What Makes a Buyer Trust a Seller They Just Met? In this episode of Sales Lead Dog, Christopher Smith sits down with Jen Sells, Chief Revenue Officer at Moii AI, to talk about human behavior, servant leadership, and selling AI that buyers are still skeptical of. They also get into something close to home for a lot of sales teams: why the discovery meeting is where deals are really won, and how a clean CRM uncovers the bottlenecks that quietly slow a team down. If you are a sales leader, revenue leader, or business decision-maker looking for grounded, practical takes on leading a team and selling with integrity, this conversation is worth your time. What You'll Learn: - Curiosity about human behavior drives more sales than any script - The discovery meeting is where the deal is really made - How to sell AI by educating buyers instead of pressuring them - Why sending a prospect to a competitor can win you a referral partner - Leading with vulnerability builds teams that actually trust you - Data beats guesswork when deciding where to spend your time - A clean CRM uncovers bottlenecks without burning out the team About Jen Sells Jen Sells is the Chief Revenue Officer at Moii AI, a visual AI platform that turns the cameras a business already has into real-time operational intelligence teams can simply ask questions of. With more than a decade in PropTech, she started as a real-estate operator and buyer before moving into revenue leadership. Her approach is grounded in curiosity, servant leadership, and a genuine focus on helping both her customers and her team succeed. Connect with Jen Sells LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jen-sells-10a6bab3/ Learn More About Moii AI: https://moii.ai About Sales Lead Dog Sales Lead Dog is hosted by Christopher Smith, CRM technology and sales process expert, and founder of Empellor. 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://empellor.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 is one discovery question that always changes the direction of your deals? #SalesLeadership #AIinSales #VisualAI #PropTech #B2BSales #SalesProcess #SalesManagement #SalesLeadDog

In this episode of Sales Lead Dog, Christopher Smith sits down with Jeffrey David Harris, CEO and founder of AmbiMi, to talk fearless selling, coaching, and why the resume is finally breaking.

Jeff cold-called his way into his first job and built a career on the idea that sales is really about asking questions and gathering information.

He also shares why hiring is broken, how skills-based matching replaces the resume, and why CRM has to get easier for the people using it.

KEY HIGHLIGHTS

• 00:00–02:13 Meet Jeffrey Harris and the idea behind AmbiMi
• 02:14–08:35 The three things that drove Jeff's success in sales
• 08:36–12:20 The story behind the name AmbiMi
• 12:21–17:54 Leadership, coaching, and why the best sellers still get coached
• 17:55–23:09 Discipline and the power of incremental improvement
• 23:10–26:57 How recruitment technology and AI are changing hiring
• 26:58–32:11 Handling objections and resistance to change
• 32:12–35:58 The future of CRM and protecting your data
• 35:59–38:48 Advice for sales leaders and entrepreneurs

ABOUT JEFFREY DAVID HARRIS

Jeffrey Harris is a Vancouver-based entrepreneur and recruitment leader. He founded Impact Recruitment in 2009 and, in 2020, launched AmbiMi, a skills-based job matching platform built to make hiring faster, fairer, and less reliant on resumes.

He has been named to Business in Vancouver's BC500 two years running and was a 2022 EY Entrepreneur Of The Year Pacific finalist. His focus is upward mobility for the masses through leadership and accessible hiring technology.

CONNECT WITH JEFFREY HARRIS

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

AmbiMi: https://www.ambimi.com/

ABOUT SALES LEAD DOG

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

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

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

#SalesLeadership #ColdCalling #Recruitment #HiringTech #B2BSales #SalesCoaching #CRM #SalesLeadDog

What separates a good salesperson from a great sales leader? According to Nicolas Gramstad, it starts with listening more than you sell.

In this episode of Sales Lead Dog, Christopher Smith sits down with Nicolas Gramstad, VP of Sales at Campspot, to talk about mentorship, humility, and building sales teams that actually perform. Nicolas shares how his path from a small family lumberyard to leading revenue at a high-growth SaaS company shaped a practical, people-first approach to sales leadership.

They also get into a topic close to home for a lot of sales teams: why so many CRMs end up working against the people using them, and how to strip a bloated system back down to what actually moves deals forward.

If you are a sales leader, CRM manager, or business decision-maker looking for grounded, practical takes on leading a team and running a cleaner sales process, this conversation is worth your time.

What You'll Learn:

• Listening beats feature-dumping in every sales conversation

• Mentorship and humility are what build lasting sales careers

• The real shift that happens when a top rep becomes a leader

• Hard, honest conversations are the toughest part of leading a team

• Lead from the front to keep a sales team motivated

• Bloated CRMs are common, and cleaning them up is simpler than it looks

• A good CRM becomes the central hub across sales, implementation, and customer success

About Nicolas Gramstad

Nicolas Gramstad is a SaaS sales leader based in Minneapolis with a track record of scaling revenue teams at high-growth software companies. As VP of Sales at Campspot, he leads sales for the largest reservation and property management platform in outdoor hospitality, helping campgrounds, RV parks, and municipal parks adopt technology to run smarter operations. His approach to leadership is grounded in mentorship, humility, and a genuine focus on helping his people succeed.

