Episode 17: The Lost Art of Follow-Up – Staying Relevant Without Becoming Annoying

You had a great conversation. You asked the right questions. The customer seemed interested. You sent the proposal.

Then...silence.

What happens next can determine whether you eventually earn the business or become another salesperson filling someone's inbox with "just checking in" emails.

In Episode 17 of YOU Are the Million Dollar Deal, JB Bloom explores one of the most important—and often poorly executed-skills in professional sales: follow-up.

Drawing from more than 28 years of professional sales experience across logistics, manufacturing, safety and health, mission critical power systems, SaaS, finance, and property management, JB explains how effective follow-up creates value, maintains momentum, and keeps you relevant without becoming annoying or creating unnecessary pressure.

Designed for beginner and intermediate sales professionals who want to take their craft to the next level, this episode explores the difference between professionally following up and simply chasing a customer.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why "just checking in" rarely gives customers a compelling reason to respond
• How the Mere Exposure Effect relates to familiarity and follow-up
• How to follow up with purpose instead of simply following a CRM reminder
• Four different types of professional follow-up
• How to recognize when persistence is becoming pressure
• Why understanding the customer's timeline can improve your follow-up strategy
• Rookie vs. Professional role-playing examples you can use immediately

JB shares real-world lessons from Graphic Products, where managing nationwide corporate accounts through inside sales required disciplined phone, email, CRM, and relationship management. He also draws from freight and logistics experience to demonstrate why timing and relevance can be especially important when a customer doesn't need your solution today—but may need it tomorrow.

Recommended Reading:

📚 Fanatical Prospecting by Jeb Blount
📚 The Long Game by Dorie Clark

Together, these books provide two valuable perspectives: maintaining disciplined sales activity while developing the patience and long-term thinking required to build meaningful professional relationships.

This Week's Challenge: The Five Follow-Ups

Choose five prospects or customers who need follow-up. Before contacting each one, identify what they previously told you, why you're contacting them today, and what value you can provide.

And there's one rule:

Don't use the phrase "just checking in."

If this episode challenges how you think about follow-up, I'd love to hear your questions, disagreements, successes, or real-world situations.

Learn more:
www.brockip.com
www.krhpropertygroup.com

Email:
support@brockip.com
jb@krhpropertygroup.com

Be persistent. Be relevant. Respect people's time.

And remember...

YOU are the Million Dollar Deal.

🎙️ Episode 16: Reading the Room - Adapting Your Communication to Different Personality Styles

What if becoming a better salesperson isn't about having a better pitch—but about learning how to communicate differently with different people?

In Episode 16 of YOU Are the Million Dollar Deal, JB Bloom explores one of the most valuable skills every sales professional can develop: adapting your communication style to the person in front of you. Drawing on more than 28 years of professional sales experience across logistics, manufacturing, safety and health, mission critical power systems, software as a service (SaaS), finance, and property management, JB explains why the best communicators don't rely on one script—they learn to read the room.

Designed for beginner and intermediate sales professionals who want to take their craft to the next level, this episode examines how behavioral psychology influences communication and why understanding different personality styles leads to stronger conversations, greater trust, and better business outcomes.

In this episode, you'll learn:
• Why one communication style doesn't work for every customer
• How behavioral psychology affects decision-making and conversation preferences
• How to recognize different communication styles within the first few minutes of a meeting
• Why adapting your communication builds credibility without sacrificing authenticity
• Practical role-playing examples that show the difference between reacting and responding professionally

JB shares real-world stories from his time at Interstate Advanced Materials, where technical conversations with engineers and purchasing professionals required adapting to different personalities and communication preferences. He also discusses lessons learned through Kearney Business Solutions and Brock Industrial Process, where consulting with freight, technology, and business clients reinforced that every customer values information differently.

Recommended reading for this episode includes:

📚 Everybody Communicates, Few Connect by John C. Maxwell

📚 Inclusive Conversations by Mary-Frances Winters

Both books provide valuable insight into creating meaningful connections, understanding different perspectives, and becoming a more effective communicator in business and leadership.

