For many salespeople, the words role play can spark discomfort. But when done well, it’s one of the most effective ways to build confidence, sharpen skills, and prepare for the moments that really matter.

In this episode of Psyche of Sales: Snapshots, Johnny Lee and Rachael Valtwies break down the role of practice in sales. From quick five-minute run-throughs before a call to team-based practice on objection handling, practice creates the muscle memory that ensures clarity under pressure.

Johnny and Rachael share stories from the field, tips for structuring role-plays, and the dos and don’ts of feedback to ensure you’re building confidence, not breaking it.

Key Takeaways:

• Practice before it counts. If you’re not practising with colleagues, you’re practising on clients. Role play shifts mistakes into safe spaces.
• It doesn’t need to be an event. Even a three-minute practice session with feedback can significantly improve performance across an entire team.
• Consistency beats intensity. A short role play every week will deliver far more value than one-off, high-pressure sessions.
• Practice makes permanent. Confidence comes from rehearsing the right behaviours until they become second nature.
• Leaders set the tone. When leaders join in and go first, they normalise role play and create a safe environment for their teams.
• Feedback builds confidence. Focus on strengths first, then one or two areas to improve. Feedback should feel like support with actionable takeaways, not personalised criticism.
• Role play for real scenarios. Objection handling, pitch openings, and key conversations are perfect practice grounds.

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About Psyche of Sales: Snapshots

This short-form segment is designed to run regularly alongside the Psyche of Sales long-form interviews, offering fast, focused episodes that unpack the real conversations happening inside sales teams. Each Snapshot episode draws on live client work and field experience, spotlighting one core topic, challenge, or skill — all in under 20 minutes. These episodes are designed to provide you with insights you can apply immediately, regardless of your industry or level of experience.

In this episode of Psche of Sales Snapshots, Johnny Lee and Rachael Valtwies break down the art and science of messaging — what it is, why it matters, and how to make it stick.

From job interviews and high-stakes pitches to press conferences and performance reviews, your message shapes how people see you, remember you, and act on what you’ve said. Johnny and Rachael explore how to design messaging that connects with your audience, lands with clarity, and drives influence — even in difficult conversations.

This episode is full of practical examples, from disarming tense situations to framing value in a salary review, and how to keep your core messages front of mind for your audience long after you’ve left the room.

Key Takeaways:

• Messaging is more than words It’s how you frame reality, shape perception, and create the story people tell about you after you’ve left the room.
• Start with your audience, not your agenda Understand who they are, what matters to them, and the lens they’ll be listening through.
• Use the ROI test Check every message for Relevance, Originality, and Impact. Without these, your audience switches off.
• Delivery is as important as content Humour, empathy, confidence, and authenticity can transform how a message is received, especially under pressure.
• Frame value in terms of impact In negotiations or reviews, shift from “I deserve it” to “Here’s the value I’ve delivered and how it’s helped us achieve results.”
• Bad news still needs clear messaging Acknowledge the situation, share evidence-based reassurance, and keep returning to a small set of consistent key messages.
• Repetition builds influence Repeating core messages makes them stick — and when stakeholders start repeating them for you, you know they’ve landed.
• Authenticity cuts through There’s only one of you — let your personality and genuine connection come through in your message.

About Psyche of Sales: Snapshots

This short-form segment is designed to run regularly alongside the Psyche of Sales long-form interviews, offering fast, focused episodes that unpack the real conversations happening inside sales teams. Each Snapshot episode draws on live client work and field experience, spotlighting one core topic, challenge, or skill — all in under 20 minutes. These episodes are designed to provide you with insights you can apply immediately, regardless of your industry or level of experience.

Follow Johnny Lee on LinkedIn

Follow Rachael Valtwies on LinkedIn

Follow EnableIQ on LinkedIn

In this episode of Psyche of Sales: Snapshots, Johnny Lee and Rachael Valtwies explore a sales skill that’s often misunderstood, undervalued, and yet completely foundational: rapport building.

Drawing on years of experience in live pitches, client conversations, and coaching sessions, they unpack what genuine rapport looks like, how to build it quickly and meaningfully, and why it’s not just about being ‘likeable’ or making small talk.

This episode covers the basics for those getting started or brushing up, but also explores the nuances of separating friendship from business.

