What if the biggest advantage in sales isn't your product, your pricing, or your tech stack... but simply being yourself?

In this episode of Sales Lead Dog, Christopher Smith sits down with Pete Auerbach, Sr. Vice President of National Sales at Ad.net, to discuss why authentic relationships, not transactions, are what actually close deals and build lasting business.

Drawing on nearly a decade leading the national sales team at Ad.net and a career built in digital advertising, Pete shares hard-won lessons on leading as a challenger brand, staying competitive at every stage of your career, balancing the player-coach role, and using AI and CRM to help sales teams work smarter.

If you're a founder, sales leader, revenue executive, or seller looking to build stronger customer relationships and a more resilient sales team, this conversation is packed with practical insight you can put to work today.

What You'll Learn

• Why authenticity beats the "sales persona" every time • How to build relationships that turn into multi-year deals • The challenger-brand mindset: doing everything at an A level • Why the best sellers work harder during a slump, not less • How to escape "whack-a-mole" and actually execute your plan • What servant leadership and empathy do for team culture • Why CRM is a "necessary evil" and how AI is about to redefine it • How to use AI as an enabler for your team, not a way to cut headcount

About Pete Auerbach

Pete Auerbach is a sales leader and digital advertising strategist with nearly a decade of experience at Ad.net, where he leads the national sales team while continuing to work directly with agencies and brands. He helps marketers uncover new opportunities for growth through innovative search, social, and creator media solutions, with a focus on driving measurable results and building lasting partnerships.

Pete got his start in advertising through internships on Madison Avenue before moving into the agency world and, eventually, sales leadership on the West Coast. A former two-sport college athlete, he brings a competitive, team-first mindset to how he builds and coaches his teams. Based in Los Angeles, Pete lives with his wife and two dogs, is the proud father of two adult children, and is an avid golfer and cyclist who carries a competitive edge into everything he does.

Connect with Pete Auerbach

LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/peteauerbach/

Learn More About Ad.net https://ad.net/

About Sales Lead Dog

Sales Lead Dog is hosted by Christopher Smith, CRM technology and sales process expert, and founder of Empellor CRM. Each episode features sales leaders who have separated themselves from the rest of the pack, sharing how they achieve success with their teams and their CRM strategy.

Unless you are the lead dog, the view never changes.

Connect and Learn More

All episodes and show notes: https://empellorcrm.com/salesleaddog/

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💬 Drop your biggest takeaway in the comments. What's helped you most in building lasting customer relationships: authenticity, grit, or something else?

#SalesLeadership #Authenticity #SalesStrategy #CRM #ArtificialIntelligence #B2BSales #SalesManagement #DigitalAdvertising #Ad_net #SalesLeadDog

