In this episode we bravely wade into the world of CRMs — not the most glamorous topic, but definitely one that can make or break your business sanity. We kick things off with a cautionary tale about mysterious contract clauses (spoiler: they weren’t included, but were somehow still binding?), before diving into the myth that picking the "right" CRM tool is the secret to sales success. Spoiler #2: it’s not.
We explore why your CRM should enable your team — not just generate pretty reports for the execs — and why bad implementation often starts with a tool and not your actual business needs. From Salesforce to Dynamics to HubSpot (and even a shoutout to Atomic Habits), we dish out practical, painfully-learned advice on how to make your CRM actually work for you.
Come for the tips, stay for the rants about unread contracts and self-built CRM nightmares.
In this episode, we kick off our new series on technology and tools by diving headfirst into the buzz (and occasional chaos) surrounding AI. From echoey mics to echo chambers of bad RFPs, we talk about the real-world applications, risks, and etiquette of using AI in business. Scott shares hard-won wisdom from the trenches of proposal hell, while Andy questions whether AI wrote that overly nice email you just got. We break down how to use AI responsibly, why business accounts matter, and the importance of keeping your human voice in a machine-assisted world. Come for the tech talk, stay for the rants.
In this episode, we go from nostalgic concerts to cold, hard conversions as we break down pipeline stages that actually move the needle. Spoiler: ticking boxes and wishful thinking won’t cut it. We riff on why your pipeline should be guided by buyer behavior (not your internal task list), how to avoid zombie deals haunting your CRM, and the magic of knowing when to walk away. Plus, Andy has a mini identity crisis after realizing our podcast is basically a touring rock band without the groupies.
Join us for laughs, practical insights, and a dash of midlife musical reflection as we help you tighten up your sales process without turning into a robot.
This week we go deep (well, as deep as we ever go) on target market analysis—or as we like to call it, “the thing that stops you from chasing every shiny object on the internet.” We unpack the difference between total addressable market (a.k.a. the fantasy) and actual target market (a.k.a. the people who might pay you this year).
Scott shares a cautionary tale from a Chicago business trip turned unexpected road trip to Toronto, and we both make the case for being in the room—yes, despite our love for comfy sweatpants and virtual calls. There's also some accidental relationship counseling along the way.
It’s messy, occasionally insightful, and exactly the level of seriousness you’ve come to expect.
We’re back and celebrating two whole years of Tea & Timbits! 🎉 And what better way to mark the occasion than by talking about one of the driest-yet-most-vital topics in business development: forecasting and pipeline management?
In this episode, we kick things off with a tale of boardroom betrayal and the ever-predictable rise of internal politics (spoiler alert: it doesn’t end with a contract). Then, we dive headfirst into the murky waters of sales forecasting. Is it useful? Is it theatre? Turns out... it's both.
We unpack:
Why most forecasts are a polite fiction
What actually makes a forecast useful (spoiler: it's not wishful thinking)
The critical link between past data, client insights, and reality-based projections
Why a well-weighted pipeline is your best friend
The danger of promoting deals just because someone said “let’s talk again”
Plus, we argue about percentages, reminisce about bad decisions, and resist the urge to turn this into a three-part forecasting saga (for now).
Whether you're a sales vet or just trying to get a handle on your numbers, this one’s got something for everyone—especially if you enjoy a bit of schadenfreude.
In this episode, we toss aside the spreadsheets and strategy decks to talk about something more primal—like whether we can still function after a Spartan race or a surprise Swedish frost. We explore how keeping your body moving (even if just to the fridge) can lead to a sharper mind, better leadership, and fewer contracts that make you want to cry in legalese.
We also poke fun at those hyper-polished health gurus and their “12-week miracle” programs that ignore little things like time zones, toddlers, and the trauma of delayed flights. Instead, we keep it real—hydration, walking, and the radical act of just not giving up. Plus, a heartfelt conversation about burnout, executive guilt, and why “just push through” is terrible advice.
Ever feel like your content plan is just a fancy spreadsheet collecting digital dust? In this episode, we explore why so many businesses struggle to build and stick to a content or branding strategy — and how to fix it before everything catches fire (metaphorically... hopefully).
We share a real-world example of a top-tier company that hit rock bottom due to a missing sales plan, zero accountability, and more Excel spreadsheets than actual action. From shock-and-awe interventions to brainstorming your way to 52 weeks of content in just 2 hours, we’ve got tips, tough love, and a few chuckles along the way.
Spoiler: Having a content calendar doesn’t mean anything if no one’s actually using it. Let’s change that.
In this episode, we dive into the thrilling (yes, thrilling!) world of personalization in business—how to nail it without making people feel like they're being followed by a marketing drone. We share tales from the trade show trenches, wrestle with the fine line between helpful and creepy, and explore how to read the digital tea leaves your prospects leave behind.
You’ll hear us break down:
Why being genuine beats being polished (slides out of order? Still gold!)
How to use website analytics without looking like a stalker
The three layers of personalization: Who, What, and When
Why it’s not just about getting the deal—the post-sale experience matters even more
Plus, the ever-reliable wisdom of “just be yourself,” even if you’re slightly frazzled and arriving late to a virtual recording. Classic us.