Key Takeaways:

• Rapport is not surface-level charm: it’s about creating safety and trust, so clients share what matters, not just polite answers.
• Sales processes aren’t linear: in the real world, rapport doesn’t always come first. Sometimes you build it mid-meeting or even in the last few minutes.
• Tailor your approach to business styles: understanding stakeholder types (driver, analytical, amiable, expressive) helps you adapt tone, pace, and delivery to build a faster connection.
• Don’t underestimate small talk: curiosity and interest matter. Building rapport often begins with asking the right questions, rather than saying the right thing.
• Preparation helps, but presence matters more: you can’t fake a genuine connection. It comes from being present, observing body language, and actively listening in the moment.
• Practice is key: like any skill, rapport can be developed and refined through training. Role-play conversations, reflect on what works, and rehearse building a connection until it feels natural.
• Be warm. Be interested. Be real: people buy from those they trust, and trust starts with how you show up.

About Psyche of Sales: Snapshots

This short-form segment is designed to run regularly alongside the Psyche of Sales long-form interviews, offering fast, focused episodes that unpack the real conversations happening inside sales teams. Each Snapshot episode draws on live client work and field experience, spotlighting one core topic, challenge, or skill — all in under 20 minutes. These episodes are designed to provide you with insights you can apply immediately, regardless of your industry or level of experience.

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In the first of their new short-form series Psyche of Sales: Snapshots, Johnny Lee and Rachael Valtwies break down the anatomy of a great pitch. Drawing on real client experiences, they cover what separates a winning pitch from a forgettable one, from planning and preparation to mindset and message delivery.

This 20-minute conversation is packed with insights you can apply immediately, whether you’re pitching for business, internal buy-in, or strategic influence.

Key Takeaways:

• Start with the end in mind Reverse-engineer your pitch preparation — rehearse early, build momentum, and peak at the right time.
• Pitch as a team, not as individuals Align early, hold a kick-off meeting, and agree on the win themes together. Don’t dilute key messages with scattered handovers.
• Know your stakeholders Identify who makes the decision and what drives them — emotionally, politically, and practically.
• Build a focused executive summary Your pitch should hinge on 2–3 core reasons why you’re the best fit. Lead with them. Prove them. End with them.
• Avoid generic messaging Specificity builds value. Tailor your pitch to reflect the client's language, needs, and priorities.
• Practice your Q&A Don’t let the pitch fall apart when questions start. Prepare for the five most common and five most difficult questions.
• Objections are best handled in the moment — if you’re ready Read the room. Sometimes the strongest response is acknowledging the question and following up with tailored proof.
• Design slides with purpose Every slide should lead with a message, not just data. Structure them to reinforce your key win themes.

About Psyche of Sales: Snapshots

This short-form segment is designed to run regularly alongside the Psyche of Sales long-form interviews, offering fast, focused episodes that unpack the real conversations happening inside sales teams. Each Sales Snapshot draws on live client work and field experience, spotlighting one core topic, challenge, or skill — all in under 30 minutes. These episodes are designed to provide you with insights you can apply immediately, regardless of your industry or level of experience.

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In this live-recorded episode of Psyche of Sales, Johnny is joined by Kyle Ross for a frank and practical conversation on objection handling: what it really means, why it’s often misunderstood, and how to do it well.

This session unpacks why objections aren’t a bad thing, what they often signal beneath the surface, and how best sellers use them to build trust, deepen understanding, and move the conversation forward.

What you’ll hear:

• Why objections are often requests for clarity rather than genuine problems
• What to do when a buyer says “we’re too busy” or “it’s too expensive”
• Four simple but powerful objection-handling techniques:
  • Acknowledge & Explore
  • Acknowledge & Ignore
  • Explore the Opposite
  • Ask: “How would you solve it?”
• How to remove tension (and avoid adding more)
• The importance of value-building before tackling objections
• Real examples from the field

Handling objections isn’t about having the perfect rebuttal. It’s about staying curious, slowing down, and finding out what’s really going on.

This episode will give you a practical framework you can use immediately, whether you’re selling a product, pitching a proposal, or navigating stakeholder resistance.

Like this episode?

You can find more conversations and resources on objection handling at enableiq.com.

About the Hosts

Johnny Lee is the Founder and CEO of EnableSE, a digital sales enablement company that leverages technology to change the way the world sells. Johnny has decades of experience providing training and coaching to organisations across the globe, which has led to the development of EnableIQ, an online sales enablement platform that utilises best practice training and blended learning methods to enable sales teams to become high performers.

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Kyle Ross is a Co-founder and Director of SAI Intelligence - a licensed provider of intuitive, responsive digital technologies. SAI provides options and advice designed to eliminate technology debt, create lasting, frictionless change and improve the way organisations operate with minimal disruption.

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In this raw and resonant episode of Psyche of Sales, Johnny sits down with Nick Gorman, founder of Equilibrium at Work, to explore what happens when high performance collides with mental health.

