In this episode, I sit down with Drew Sechrist, the former Salesforce veteran who helped take the company from zero to $1 billion. Now the CEO of Connect the Dots, Drew is on a mission to kill the cold call forever.

We discuss the "Osmosis Deficit" facing remote sales teams, why you can't close enterprise deals over Zoom, and the "LL Bean" lesson on solution selling that I learned in a shoe department. Drew explains why your network is the only moat you have left against AI, and how to transition from being a "contact collector" to a true "connector."

Key Findings:

• The "Osmosis" Effect: Junior sellers in remote environments are missing out on the passive learning that created the superstars of the 90s and 00s. Leaders need to manufacture these "hallway moments."

• The Deposit/Withdrawal Ratio: Successful networking requires a 99:1 ratio of giving help to asking for favors. If you try to "monetize" every interaction, your network will dry up.

• The "Dinner" Metric: Technology can get you the meeting, but it can't close the 7-figure deal. High-stakes sales still require high-touch, in-person trust building.

• Network Visibility: The biggest waste in sales is cold calling a prospect that your colleague (or board member) already knows. Tools like Connect the Dots are solving the "visibility" problem of relationship capital.

Memorable Quotes:

• "I wouldn't want to start my career now... I survived because of osmosis." — Drew Sechrist

• "I get paid in dopamine hits when I connect two people." — Drew Sechrist

• "You can't sell something you aren't interested in... I wasn't selling shoes; I was selling an experience." — Lee Levitt

• "If you are just an information kiosk, AI will replace you." — Drew Sechrist (Paraphrased)

Resources Mentioned:

• Connect the Dots: ctd.ai (Free for individuals to map their network)

• Book: The Third Door by Alex Banayan

• Book: The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell

• Concept: "The Jolt Effect" (Dixon/McKenna)

Call to Action:

• Map Your Network: Sign up for a free account at ctd.ai to see who you really know.

• Connect with Drew: Find Drew Sechrist on LinkedIn or email him at drew@ctd.ai.

• Subscribe: If you want to future-proof your sales career against AI, hit subscribe on Thoughts on Selling.

I've been saying for years that B2B selling is broken. Alex Raymond — founder of AMplify, author of The Growth Department, and host of Account Manager Secrets — thinks account management is broken too. So naturally we had a lot to talk about.

Alex has spent the last decade figuring out how companies can grow faster and more profitably through the customers they already have.

And the data he brings to this conversation is staggering.

• 73% of revenue comes from existing customers.
• 52% of net new revenue comes from existing customers.
• And nearly all profit — sometimes more than 100% — is generated post-sale.
• 
  

Yet most companies treat their post-sales teams like the JV squad. An inexperienced coach, ratty uniforms, smelly locker rooms. Then they wonder why things aren't working.

We get into why "recurring revenue" is a dangerous myth that gives executives a false sense of security, and why the handoff from sales to account management is where customer relationships go to die.

Alex shares his Keep, Grow, No Surprises framework and makes a compelling case that the real job of account management isn't running QBRs or chasing NPS scores — it's helping your company win.

One of my favorite parts is Alex's concept of "relentless curiosity" — meeting your customer as a human being, asking great questions without fishing for a specific answer, and staying in the question long enough to find what's really going on. We also get into Greg Daines's research showing that even $1 of measurable improvement is enough to get a customer excited about renewing — and that reporting negative results retains customers twice as long as not reporting at all.

