Mike Greene, CEO of Air Control Products (ACP), discussed the company's growth from $12 million to nearly $100 million in sales. ACP, an HVAC manufacturer's rep, focuses on commercial projects and emphasizes project management and customer relationships. Greene credits his team's curiosity and continuous learning, along with the implementation of Same Side Selling principles. He highlighted the importance of maintaining strong manufacturer relationships and having a well-stocked inventory to ensure timely delivery. Greene also shared his vision for the future, including building a sustainable company for his son and continuing to improve employee engagement and customer satisfaction.

• Always work on your foundation and continue building it
• Hire good people and ensure everyone in the company is working in the same direction
• Keep open communications and make it a desirable workplace
• Take care of your people and always do the right thing
• Build trust and dedicate yourself to your employees

Ian Altman discusses the common oversights in channel sales teams, emphasizing that top performers excel in sales skills rather than product knowledge. He suggests that product launches should focus on market demand, problem-solving, and customer needs rather than just features. Altman recommends gathering feedback on sales challenges, preparing responses to objections like price, and using role-play scenarios to enhance sales techniques. He also stresses the importance of ongoing education and connectivity through platforms like Zoom or Google Meet to reinforce learning and maintain team engagement.

• Spending too much time talking about features and benefits of new products
• Focusing solely on product knowledge instead of sales skills
• Not explaining the demand in the marketplace that prompted the creation of new products
• What can the company do to reduce friction and make it easier to do business with compared to other brands?

• Focus on solving client problems rather than extensive product knowledge
• Have product managers explain why the product was introduced and what problem it solves
• Discuss how new products make customers' lives better and reduce risks
• Solicit information from attendees about where deals are getting stuck
• Create role-play scenarios to model great conversations and outreach techniques
• Ensure attendees leave with actionable plans and set up mechanisms for ongoing engagement

Ian Altman discusses the biggest blind spot in sales meetings: lack of preparation. He emphasizes the importance of setting realistic goals aligned with the client's needs rather than unrealistic expectations. Altman advises salespeople to identify what clients need to believe to achieve their goals and to prepare for different meeting scenarios (the good, the bad, and the ugly). Role-playing these scenarios with different team members helps salespeople practice and improve their ability to handle various outcomes effectively. He concludes that thorough planning and realistic expectations lead to better client meeting outcomes.

• Not having any planning whatsoever for the meeting.
• Having unrealistic expectations for the meeting outcome.
• Not thinking through the logistics of the meeting from the client's perspective.
• Coming to a meeting with no expectations.

• Set realistic expectations for the meeting that focus on solving the client's needs.
• Determine what the client needs to believe for the desired outcome to happen.
• Prepare questions to ask the client to confirm if they believe what you need them to believe.
• Plan for three possible scenarios: good, bad, and ugly.
• Role-play each scenario with a team (salesperson, customer, and observer).