a strategic headlight for the business owner.Prepare for Bot-to-Bot Commerce: The future is already here. Google's AI is calling businesses to check inventory. If your sales process requires a human to pick up the phone to answer a bot, you are already obsolete.Key Topics & Timestamps:(00:00) – Introduction: From Sailing to Sales Automation.(04:30) – The Evolution of Inside Sales: Moving beyond the "Scripted Robot" human.(11:15) – Agentic AI vs. Chatbots: Why autonomous agents don't need decision trees.(18:40) – The SMB Advantage: Why local businesses (like plumbers) are adopting AI faster than the Fortune 500.(26:00) – The "Typing While Talking" Problem: How AI removes the friction of CRM data entry.(33:50) – Bot-to-Bot Commerce: What happens when the buyer is also an AI?(41:00) – Visibility as a Service: Using AI to diagnose business health, not just close deals.About Our Guest:Garth Fasano is an ETA (Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition) entrepreneur and the leader of a high-growth startup focused on Autonomous Sales. With a background that spans complex call center modeling (Erlang C) and hands-on business leadership, Garth is at the forefront of the Agentic AI revolution, helping businesses deploy "always-on" revenue teams.About the Host:Lee Levitt is a seasoned sales performance consultant and the Principal of The Acelera Group. With decades of experience in Sales Leadership, Enablement, and Revenue Operations, Lee helps enterprise organizations build disciplined, replicable sales operating systems.He is the voice behind the Thoughts on Selling™ brand, covering the intersection of deal mechanics and the "Inner Game" of selling.Related Episodes:Ep [Next]: Building the Autonomous Business w/ Amos Bar-Joseph: A deep dive into scaling companies with code, not headcount.Ep 46: Will AI Replace Sales People? w/ Steven Werley: The foundational debate on human vs. machine selling.Resources & Links:Connect with the Guest: Follow Garth Fasano on LinkedIn or Twitter/X (@GarthFasano).Subscribe: Get the Thoughts on Selling newsletter at thoughtsonselling.com.Keywords for Search:Agentic AI, Autonomous Sales, Inside Sales, Call Center Automation, ETA, Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition, Sales Automation, Small Business Growth, SMB Sales, Artificial Intelligence, Bot-to-Bot Commerce, Future of Work, Sales Consistency, Erlang Models.
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    38 min
  • Gen Z Grit: NISC Finalist Nina Iannuzzi on Hockey, Slime & Closing the Deal

    Gen Z Grit: NISC Finalist Nina Iannuzzi on Hockey, Slime & Closing the Deal
    Dec 9 2025
    Episode SummaryWhat do selling gum in the 5th grade and playing defense in hockey have in common with high-stakes Enterprise Sales? According to Nina Iannuzzi, absolutely everything.In this episode of Thoughts on Selling, Lee Levitt sits down with Nina, a sophomore at the Isenberg School of Management (UMass Amherst) and a top-tier finalist at the recent National Intercollegiate Sales Competition (NISC).If you think the next generation of sales talent is "soft," you haven’t met Nina. We relive the chaos of "Speed Selling"—a gauntlet held in a gym filled with 1,000 suits—and dissect the exact moment she won over the judges. From handling a curveball question from a CFO about "scope creep" to sliding a contract across the table, Nina shows poise that many veteran account executives lack. We also laugh about the moment Lee interrupted her final pitch with a "fake phone call" to test her resilience.Memorable Quotes:"I started my first business in 5th grade, just selling slime and gum... I’m a very big talker. I’m competitive." — Nina Iannuzzi"Suck it up, buttercup, or move on to bigger and better things." — Nina quoting her coach."You get in that room and you sit down and you're like, 'I am SpotLogic'... I almost wanted to act like we were friends."3 Actionable Takeaways for Leaders:The "Hockey Defense" Mindset: Nina treats a sales meeting like a puck drop. You can't control the other team, but you can control your positioning. Leaders need to hire for this "athlete's resilience"—someone who doesn't call an Uber when a lace breaks, but fixes it and keeps skating.The "Clarify" Reflex: Nina shares a vulnerable moment where she stumbled on a question about "scope." The lesson? Don't fake it. Teach your SDRs that asking "Can you clarify what you mean by that?" is a power move, not a weakness. It builds trust and prevents you from answering the wrong objection.Physicality in a Digital World: In her final roleplay, Nina physically slid a contract across the table at the 4-minute mark. In an era of Zoom, we often forget the power of tangible "props" to anchor a conversation and force a decision.Key Topics & Timestamps:(00:00) – Introduction: From 5th Grade Gum Dealer to NISC Finalist.(04:20) – The Slime Economy: Early indicators of entrepreneurial DNA.(09:15) – Defense Wins Championships: How 16 years of hockey prepares you for objections.(15:30) – Inside the NISC: Reliving the pressure of the National Intercollegiate Sales Competition.(21:45) – The "Scope" Stumble: How to handle terminology you don't understand.(28:10) – The "Fake Phone Call": Lee’s stress test during the final round.(34:50) – Suck It Up, Buttercup: Why Gen Z isn't "soft."