If you're in sales, account management, customer success, or revenue leadership, this one will make you rethink where you invest.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• The math is wildly lopsided. 73% of revenue and nearly all profit come from existing customers, but most companies pour their investment into new business sales. Every point of NRR increase drives 13-16% in valuation growth over five years. The path to durable growth runs through the customers you already have.
• Recurring revenue is a myth. Subscription doesn't mean automatic. That assumption leads companies to underinvest in the people doing the hardest work — hiring less experienced people, giving them fewer tools, then wondering why retention suffers. In the early days of SaaS, we knew we had to earn it every month. That mindset needs to come back.
• Keep, Grow, No Surprises. Alex's framework: keep the customers sales brings in, grow the ones with the most potential, no surprises. NPS and CSAT are trailing indicators. The real job of account management is helping your company win.
• Relentless curiosity changes everything. Customers are inured to our discovery — they know the checklist is coming and give us the minimum to get off the phone. Instead, figure out what the world looks like through their eyes. What's on their boss's mind? Their board's mind? Ask without fishing. That's where expansion and real risks surface.
• Show even $1 of improvement. Greg Daines's data shows the threshold for renewal excitement isn't a massive ROI number — it's basically a dollar. Once customers see measurable progress, they imagine the path forward. Be precise about value. Don't let yourself or the customer off the hook with vague statements.

BOOKS MENTIONEDThe Growth Department — Alex RaymondThe JOLT Effect — Matthew Dixon & Ted McKennaThe Meaning Revolution — Fred KofmanThink Better — Tim HursonThe Four Agreements — Don Miguel RuizThe Fifth Agreement — Don Miguel Ruiz & Don Jose RuizTogether We Win — Lee Levitt (forthcoming)

FIND ALEXLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/afraymondWebsite: amplifyam.com

Share this episode with a coworker. Reach out at podcast.thoughtsonselling.com or book time at meet.aceleragroup.com

I recently sat down with Carole Mahoney, a self-described "hot nerd," author of Buyer First, and a woman on a mission to redeem the sales profession. Carole didn't start out loving sales; in fact, she started in marketing specifically to make salespeople obsolete. But she realized that to help small businesses grow, she had to embrace selling—not as a manipulation, but as a mechanism for change.

In this episode, we explore how she uses neuroscience and psychology to help sellers get out of their own way. We geek out on the similarities between hiking and sales (you can pack all the gear you want, but you still have to pivot when the trail changes), and why she believes the only difference between a good salesperson and a con man is intent.

Key Highlights & Takeaways:

• From Sheet Music to Improv: Carole shares her transition from being a musician who needed "sheet music" (a script) to embracing the "Yes, And" mentality of improv. We discuss why being present in the moment is more valuable than having the perfect answer prepared.

• The "Not About Me" T-Shirt: Carole literally made t-shirts for HubSpot reps that said "Not About Me" upside down, so they would be reminded every time they looked down that the sales call isn't about their product—it's about the buyer.

• How You Buy is How You Sell: We discuss the "cognitive behavioral" side of sales. If you are a shopper who needs to "think it over" and hunt for discounts, you will inevitably accept those same excuses from your prospects.

• The Manager Impact: Carole drops a massive stat from her analysis of 500,000 managers: Managers with negative beliefs about sales are 355% more likely to pass those on to their team, while those with supportive mindsets are 1,000% more likely to build high-performing teams.

• Hiring "Kristen" from the Restaurant: We bond over our shared love of hiring hospitality staff for sales roles. They know how to ask questions, read the room, and (like Kristen at Atlantic Fish Company) confidently recommend the tuna over the salmon.

Memorable Quotes:

• "I’m a nerd who likes to see constant growth... I love to leave things in a better state than I found them." — Carole Mahoney

• "The only difference between a good salesperson and a con man is intent." — Carole Mahoney

• "If you buy that way as a salesperson, you will sell that way as a salesperson." — Carole Mahoney

• "We share the sheet music, but we play the jazz." — Lee Levitt

The Bottom Line:Sales isn't about tricking people into doing things; it's about helping them make a change. Whether you are a "hot nerd" reading neuroscience papers or a waiter recommending the special, success comes down to curiosity, authenticity, and the ability to listen.

Call to Action:

• Read the Book: Pick up a copy of Buyer First to understand the psychology behind modern selling.

• Connect with Carole: Find her at UnboundGrowth.com or connect with "Carole (with an E) Mahoney" on LinkedIn.

• Subscribe: If you enjoyed this conversation, hit subscribe on Thoughts on Selling so you never miss an episode!