This week's challenge encourages listeners to observe—not just what customers say—but how they communicate. By recognizing communication styles and adapting accordingly, you'll begin building stronger relationships and more productive sales conversations.

If this episode helps you become a more adaptable communicator, please leave a review, share the episode with another sales professional, or send JB your questions for a future episode.

Learn more:
www.brockip.com
www.krhpropertygroup.com

Email:
support@brockip.com
jb@krhpropertygroup.com

Remember...

Products can be copied.
Services can be matched.
Prices can always be undercut.

But there is only one you.

YOU are the Million Dollar Deal.

🎙️ NEW PODCAST EPISODE | Episode 15

Stop Sounding Like a Salesperson - Communicating Like a Trusted Advisor

After more than 28 years in professional sales, one lesson has stood out above all the others:

Customers don't want to be sold-they want to be understood.

Whether I was managing national corporate accounts in manufacturing, supporting logistics clients, working in mission critical power systems, consulting with growing businesses, or helping property owners solve operational challenges, I found that the best conversations never felt like sales presentations.

They felt like two professionals working together to solve a problem.

In this episode of YOU Are the Million Dollar Deal, I share how to shift from sounding like "just another salesperson" to becoming a trusted advisor customers genuinely want to work with.

You'll learn:
✔️ Why customers resist being "sold" and respond better to guided conversations
✔️ The psychology of Psychological Reactance and how it affects buying behavior
✔️ How to replace sales pitches with meaningful conversations
✔️ Real-world lessons from my experience at Graphic Products and Kearney Business Solutions/Brock Industrial Process
✔️ Rookie vs. Professional role-playing scenarios you can apply in your very next customer meeting

📚 Recommended Reading
• The Trusted Advisor by David H. Maister, Charles H. Green, and Robert M. Galford
• The Memo by Minda Harts

Both books reinforce the importance of trust, authentic communication, and building long-term professional relationships that extend far beyond a single transaction.

💡 This Week's Challenge:
During your next five customer conversations, replace one statement with one question. Instead of leading with what your company does, lead with curiosity about your customer's situation. Pay attention to how the conversation changes when your goal is to understand before being understood.

🎧 I'd love to hear from you:
What's one phrase you've stopped using because it sounded too "salesy," and what do you say instead?

Leave a comment, share the episode with another sales professional, or send me a DM. Your experiences may inspire a future episode.

🌐 www.brockip.com
🌐 www.krhpropertygroup.com

#SalesLeadership #B2BSales #SalesTraining #BusinessDevelopment #YouAreTheMillionDollarDeal

Episode 14: Preparation Wins Before the Meeting Begins

What if the sale is won before you ever walk into the meeting?

In Episode 14 of YOU Are the Million Dollar Deal, JB Bloom explores one of the most overlooked competitive advantages in professional sales: preparation. While many sales professionals spend hours perfecting their presentations, the most successful professionals invest their time understanding their customers before the first conversation even begins.

Drawing on more than 28 years of professional sales experience across logistics, manufacturing, safety and health, mission critical power systems, software as a service (SaaS), finance, and property management, JB shares practical strategies that help beginner and intermediate sales professionals take their craft to the next level.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why preparation creates confidence before you ever meet a prospect.
• How preparation influences the way customers perceive your professionalism and expertise.
• The psychology behind first impressions and why being prepared immediately builds credibility.
• Five areas every salesperson should research before a meeting.
• How customized questions create stronger conversations than generic presentations.

JB also introduces the Halo Effect, a psychological principle explaining how people often form an overall opinion of someone based on their first impressions. By arriving informed, organized, and prepared, you establish trust and competence before discussing your product or service.

You'll hear real-world examples from JB's experience at M.C. Dean, where preparation was essential for managing mission critical power projects involving vendors, procurement, technical specifications, and customer requirements. You'll also learn how researching customers while working in logistics helped uncover operational challenges, improve conversations, and shorten sales cycles by demonstrating a genuine understanding of each prospect's business.

