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Sales results matter. But what creates those results? In this episode of the Sales Chat Show, Simon Hazeldine and Steve Lindsey turn the spotlight on Anthony Stears to explore one of the ideas behind his recent work: sales is the outcome, culture is the goal. Anthony explains how his work has evolved from telephone sales training into what he describes as “conversation architecture” — helping organisations design better conversations across sales, customer service, operations and internal teams. The discussion explores why great conversations do not happen by chance. They are shaped by culture, leadership, standards, structure and everyday behaviour. Anthony shares how conversation cards are not scripts, but frameworks that help people think. They guide salespeople and customer-facing teams through the key steps before, during and after important conversations, while still allowing them to communicate naturally and authentically. The episode also explores the connection between communication and culture. If a business only focuses on sales results, it can create pressure, poor behaviour, manipulative techniques and uncomfortable customer experiences. But when a company focuses on service, communication standards and customer experience, sales becomes the outcome of a healthier culture. Steve shares powerful lessons from his experience working with Disney, including how culture, standards, empowerment and customer experience are embedded into everyday behaviour. From replacing a child’s lost balloon to making sure every delegate interaction at an event feels professional and helpful, the team discuss how culture is created in the moments that matter. The episode covers: Why sales is the outcome, but culture is the goal What “conversation architecture” means in practice Why conversation cards are structures, not scripts How communication standards shape customer experience Why AI will not be a lasting competitive advantage if everyone has access to it Why your communication culture can become your real differentiator The danger of values being “laminated on the wall” but not lived What businesses can learn from Disney about culture and empowerment Why every employee shapes the customer experience How leaders role-model the culture they want Why sales teams need freedom within guidelines How authentic conversations can still have clear standards Why culture drives everyday sales behaviour The big takeaway is that sales performance is not just driven by targets, scripts, processes and playbooks. It is driven by the everyday conversations people have with customers, prospects, colleagues and managers. If you want better sales outcomes, start by building the kind of culture that creates better behaviour. Listen now at saleschatshow.com or on your favourite podcast platform.

Onboarding might get a new salesperson started. But everboarding is what helps them keep improving. In this episode of the Sales Chat Show, Simon Hazeldine, Anthony Stears and Steve Lindsey explore why sales training should never be treated as a one-off event, and why effective onboarding is not just about HR forms, systems training, product dumps and a few days of shadowing. The team discuss the difference between onboarding and everboarding, and why sales leaders need to think much more carefully about how new recruits are welcomed, supported, challenged and developed. They share good, bad and sometimes painful examples of onboarding from their own careers, including induction overload, “sink or swim” learning, project-based onboarding, shadowing, mentoring, call buddy sessions and the importance of making new people feel part of the team quickly. A key theme in the episode is that new salespeople learn best when they are actively involved, not when they are simply talked at. That means giving them meaningful projects, clear outcomes, structured support and regular check-ins that feel helpful rather than intrusive. The episode covers: Why traditional onboarding often overwhelms new hires The danger of product dumps, system dumps and too much passive shadowing Why new salespeople need active learning, not just information How project-based onboarding helps people feel useful faster Why frameworks are more powerful than scripts The importance of mentors, buddies and peer learning How to use shadowing as an active learning experience Why regular “checking in” beats “checking up” How sales managers can support without micromanaging badly The role of pre-onboarding before day one Why sales enablement can support onboarding, but the line manager must own it How everboarding creates a culture of continual sales improvement The big message from this episode is simple: sales development should not stop once the induction programme ends. If you want high-performing salespeople, you need to keep developing them through live learning, coaching, feedback, practice, peer support and real-world experience. Listen now at saleschatshow.com or on your favourite podcast platform.

AI is already changing the way salespeople work. But where is it making the biggest difference right now? In this episode of the Sales Chat Show, we discuss one of the standout findings from the State of Sales 2026 Report from The Growth Hub: sales leaders are seeing some of the strongest positive impact from AI in the area of customer intelligence. The discussion explores how AI can help salespeople research customers faster, understand buying organisations more deeply, personalise outreach, identify useful business insights and prepare more effectively for important sales conversations. But the message is clear: AI is not there to replace great salespeople. It is there to make great salespeople more effective. Simon, Anthony and Steve discuss how AI can remove the old excuse of “I haven’t got time to research properly” by making customer research faster, sharper and more practical. They explore how sales teams can use AI to understand external pressures, company strategy, buyer priorities, market trends, competitor activity and potential conversation starters before making contact. Key topics discussed include: Why customer intelligence is one of the strongest current use cases for AI in sales How AI helps salespeople research faster and personalise at scale Why there is no longer an excuse for poorly researched outreach The difference between using AI as a shortcut and using it as a sales advantage How “research sprints” can help account managers prepare more effectively Why AI should support human judgement, not replace it How AI-generated meeting notes can improve CRM data quality Why better data leads to better insight and better sales action How leaders can encourage AI adoption without overwhelming their teams What sales teams can learn from sport about the power of data-driven performance

Salespeople often learn some of their most useful lessons from other salespeople. So why is peer-to-peer learning still such an underused opportunity in many sales organisations? In this episode of the Sales Chat Show, we discuss another insight from the State of Sales 2026 Report from The Growth Hub: sales leaders reported relatively low reliance on sales enablement for peer-to-peer collaboration. That raises an important question. Is sales enablement missing a major opportunity to help salespeople learn faster, share what works and solve real-world sales problems together? Key topics discussed include: Why peer-to-peer learning is an underused sales development opportunity What sales teams can learn from external roundtables and industry events Why confidential peer discussions can be as valuable as keynote content How to use roundtables at sales kick offs and team meetings Why small-group discussions often feel safer than large-room participation How call buddy sessions help salespeople learn structure and style Why salespeople should learn from different strengths across the team How customer service, operations, marketing and pre-sales can contribute to sales learning Why sales enablement should enable peer learning without over-engineering it How short, simple sessions can rapidly spread good practice across a sales team If you are a sales leader, sales manager, sales enablement professional or revenue leader, this episode will help you think differently about how learning really happens inside high-performing sales teams.