(40:00) – The Contract Slide: The art of the physical close.About Our Guest:Nina Iannuzzi is a rising star in the sales world and a student at the Isenberg School of Management at UMass Amherst. A competitive athlete and natural entrepreneur, she recently placed as a Top-5 Finalist at the National Intercollegiate Sales Competition (NISC), proving that instinct and preparation can outperform years of experience.About the Host:Lee Levitt is the Principal of The Acelera Group and a seasoned sales consultant. With decades of experience in Sales Enablement, RevOps, and Performance Management, Lee helps enterprise organizations build disciplined, replicable sales operating systems. He is the voice behind the Thoughts on Selling™ brand.Related Episodes:Ep 46: Will AI Replace Sales People? w/ Steven Werley: Why human instincts are still the competitive advantage.Resources & Links:Recruit Top Talent: Learn more about the National Intercollegiate Sales Competition (NISC).Connect with the Guest: Follow Nina Iannuzzi on LinkedIn.Subscribe: Get the newsletter at thoughtsonselling.com.Keywords:Gen Z Sales, Sales Recruiting, NISC, Collegiate Sales Competition, UMass Amherst, Isenberg School, Sales Development, Women in Sales, Resilience, Sales Coaching, Entrepreneurship, Roleplay,
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    45 min
  • The Invisible Manager: Coaching, Scaling & Making Yourself Obsolete w/ Sean Gannon

    The Invisible Manager: Coaching, Scaling & Making Yourself Obsolete w/ Sean Gannon
    Dec 5 2025
    Episode SummaryIn this episode of Thoughts on Selling, Lee Levitt sits down with Sean Gannon, founder of GTMPPL (GTM People), to answer the "unanswerable" question: Who is Sean Gannon?We dive into a refreshing (and controversial) take on Sales Leadership: why the best managers strive to make themselves obsolete. If your team can't function without you, you aren't leading—you're hovering. From the trenches of EdTech to the nuances of Sandler Training, Sean shares candid stories about the transition from "spreadsheet inspection" to true coaching. We also share a hilarious cautionary tale about what happens when a salesperson sticks to the script even after the customer has said "yes."Memorable Quotes:"I view my role as a sales manager to make myself obsolete. I should be relatively invisible." — Sean Gannon"Your job is to sell the meeting... not to sell the company, not to sell the solution." — Sean Gannon"The best sales enablement... you don't know what's being done to you. You don't know what's being done for you." — Lee Levitt3 Actionable Takeaways for Leaders:The "Obsolete" Standard: Your goal is to build a team so competent they don't need you to close the deal. If you are constantly swooping in to save the quarter, you are failing at scale.Stop "Spreadsheet Inspection": Sean shares how shifting his focus from inspecting metrics to coaching behaviors increased his team's retention from 18 months to 36 months. Stop asking "What's the number?" and start asking "How can I help you get there?"Read the Room (The Sandler Trap): We discuss a painful example of a rep who kept running the "Sandler Pain Funnel" even after the buyer said they were ready to sign. Lesson: When you get the "Yes," stop selling and start contracting.Key Topics & Timestamps:(00:00) – Introduction: Who is Sean Gannon?(05:15) – The "Obsolete" Manager: Why the best leaders strive to become invisible.(12:30) – Sales vs. Marketing: Dismantling the "throw it over the wall" lead mentality.(19:45) – Coaching vs. Inspection: How to double your team's tenure through mentorship.(27:00) – The "Script" Horror Story: Why you must stop the process when the customer says "Yes."(34:10) – Everyone Sells: Why CSMs, SDRs, and even internal staff need sales skills.(41:00) – Authenticity Wins: Why "I don't know" is a powerful trust-builder.About Our Guest:Sean Gannon is the Founder of GTMPPL (GTM People), a community and consultancy focused on the people side of Go-To-Market strategy. With a deep background in EdTech sales and leadership, Sean is an advocate for human-centric management. He specializes in helping organizations move from rigid "command and control" structures to coaching cultures that drive long-term revenue and retention.About the Host:Lee Levitt is a seasoned sales performance consultant, sales coach and the Principal of The Acelera Group. With decades of experience in Sales, Sales Leadership, Sales Enablement, Revenue Operations, and Sales Performance Management, Lee helps enterprise organizations build disciplined, replicable sales operating systems.He is the voice behind the Thoughts on Selling™ brand, covering the intersection of deal mechanics and the "Inner Game" of selling.Related Episodes:Ep [Prev]: The Accidental Manager Crisis w/ Ben Perreau: More on the transition from rep to leader.Ep [Prev]: Why Sales Training Fails w/ Tom Kiernan: The difference between "events" and "process."Resources & Links:Build Your Revenue Engine: Visit GTMPPL.com.Connect with the Guest: Find Sean Gannon on LinkedIn for his latest industry observations.Subscribe: Get the newsletter at thoughtsonselling.com.Keywords:Sales Leadership, Sales Management, GTM Strategy, GTMPPL, Sandler Training, Sales Coaching, Employee Retention, RevOps, Sales vs Marketing, Go-to-Market, EdTech Sales, B2B Sales Strategy, Deal mechanics, Sales Psychology
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    38 min