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Most salespeople learn to treat an objection like a surprise attack—something they must battle with logic the moment it happens. However, this reactive approach usually leads to "salesperson ping pong," an argument where nobody wins and the prospect eventually shuts down.

In this episode, hosts Jason and Jim Stephens break down the concept of "objection awareness." They discuss why veteran salespeople should never be surprised by a roadblock and how to stop relying on creative improvisation in favor of a "locked and loaded" plan that disarms pressure and keeps the sale moving.

KEY TOPICS COVERED

• The "Creative" Bookkeeper Analogy Jim challenges the common resistance to using scripts: the fear of being inauthentic. He asks listeners to imagine a bookkeeper who decides to be "creative" every time they open an account rather than following standard accounting principles. Just as you want a bookkeeper who follows a process, successful selling requires following a system rather than relying on personality or "winging it".
• Building Your Objection Playbook If you have been in sales for more than a year, you have likely experienced every obstacle you are ever going to face. Rather than reinventing the wheel every time a prospect says "no," Jim and Jason advocate for building a specific playbook with pre-planned, multiple-choice responses for positive, negative, and neutral scenarios.
• Systematic vs. Gregarious Selling Jason highlights a paradox in sales: the "gregarious, people-oriented" salesperson often struggles because they rely on their ability to improvise and "be genuine" rather than planning. Conversely, systematic people often adapt to Sandler faster because they are concerned with "not knowing what to do," forcing them to build a plan before they act.
• Reviewing the Game Tape Self-awareness is critical for growth. Jim shares his personal practice of reviewing video recordings of his Zoom sales calls to analyze his reactions under pressure. The camera doesn't lie, and reviewing these interactions helps eliminate nervous habits—like awkward laughter—that devalue the conversation.

CHALLENGE OF THE WEEK

This week, Jason wants you to audit your obstacles before your next set of sales calls.

Write down the three objections you hear most often. Do not try to solve them yet—simply list them. Once you see them on paper, they start being problems you can proactively plan for.

ABOUT THE SHOW Join hosts Jim and Jason Stephens from Crossroads Business Development as they discuss techniques, tactics, and the occasional tangent associated with the Sandler Selling System. Whether you are prospecting, negotiating, or closing, The Sandler Training Hour gives you the actionable advice you need to stop "winging it" and start controlling the sale.

The Sandler Training Hour Hosted by Jim & Jason Stephens | Crossroads Business Development

We help sales professionals stop apologizing for their process and start closing deals.

👉 Catch the latest episode: The Sandler Training Hour

"Keep learning, stay curious, and good luck out there.

Send us a text

You can have the perfect script and the perfect product, but if you don't have the agility to adapt to the market, you will lose the deal to the competitor who does. We often think technology is just about the tools, but it is actually about how you show up when the ground shifts beneath you.

In this episode of The Sandler Training Hour, Jim and Jason Stephens discuss the "Adaptability Quotient" and why the speed at which you embrace change distinguishes average reps from top performers. They explore the integration of AI not as a replacement for human connection, but as a tool to sharpen your skills in a risk-free environment.

Key Topics Covered:

The Rate of Change Axiom: Jim lays down a fundamental rule: If the rate of change within your organization is slower than the rate of change in the culture, you are going to be left behind. Being an "early adopter" offers a higher probability of success than being a laggard because delay simply gives your competition an advantage.

"Creative Accounting" & Just Starting: Jim shares a story about buying his first computer—a 256k model—and how his early attempts at digital ledgers were messy but necessary steps toward modernization. The lesson? You have to be willing to make mistakes. If you are waiting for the perfect path to appear, you are already too late.

Risk-Free Roleplay: One of the most powerful applications of AI is using it to practice Sandler strategies, like Upfront Contracts, without burning productivity. Practicing on a prospect is dangerous; practicing with a coworker costs company time. AI allows you to simulate objections from "skeptical" or "blunt" prospects so you can practice in a safe environment.