Connect with Nicolas Gramstad

LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolas-gramstad/

Learn More About Campspot https://software.campspot.com/book-more/

About Sales Lead Dog

Sales Lead Dog is hosted by Christopher Smith, CRM technology and sales process expert, and founder of Empellor. 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://empellor.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 is the best piece of advice a mentor ever gave you in sales?

#SalesLeadership #SaaSSales #Mentorship #CRM #B2BSales #SalesProcess #SalesManagement #SalesLeadDog

What if trying to look perfect is the exact thing costing you the sale?

In this episode of Sales Lead Dog, Christopher Smith sits down with Todd Caponi, author, keynote speaker, and one of the most respected voices on transparency in sales, to discuss why honesty closes faster than perfection and how modern negotiation should actually work.

Drawing on behavioral science, decision science, and decades of sales history, Todd explains why buyers trust the negative, why we buy when we can predict rather than when we are convinced, and how leading with your flaws can speed up sales cycles and raise win rates.

If you are a founder, sales leader, revenue executive, or seller who wants to build trust faster and negotiate without the games, this conversation is full of ideas you can use right away.

What You'll Learn

• Why a perfect five-star pitch actually slows down the sale

• Why buyers seek out the negative before they say yes

• The behavioral science behind why we buy when we can predict

• How leading with what you are not great at builds instant trust

• Why your first sale is the most expensive one you will ever make

• How the Four Levers of Negotiating replace discounting with collaboration

• Why transparency from leadership keeps teams engaged and loyal

• How honest pricing kills sticker shock and shortens sales cycles

About Todd Caponi

Todd Caponi is an award-winning sales leader, keynote speaker, and author whose work has reshaped how organizations think about sales, leadership, and negotiation. After leading sales organizations through multiple high-growth exits, including serving as a worldwide Vice President of Sales of the Year, Todd founded Sales Melon, where he helps revenue teams apply behavioral science, decision science, and sales history to build trust, improve buyer confidence, and drive stronger outcomes.

He is the author of the acclaimed books The Transparency Sale, The Transparent Sales Leader, and Four Levers Negotiating, and is the host of The Sales History Podcast. Recognized as one of the industry's leading voices on transparency in selling, Todd works with revenue organizations around the world to transform the way they message, negotiate, lead, and grow.

Connect with Todd Caponi

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

Website https://www.toddcaponi.com

Todd's Books The Transparency Sale: https://a.co/d/0iBWFEai The Transparent Sales Leader: https://a.co/d/0hOf1W4K Four Levers Negotiating: https://a.co/d/0aaRnw4k

The Sales History Podcast https://saleshistory.buzzsprout.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. Where has being more transparent helped you win more trust and more deals?

#SalesLeadership #Transparency #Negotiation #SalesTraining #B2BSales #RevenueGrowth #SalesProcess #TrustInSales #SalesLeadDog

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/

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 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?

Is AI replacing salespeople? Not according to Damian Wisniewski. In this episode of Sales Lead Dog, Christopher Smith sits down with Damian Wisniewski, Head of Sales at GitKraken, to discuss how AI is transforming sales leadership, CRM strategy, and revenue teams. Damian explains why the biggest opportunity isn't letting AI sell for you. It's using AI to become a smarter sales leader, coach teams more effectively, analyze customer conversations, and make better decisions faster. The conversation also explores the future of CRM, AI agents, Model Context Protocol (MCP), sales hiring, and why successful sales professionals must adapt instead of resisting change. These themes are reflected throughout the conversation transcript. What You'll Learn • Why AI won't replace great salespeople • How AI can coach sales teams at scale • The future of CRM in an AI-first world • Why sales leaders should rethink how they use data • How to build repeatable sales processes with AI About Damian Wisniewski Damian Wisniewski is the Head of Sales at GitKraken, a developer tools company helping software teams manage AI coding tools and enabling engineering leaders to measure the ROI of AI investments. He specializes in building and scaling high-performing sales organizations for startups and established technology companies launching new products. With a strong technical background, Damian combines sales leadership with deep product knowledge to help teams grow efficiently in an AI-driven world. Connect with Damian Wisniewski LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/damianwisniewski/ Learn more about GitKraken: https://www.gitkraken.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 find this conversation. 🔔 Subscribe so you never miss a Sales Lead Dog episode. 💬 Drop your biggest takeaway in the comments. How is AI changing the way you lead your sales team? #SalesLeadership #ArtificialIntelligence #AI #Sales #CRM #RevenueLeadership #B2BSales #SalesManagement #GitKraken #SalesLeadDog