This episode includes practical role-playing examples that compare common rookie mistakes with more effective, professional approaches. You'll hear examples of what not to say during discovery meetings, along with better questions that demonstrate preparation, curiosity, and credibility.

Recommended reading for this episode includes:

📚 The First 90 Days by Michael D. Watkins - A practical guide to preparation, strategic thinking, and understanding organizations before taking action.

📚 The Unspoken Rules by Gorick Ng - An insightful look at the professional habits, preparation, and unwritten expectations that help high performers stand out and accelerate their careers.

This week's assignment challenges you to spend at least 20 minutes researching your next three prospects before your meetings. By preparing customized questions and identifying likely business challenges, you'll discover how preparation transforms the quality of your conversations and the confidence you bring into every opportunity.

If this episode helps you improve your sales preparation and customer conversations, please leave a review, share the episode with a colleague, or send JB your questions for a future episode.

Connect with JB:
🌐 www.brockip.com – Helping businesses improve sales systems, lead generation, business development, and operational performance.

🌐 www.krhpropertygroup.com – Professional property management focused on operational excellence, communication, and protecting real estate investments.

📧 support@brockip.com

📧 jb@krhpropertygroup.com

Until next time, remember...

Preparation builds confidence. Confidence builds trust. And trust builds opportunity.

YOU are the million dollar deal.

Episode 13: Asking Better Questions That Reveal Hidden Opportunities

The best salespeople don't have all the right answers—they ask the right questions.

In Episode 13 of YOU Are the Million Dollar Deal, JB Bloom explores one of the most valuable skills every sales professional can develop: asking thoughtful, intentional questions that uncover customer needs, reveal hidden opportunities, and build lasting trust.

Drawing from more than 28 years of professional sales experience across logistics, manufacturing, safety and health, mission critical power systems, software as a service (SaaS), finance, and property management, JB explains why great sales conversations are driven by curiosity rather than persuasion. This episode is designed specifically for beginner and intermediate sales professionals who want to take their craft to the next level by improving how they communicate, diagnose problems, and lead meaningful customer conversations.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why questions are more powerful than presentations.
• How curiosity changes the psychology of a sales conversation.
• Why customers often reveal the real opportunity only after being asked thoughtful follow-up questions.
• The difference between asking surface-level questions and uncovering the root problem.
• Five powerful questions every sales professional should add to their toolkit immediately.

JB also introduces the psychology of curiosity, explaining how thoughtful questions increase engagement, lower resistance, and encourage customers to actively participate in the buying process instead of feeling like they're being sold.

You'll hear real-world examples from Interstate Advanced Materials, where asking engineers and purchasing professionals better questions often uncovered more effective material solutions than what they originally requested. JB also shares examples from software as a service (SaaS), demonstrating how prospects frequently ask for software when the real challenge is inconsistent processes, poor communication, or weak operational systems.

For the first time in the series, this episode also includes realistic role-playing exercises that compare common rookie mistakes with more effective professional responses. You'll hear examples of what not to say when prospects tell you they're happy with their current supplier, think your pricing is too high, or say they're "just looking." JB demonstrates how asking better questions can keep conversations moving without creating pressure or resistance.

Recommended reading for this episode includes:
📚 We Need to Talk: How to Have Conversations That Matter by Celeste Headlee, a practical guide to becoming a better listener and communicator through genuine curiosity and meaningful dialogue.

📚 The Art of Gathering by Priya Parker, which explores how intentional conversations create stronger relationships, deeper engagement, and memorable interactions—principles that apply just as much to sales as they do to leadership.

This week's assignment challenges you to replace presentations with purposeful questions by asking at least three additional follow-up questions during your next five customer conversations. You'll discover firsthand how better questions lead to better conversations—and ultimately, better results.

If this episode helps you improve your communication and sales conversations, please leave a review, share it with a colleague, or send JB your questions for a future episode.