Why do so many founder-led companies hit a growth ceiling... even when they have a great product? In this episode of Sales Lead Dog, Christopher Smith sits down with Adam Rojas, Founder and Managing Partner of Bellmoore Consulting, to discuss how growth-stage businesses can build scalable sales systems, improve revenue operations, and move beyond founder-dependent selling. Adam shares practical lessons from more than 25 years in enterprise sales leadership, explaining why predictable growth comes from building the right sales process, qualifying opportunities early, using CRM strategically, and leveraging AI to help teams work smarter instead of harder. If you're a founder, sales leader, revenue executive, or business owner looking to build a repeatable go-to-market strategy, this episode is packed with practical advice you can apply immediately. What You'll Learn • How to build a predictable revenue operating system • The biggest mistakes businesses make with CRM • Why most companies suffer from a "leaky sales bucket" • The KPIs every growing business should measure • Why sales is still built on human relationships About Adam Rojas Adam Rojas is the Founder and Managing Partner of Bellmoore Consulting, a fractional commercial and revenue leadership firm that helps founder-led technology and tech-enabled services companies build predictable, scalable revenue engines. Adam specializes in helping growth-stage businesses in the $2M to $15M revenue range create the commercial infrastructure needed to scale, including revenue strategy, sales process, pipeline management, leadership coaching, and go-to-market execution. Before founding Bellmoore Consulting, Adam spent more than 25 years leading enterprise sales organizations, beginning his career in telecommunications with BellSouth before moving into leadership roles at AT&T after its acquisition. Throughout his career, he has worked with organizations ranging from small businesses to Fortune 100 companies, helping teams modernize their sales strategies, improve CRM adoption, and build sustainable revenue growth. Today, Adam partners with founders who have outgrown founder-led selling and need experienced commercial leadership without making a premature Chief Revenue Officer hire. His work focuses on transforming inconsistent sales into repeatable systems that support long-term growth. Connect with Adam Rojas LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamrojas/ Bellmoore Consulting https://www.bellmooreconsulting.com/ About Sales Lead Dog Sales Lead Dog is hosted by Christopher Smith, CRM technology and sales process expert, and founder of Empellor CRM. Each episode features sales leaders who have separated themselves from the rest of the pack, sharing how they achieve success with their teams and their CRM strategy. Unless you are the lead dog, the view never changes. Connect and Learn More All episodes and show notes: https://empellorcrm.com/salesleaddog/ If this episode brought you value 👍 Hit Like and help more sales professionals discover this conversation. 🔔 Subscribe so you never miss a Sales Lead Dog episode. 💬 Drop your biggest takeaway in the comments. What's the biggest challenge your business has faced when trying to build a scalable sales process?

What if the biggest reason sales teams lose trust has nothing to do with pricing, competition, or AI? In this episode of Sales Lead Dog, Christopher Smith sits down with Tim Deaver, Vice President of Federal Sales at Skyloom, to explore why the best sales leaders focus on one principle above everything else: deliver on your promises. Drawing from more than two decades of leadership in the U.S. Air Force and executive roles across the aerospace and satellite communications industry, Tim shares practical lessons on leadership, accountability, customer trust, CRM strategy, and building sales teams that consistently perform. If you're leading a sales organization, managing enterprise accounts, or looking to build stronger customer relationships, this conversation offers practical insights you can put to work immediately. What You'll Learn • Why trust is still the most valuable asset in sales • Leadership lessons from 22 years in the U.S. Air Force • The habits of high-performing sales leaders • Why accountability drives better sales performance • How to develop future sales leaders inside your organization • Why consistency beats quick wins in enterprise sales • Practical leadership principles that apply to every sales team About Tim Deaver Tim Deaver is the Vice President of Federal Sales at Skyloom, where he leads federal sales for the company's Free Space Optical Communication solutions. Before joining Skyloom, Tim served as VP of Global Sales and Solutions at Mynaric and previously led U.S. government satellite and space programs at Airbus U.S. Space & Defense and SES Government Solutions. Throughout his career, he has helped deliver major aerospace, satellite communications, and defense programs for organizations including the U.S. Air Force, NASA, FAA, and the U.S. Department of Defense. Prior to entering the private sector, Tim served 22 years in the United States Air Force, holding leadership positions across space operations, acquisition, and policy. He brings decades of experience leading complex organizations, building customer relationships, and developing high-performing teams. Connect with Tim Deaver LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-deaver-76a6a97/ Learn More About Skyloom https://www.skyloom.co/ About Sales Lead Dog Sales Lead Dog is hosted by Christopher Smith, CRM technology and sales process expert, and founder of Empellor CRM. Each episode features sales leaders who have separated themselves from the rest of the pack, sharing how they achieve success with their teams and their CRM strategy. Unless you are the lead dog, the view never changes. Connect and Learn More All episodes and show notes: https://empellorcrm.com/salesleaddog/ If this episode brought you value: 👍 Hit Like and help more sales professionals discover this conversation. 🔔 Subscribe so you never miss a Sales Lead Dog episode. 💬 Drop your biggest takeaway in the comments. What's the most important leadership lesson you've learned about building trust with customers?