Nick’s story is a blueprint for how to build something meaningful after burnout. A former institutional sales trader who thrived in the high-stakes world of investment banking, Nick opens up about his decades-long battle with anxiety, burnout, and the turning point that led him to walk away from a top job and into a life of purpose.

Together, Johnny and Nick cover:

• The real drivers of burnout, and how to spot it before it breaks you
• Why traditional coaching models often fall short (and what to do instead)
• The quiet power of cold water therapy, non-negotiables, and real connection
• Why progressive organisations are embracing coach-led wellbeing without asking for performance reports
• Honest advice for leaders who are unknowingly creating the very problems they’re trying to fix

This episode is for you if you’re a high-performer hanging on by a thread, a leader trying to do better by your team, or simply curious about what truly effective coaching looks like.

About the Hosts

Johnny Lee is the Founder and CEO of EnableSE, a digital sales enablement company that leverages technology to change the way the world sells. Johnny has decades of experience providing training and coaching to organisations across the globe, which has led to the development of EnableIQ, an online sales enablement platform that utilises best practice training and blended learning methods to enable sales teams to become high performers.

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Nick Gorman is the Founder of Equilibrium at Work, a coaching practice dedicated to helping professionals navigate career challenges, mental wellbeing, and sustainable performance. Drawing on his two decades of experience in institutional finance and his own journey with mental health, Nick offers a unique blend of lived experience and practical insight. Through one-on-one coaching, corporate partnerships, and wellbeing presentations, Equilibrium at Work creates space for honest conversations that lead to real, lasting change.

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In this episode of Psyche of Sales, Johnny Lee is joined by filmmaker, technologist, and digital strategist Tim Nagle. Together, they explore the intersection of sales, storytelling, and the rapid evolution of AI in business.

From their early days of deep conversations over wine to harnessing AI for efficiency and commercial impact, Johnny and Tim dive into the mindset, discipline, and innovation that drive success.

They discuss:

• How AI is transforming sales, coaching, and business efficiency.
• The power of storytelling in video and why not all content is created equal.
• Overcoming option paralysis in a world overloaded with information.
• Why top performers don’t just show up—they prepare, practice, and execute with intent.
• Public speaking, sales as a profession, and the importance of getting comfortable quickly.
• Lessons from filmmaking, including leadership, emotional control, and crisis management on set.

Throughout, Johnny and Tim share stories, practical insights, and even a few laughs—culminating in a thought-provoking conversation about the future of AI, sales, and human connection.

About the hosts:

Follow Johnny Lee on LinkedIn

Follow Tim Nagle on LinkedIn

Johnny Lee is the Founder and CEO of EnableSE, a digital sales enablement company that leverages technology to change the way the world sells. Johnny has decades of experience providing training and coaching to organisations across the globe, which has led to the development of EnableIQ, an online sales enablement platform that utilises best practice training and blended learning methods to enable sales teams to become high performers.

Tim Nagle is a film and content production specialist with a deep background in storytelling, filmmaking, and digital strategy. With years of experience spanning feature films, commercial content, and emerging technologies, Tim has worked across industries to craft compelling narratives that engage audiences. His expertise in video production, creative direction, and business-minded storytelling gives organisations a competitive edge in a crowded market.

In this episode of Psyche of Sales, Johnny sits down with Scott Gibson, CEO of Pragma, to discuss his experience transforming a business that, historically, had struggled to hit its targets into a high-performing team.

Scott shares candid insights into the challenges, strategies, and mindset shifts that led to this remarkable turnaround.

They discuss:

• Rebuilding from Within: Scott’s decision to focus on developing his existing team and refining processes rather than making personnel changes and how this choice shaped the outcome.

• Tools for Success: How Scott and his team at Pragma utilised EnableIQ, alongside consulting support, as part of a multi-faceted approach to drive performance.

• Lessons in Leadership: Scott’s perspective on leadership, trust, and the importance of investing in people to achieve long-term success.

About the hosts:

Follow Scott Gibson on LinkedIn

Follow Johnny Lee on LinkedIn

Johnny Lee is the Founder and CEO of EnableSE, a digital sales enablement company that leverages technology to change the way the world sells. Johnny has decades of experience providing training and coaching to organisations across the globe, which has led to the development of EnableIQ, an online sales enablement platform that utilises best practice training and blended learning methods to enable sales teams to become high performers.

Scott Gibson is the CEO of Pragma, a leading enterprise asset management organisation based in South Africa. He is a seasoned leader with over two decades of experience in engineering and asset management. Renowned for his ability to transform underperforming teams, Scott focuses on developing people and processes to drive success, achieve operational excellence, and foster long-term growth.