The Emotional Buffer: Jim reveals a personal "hack" for handling conflict. When he receives an email that makes him angry, he uses AI to rewrite his response. It removes the emotional undercurrents that might ruin a relationship and often provides a more effective, diplomatic solution than he would have consciously drafted.

Challenge of the Week:This week, Jim and Jason challenge you to audit your Internal Rate of Change. Identify one AI tool or future tech you have been ignoring because it feels uncomfortable. Spend just 20 minutes this week experimenting with it. Don't try to master it—just prove to yourself that you can adapt.

About the Show: Join hosts Jim and Jason Stephens from Crossroads Business Development as they discuss techniques, tactics, and the occasional tangent associated with the Sandler Selling System. Whether you are prospecting, negotiating, or closing, The Sandler Training Hour gives you the actionable advice you need to stop "winging it" and start controlling the sale.

The Sandler Training Hour Hosted by Jim & Jason Stephens | Crossroads Business Development

We help sales professionals stop apologizing for their process and start closing deals.

👉 Catch the latest episode: The Sandler Training Hour

"Keep learning, stay curious, and good luck out there.

Send us a text

Are you accidentally talking your prospects out of a good experience before they’ve even had it?

In sales, we often think we are building rapport by being "honest" about the tedious parts of our process. We say things like, "Okay, now comes the boring part—the paperwork," or "I'm sorry, this next step is a bit of a slog". We think we are managing expectations, but in reality, we are engaging in self-sabotage. We are literally selling the client on having a bad experience before it even starts.

In this episode of The Sandler Training Hour, Jim and Jason Stephens break down the concept of "Poisoning the Well". They explore why salespeople feel the need to qualify the experience negatively and how to shift your mindset to sell the commitment to the result rather than apologizing for the path to get there.

Key Topics Covered:

• The Assumption Trap: Just because you hate paperwork doesn't mean your prospect does. Jim shares a personal example regarding his wife, who actually enjoys filling out forms. When you apologize for a step in the process, you are making an assumption about the other person that may be flat-out wrong. Without intending to, you "telegraph" your own negative feelings onto the buyer.
• Selling the ROI, Not the Cost: Jason uses the example of Sandler assessments. These take 15 to 20 minutes to complete. An amateur salesperson warns the prospect that it is time-consuming. A pro sells the ROI on why that investment of time is valuable. If you feel apologetic about imposing requirements, you invalidate your own process.
• The "Amazon" Standard of Friction: We live in a culture that expects frictionless ease. Jim notes that even when we could buy something at the store, we order it on Amazon to get it "off the list". Salespeople must continuously critique their systems to ensure they aren't adding unnecessary friction.
• Mastery vs. The Comfort Zone: Mastery doesn't come from hitting a plateau and coasting; it comes from proactively challenging what you are doing. If you have done a process a thousand times, you might be on "autopilot," unaware that you are projecting boredom or resentment onto the client.
• Stop Mind-Reading: Jim highlights a common error where salespeople interpret a prospect's facial expression as rejection. The probability that their face means what you think it means is almost non-existent. Instead of assuming ("Oh no, they hate the price"), simply ask: "I can't help but notice your reaction—would you mind explaining what that means?".

Challenge of the Week:This week, Jim and Jason challenge you to perform a Language Audit on your sales conversations.

Ask yourself: What part of your process are you selling in a negative light?

• Are you telling prospects that your contract is "long"?
• Are you warning them that onboarding is "tedious"?

Catch yourself using these negative adjectives and stop. Your job is to lead them to the result, not warn them about the path.

About the Show: Join hosts Jim and Jason Stephens from Crossroads Business Development as they discuss techniques, tactics, and the occasional tangent associated with the Sandler Selling System. Whether you are prospecting, negotiating, or closing, The Sandler Training Hour gives you the act

The Sandler Training Hour Hosted by Jim & Jason Stephens | Crossroads Business Development

We help sales professionals stop apologizing for their process and start closing deals.

👉 Catch the latest episode: The Sandler Training Hour

"Keep learning, stay curious, and good luck out there.