Connect with JB:
🌐 www.brockip.com
🌐 www.krhpropertygroup.com

📧 support@brockip.com
📧 jb@krhpropertygroup.com

Because at the end of the day...

YOU are the million dollar deal.

What if the most powerful sales skill isn't speaking—it's listening?

In Episode 12 of YOU Are the Million Dollar Deal, host JB Bloom explores one of the most overlooked skills in professional sales: the ability to actively listen. Drawing from more than 28 years of experience in logistics, manufacturing, safety and health, mission critical power systems, software as a service (SaaS), finance, and property management, JB shares why listening has consistently been one of the greatest competitive advantages throughout his career.

Designed for beginner and intermediate sales professionals looking to take their craft to the next level, this episode goes beyond traditional sales techniques to examine how listening builds trust, uncovers hidden opportunities, strengthens relationships, and ultimately leads to better business outcomes.

You'll learn:

• Why listening is one of the fastest ways to build credibility.
• The difference between hearing a customer and truly understanding them.
• How asking thoughtful follow-up questions uncovers needs customers may not initially express.
• Why silence can become one of the most valuable tools in your sales conversations.
• Five practical habits that will immediately improve your communication skills.

JB also explains the psychology behind active listening by introducing concepts from Humanistic Psychology and Cognitive Psychology, helping listeners understand why people naturally trust those who make them feel heard and understood.

Real-world examples from Interstate Advanced Materials demonstrate how listening to engineers and purchasing professionals often uncovered better technical solutions than simply quoting the product requested. Additional lessons from Amazon highlight how effective listening improves teamwork, operational efficiency, safety, and decision-making in fast-paced environments.

This week's recommended reads are:

• We Need to Talk: How to Have Conversations That Matter by Celeste Headlee
• The Memo: What Women of Color Need to Know to Secure a Seat at the Table by Minda Harts

Each author provides valuable insights into communication, relationship-building, curiosity, empathy, and authentic leadership—essential skills for every sales professional.

As always, you'll receive a practical weekly assignment designed to help you immediately apply what you've learned in your own sales conversations.

If you're ready to improve your communication, build stronger client relationships, and become the kind of sales professional customers genuinely enjoy working with, this episode is for you.

I'd love to hear your thoughts. Leave a review, share the episode with a colleague, send me a DM on LinkedIn, or email me directly at support@brockip.com or jb@krhpropertygroup.com.

Learn more about my businesses:

• Brock Industrial Process -Sales systems, lead generation, business development, and operational improvement.
• KRH Property Group - Professional property management focused on operational excellence, tenant communication, and protecting real estate investments.

Until next time, I wish you much success—and remember…

YOU are the million dollar deal.

Episode 11: The Psychology of Decision Making - Why Customers Really Say Yes

Why do customers say "yes"... and why do they hesitate?

Many sales professionals believe better presentations, more product knowledge, or lower pricing are the key to winning business. Behavioral psychology tells a different story.

In Episode 11 of YOU ARE THE MILLION DOLLAR DEAL, Jason Brock explores the psychology behind human decision making and why confidence—not pressure—is what ultimately moves people to take action.

Drawing from nearly 30 years of experience in manufacturing, fabrication, engineered performance plastics, logistics, mission-critical power systems, software technology, business development, and property management, Jason demonstrates how understanding behavioral psychology can transform the way you sell, negotiate, lead, and communicate.

In this episode you'll discover:

• Why people make emotional decisions before they justify them logically
• The psychology of Loss Aversion and why avoiding loss is often more motivating than pursuing gain
• How Decision Fatigue causes customers to delay or avoid decisions
• The role of Cognitive Ease and why clarity creates confidence
• A practical 5-Step Decision Confidence Framework you can begin using immediately

Jason also shares real-world examples from Brock Industrial Process, illustrating how many companies mistakenly believe they need more leads when the real issue lies in inconsistent follow-up, communication, or sales processes. You'll also hear a property management case study from KRH Property Group demonstrating how reframing conversations around long-term value and risk management helps owners make better investment decisions.

