149: Learn to Love Selling: The 4-Part Framework for Sales Success | Mark Cox
Release Date:
April 1, 2025
Release Date: Apr 1
Research shows that high-performing sales teams drive up to 80% of a company’s revenue (Harvard Business Review). Yet most teams are flying blind and relying on outdated sales plans, inconsistent outreach, and a lack of new leads for their business. pipelines.
In this episode, we’re joined by author and leading expert in B2B sales coaching, Mark Cox. Whether you're new to sales or a seasoned sales leader, Mark offers invaluable insights and practical tools to help you master the art of selling in today's world.
What You’ll Learn:
Why great salespeople are made, not born
The four (plus one) elements of a high-impact sales playbook
Why discovery is the most underrated stage in sales
How to avoid the “cycle of doom” in demand gen
When to reassess your value prop and how to find your competitive edge
Why promoting your top seller might kill your team if you’re not careful
In This Episode:
00:01 – Intro to Mark Cox
00:15 – Are salespeople born or made? (Hint: It’s a skill)
01:21 – Reigniting a love for learning through an Executive MBA
03:35 – Why senior leaders often stop learning
05:29 – What inspired Learn to Love Selling
06:58 – Who the book is for
07:34 – Why most sales plans gather dust
08:55 – The 4 Core Elements of a Sales Playbook
12:23 – The “fifth” element: Awareness campaigns
13:44 – What makes a value prop terrible (and how to fix it)
15:29 – How often should you reassess your value prop?
18:09 – What makes In the Funnel different?
20:02 – Ask your clients for your differentiation
22:48 – Client interviews as a learning tool
24:58 – Demand Gen: The “X-Factor” skill in B2B sales
27:58 – Ranking modern demand gen tools: phone, email, LinkedIn
31:54 – The “hat trick” approach to outreach
34:12 – Working conferences like a pro
38:26 – Discovery meetings: the most important sales phase
43:36 – Why discovery never ends
45:44 – Helping sales reps kill zombie deals
49:23 – The 3 key stakeholders of a sales leader
51:49 – Coaching vs. Telling: What great leaders do differently
54:54 – Avoiding the “hero” trap as a new manager
58:49 – Should you promote your top rep to sales manager?
