What happens when you're so sure you have a deal that you stop selling, and then everything falls apart?

In this episode of Sales Tales, Josh Shirley sits down with Tom Niesen, 30-year Sandler trainer, magician, and veteran of some of the most memorable sales disasters you'll ever hear. Tom brings two real-life stories from the field that are equal parts entertaining and educational, plus the lessons packed inside them are ones every salesperson needs to hear.

In Story 1, Tom is on the one-yard line of a $150,000 sale that should have been a lock. Three of his company's machines already in the plant, no real competition, until he shows up to collect the contract and finds out his champion is in Vegas. With the competitor. And things escalate from there, all the way to the CEO's office and a pair of handcuffs.

In Story 2, Tom is deep in a pursuit and starts deploying one of Sandler's most powerful tools, negative reversing, one too many times. The prospect finally takes him at his word. And just like that, the deal is done.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why "beware the happy prospect" is one of the most important rules in sales
• How assuming you have the sale can open the door wide for your competition (without you even knowing it)
• The difference between a selling process and a features-and-benefits pitch, and why it matters
• What negative reversing is, how it works, and exactly when NOT to use it
• Why the deals you're most confident about are sometimes the ones you're about to lose
• How to use judo logic in a sales conversation to get a prospect to overcome their own objections

Tom Niesen is a Sandler franchisee based in Texas with 30 years of experience training sales teams. He paid his way through college doing magic at a bar he helped open after convincing the city council to grant him a liquor license. He is exactly as good as this sounds.

Sales Tales is the sales training podcast built on real sales stories, real tactics, and zero fluff. If you want to know how to close deals, handle objections, and think like a top salesperson, you're in the right place.