Featured reading this week includes:

📚 Melody Wilding – Managing Up

📚 Daniel Pink – To Sell Is Human

Whether you're launching a career in sales or you're an experienced professional looking to elevate your communication and leadership skills, this episode provides practical psychological principles you can begin applying immediately.

Complete the Decision Journal for seven days by evaluating one important decision you made each day. Identify the emotions involved, the facts that supported your decision, and whether you were motivated more by avoiding loss or pursuing opportunity.

If this episode provides value, please:

• Follow the podcast
• Leave a review on Spotify
• Share this episode with a colleague or friend
• Send your questions or future topic ideas

📧 support@brockip.com

📧 jb@krhpropertygroup.com

Learn more about our work:

Brock Industrial Process - Business Development, Sales Strategy, Operations & Growth

KRH Property Group - Professional Property Management & Real Estate Operations

Remember...

People don't simply buy products—they buy confidence in the decision they're making.

And at the end of the day...

YOU are the million dollar deal.

What separates average salespeople from elite sales professionals?

It's not product knowledge.

It's not charisma.

And it's certainly not the ability to deliver the perfect pitch.

It's curiosity.

In Episode 10 of YOU ARE THE MILLION DOLLAR DEAL, host JB Bloom explores the psychology behind curiosity and why the most effective sales professionals, leaders, negotiators, consultants, and business owners learn to diagnose before they prescribe.

Drawing from nearly 30 years of professional experience across manufacturing, fabrication, engineered performance plastics, health and safety, logistics, mission-critical power systems, software technology, business development, and property management, JB breaks down how great communicators uncover the real problem hiding beneath the symptoms customers initially present.

Listeners will learn the psychology behind:

• Curiosity and information gaps
• Self-discovery psychology
• Confirmation bias
• Diagnostic communication
• Active listening
• Motivational interviewing
• Trust-building through questions
• Why people commit more deeply to conclusions they discover themselves

This episode features real-world examples from JB's experience working with software and business process challenges through Titan Coding as well as property management and maintenance diagnostics through KRH Property Group. These practical case studies demonstrate how asking better questions often reveals that the stated problem is not the actual problem.

For example:

A customer may say they need more leads.

But through curiosity and diagnostic questioning, the real issue may be poor follow-up systems, weak qualification processes, inconsistent communication, or operational bottlenecks.

Similarly, a tenant may report a strange odor in a bathroom, but deeper investigation reveals hidden moisture intrusion, ventilation failure, plumbing defects, or mold conditions that would otherwise go unnoticed.

This episode introduces a simple yet powerful "5 Questions Framework" that listeners can begin using immediately in sales conversations, leadership situations, customer service interactions, business development meetings, negotiations, and even personal relationships.

This week's recommended authors reinforce the power of curiosity, coaching, communication, and human connection:

Priya Parker
Author of The Art of Gathering, a powerful exploration of creating meaningful conversations and purposeful interactions.

Michael Bungay Stanier
Author of The Coaching Habit, one of the most practical books available on improving communication by asking better questions.

Whether you're new to sales or an experienced professional looking to sharpen your communication, leadership, and influence skills, this episode provides actionable tools that can immediately improve the quality of your conversations and the results you achieve.

Take the Curiosity Challenge:

For seven days, ask at least three follow-up questions before offering advice, recommendations, or solutions. Track what you learn, what assumptions were incorrect, and how deeper questioning changes the outcome of your conversations.

If this episode brought value to you:

• Follow the podcast
• Leave a review on Spotify
• Share this episode with a colleague, friend, or team member
• Comment with your biggest takeaway
• Send your questions, challenges, or future episode ideas

📧 support@brockip.com
📧 jb@krhpropertygroup.com

Learn more about business development, sales systems, operational improvement, leadership development, and property management at:

Brock Industrial Process

KRH Property Group

Remember:

The best salespeople don't have the best answers. They ask the best questions.

And at the end of the day...

YOU are the million dollar deal.