Sales and marketing alignment has been talked about for years. So why is it still such a persistent problem? In this episode we discuss one of the recurring issues highlighted in the latest State of Sales Report: the ongoing challenge of aligning sales, marketing and lead generation activity. Despite the rise of the CRO, revenue teams and integrated commercial structures, many organisations still experience tension between sales and marketing. Sales teams complain about lead quality. Marketing teams feel salespeople do not follow up properly. And when the numbers are missed, the “blame thrower” often comes out. In this practical and entertaining conversation, Simon, Anthony and Steve explore why the problem continues, why alignment is not solved by structure alone, and what sales and marketing teams can do to work better together. The discussion covers: The danger of “blamestorming” instead of solving the real problem Why the rise of the CRO has not automatically fixed alignment The importance of sales sharing the real voice of the customer Why marketing teams need to spend more time with salespeople and customers How salespeople can build stronger internal relationships with marketing Why involving sales early creates more ownership of marketing campaigns and product launches Whether marketing should be rewarded or recognised for sales outcomes Why revenue generation is a team sport, not a solo activity If you are a sales leader, marketing leader, CRO, account manager, business development professional or revenue leader, this episode will give you practical ideas for improving sales and marketing collaboration. Because if sales and marketing want to generate better revenue results, they need to stop throwing each other under the bus and start working as one team.

In this episode the teams discuss what the latest “State of Sales Report” reveals about AI and forecast accuracy. The report shows that sales leaders are seeing only a relatively low positive impact from AI when it comes to improving forecast accuracy. That raises an important question for every sales leader: if AI is not yet delivering the forecasting improvements many hoped for, where is the real problem? Simon, Anthony and Steve explore why forecasting is so difficult, why AI cannot rescue poor-quality CRM and pipeline data, and why culture, behaviour and leadership still play a huge role in forecast accuracy. The conversation covers: Why the actual AI impact on forecast accuracy may be lower than expected Why “garbage in, garbage out” still applies in the age of AI How poor CRM discipline damages sales forecasting Why salespeople may hold opportunities in a “shadow CRM” The danger of “forcecasting” when pressure from above distorts the pipeline Why sales managers need to coach rather than punish around forecast accuracy How AI can help improve the quality of data going into the CRM Why forecast accuracy matters beyond sales, especially in manufacturing, stock management and cash flow Whether salespeople should be recognised or incentivised for accurate forecasting How better qualification, pipeline discipline and CRM updates can improve sales performance If you are a sales leader, sales manager, revenue leader, CRO, account manager or business development professional, this episode will help you think differently about forecasting, CRM, AI and sales performance.

Are you letting short term thinking steal your sales and revenue by Sales Chat Show

Save time and win more deals with this AI shortcut by Sales Chat Show

In this timely episode of the Sales Chat Show, Simon Hazeldine, Graham Jones, and Anthony Steers tackle the big question many sales professionals are facing right now: How do you sell smart when the economy isn’t on your side? With economic headwinds, shifting buyer behaviours, and tighter budgets, the trio shares practical, real-world strategies for delivering sales results without blowing the budget. From improving buyer targeting and focusing on profitable activity to enhancing customer retention and leveraging no-cost digital tactics, this episode is packed with insight for navigating uncertain times. Whether you're a frontline seller or a sales leader under pressure, you’ll walk away with actionable ideas to stay commercially sharp, resilient—and cost-effective.

Hybrid Selling - When to Go Digital, When to Go Live, and How to Blend Both by Sales Chat Show

An interview with social media and LinkedIn expert Mark Saxby

An interview with LinkedIn profiler Tony K Silver The truth about what doesn’t work—and how to fix it fast Common mistakes, missed opportunities, and strategies that work Is your LinkedIn profile costing you sales? Find out what our expert says Practical advice to turn your LinkedIn presence from ignored to irresistible From spammy to strategic: How real sales pros win business on LinkedIn

In this provocative episode of the Sales Chat Show, Simon Hazeldine, Graham Jones, and Anthony Steers dive into the murky waters of unethical sales behaviours and the systems that enable them. Sparked by a revealing Harvard Business Review article, the hosts explore how poorly designed sales targets and performance metrics can drive manipulation, fraud, and even criminal activity—often with management's full awareness. From inflated call stats to forced customer reviews, and from fake deals to internal collusion, this discussion exposes the grey area between "playing the game" and unethical conduct. Most importantly, the team offers practical insights for building smarter, balanced, and customer-centric sales measurement systems. A must-listen for sales leaders and managers serious about ethical performance, team autonomy, and creating a sales culture that customers (and regulators) can trust.

In this episode, Simon Hazeldine, Graham Jones, and Anthony Steers explore how sales professionals can use AI-powered platforms to practice, refine, and perfect their sales pitches. They cover the pros and cons, offer practical tips on implementation, and challenge traditional thinking about training. A must-listen for anyone wanting to sharpen their sales game in the age of AI.

The Hidden Power of Buyer Psychology - Closing Deals Faster by Sales Chat Show