From Milwaukee trade show floors to global maritime boardrooms, we reflect on what it really means to know your audience—and why that tired phrase doesn't cut it anymore.
We chat about the power of segmentation beyond just industry buckets, the magic of micro case studies, and the real MVP of modern marketing: resonance. Plus, we spill the tea on how AI can help personalize messaging without sucking your soul dry.
If you’ve ever screamed into the LinkedIn void wondering why no one clicks your beautifully crafted content… this one’s for you.
In our (yes, we made it—cue the confetti!), we kick off our October theme: Content & Branding Strategies by diving headfirst into the wild world of mapping the buyer journey. If you’ve ever thrown up your hands mid-sales cycle yelling, “Why are they ghosting us?!”, this one's for you.
We reflect on our own trade show tales (some glorious, some...not), break down why most buyer journeys resemble spaghetti more than a staircase, and explore how to build a revenue-operating system that actually makes sense. We cover why cross-functional input is crucial, how AI tools can (actually) help, and why it’s not about your process—it's about theirs.
Spoiler: it’s messy, non-linear, and buyers change their minds 3.1 times on average. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll want to workshop your pipeline.
In this episode, we leap headfirst into fall — aka the “Business New Year” — and trade show season. We spill the beans on prepping for events, navigating awkward booth chats, and following up without sounding like a desperate ex. Andy shares a cautionary tale about a supplier who nose-dived from hero to horror story, reminding us all how fragile reputation can be. Meanwhile, we debate whether booking a follow-up at a cocktail party is charming or just weird. If you’re gearing up for conference chaos, this one’s for you.
It’s the Business New Year and we’re kicking things off with a globe-trotting topic—international expansion! This week, one of us is podcasting from a Polish hotel (with surprisingly good Wi-Fi), and we’re diving into the joys of taking your business beyond borders.
We unpack everything from AI-enhanced productivity to why blindly opening a foreign office is the corporate equivalent of ordering sushi at a gas station. You'll learn why your ideal buyer matters more than red tape, the pitfalls of hybrid models, and how to tell if a country is ready for what you're selling—or if they’d rather you just sell them newspapers.
If you’ve ever thought, “Let’s just go to Europe!”—stow your passport for a moment and listen up.
We’re back from our weather updates across the globe (you're welcome) to kick off the “Business New Year” with a bang—or at least with fewer bad pitches. In this episode, we dig into the surprisingly elusive art of customer experience and why your 20-slide company history isn’t winning you any deals.
Andy shares a story of a pitch so generic it could've been written by a chatbot in 2011, and we riff on how tailored value, consistency, and cross-functional support are the real MVPs of customer loyalty. We also dive into why renewal doesn't always mean contracts—it means relevance.
If you're looking for ideas on how to stand out without just shouting louder, this one’s for you.
We’re declaring September the Business New Year and kicking off Q4 like it’s January 1st — minus the gym membership guilt and broken resolutions. In this episode, we talk about how to reset after the summer slowdown, re-energize your team, and approach the last quarter with purpose and momentum.
Scott shares how a casual conversation with his wife turned into a full-blown account growth strategy (and a two-page template), while we both reflect on how September offers a clean slate — for planning, refocusing, and maybe even getting the team to cook something that doesn’t involve a microwave.
We unpack how to turn urgency into discipline, chaos into clarity, and Q4 into both a strong finish and a thoughtful start to the year ahead. It’s part cheerleading, part therapy, and part tactical checklist. Welcome to the Business New Year — bring your own Timbits.
In this episode, we take on the sometimes awkward, often misunderstood world of probationary periods. Are they necessary checkpoints or just a corporate commitment-phobe’s way of saying “it’s not me, it’s you”? One of us thinks they’re essential for building trust, the other thinks they’re a lazy crutch for indecisive leaders. Spoiler: it gets spicy.
We also share a hilarious cautionary tale involving a sales call, a window manufacturer, and a near-existential panic about phishing scams—because apparently, trying to be productive is now a security risk.
Whether you're hiring, being hired, or just trying not to get catfished by a Sales Prospecting vendor, this one’s for you.
In this episode of Tea and Timbits, we get a painfully relatable tale of legal déjà vu, where Scott finds himself buried in contract markup mayhem. Spoiler: ChatGPT didn’t save him, but it was close.
Then we shift gears and dive into the real meat: how to onboard new sales hires by fostering collaboration between sales, marketing, and finance. We explore why alignment isn’t just HR’s problem and how onboarding needs more than product knowledge—it needs a unified commercial culture. Plus, should marketing meet your new hire before they start? We debate it. Politely. Mostly.
In this episode of the T & Timbits podcast, we finally tackle the meat of hiring effective salespeople. After an onboarding-first approach in the last episode, we now shift focus to recruitment—and oh boy, it's not about just getting anyone through the door.
We talk about the critical (and often overlooked) difference between hiring for what someone has done versus what they can do in your business. There’s a deep dive into role plays, video applications, coachability tests, and how to sniff out the difference between a true sales hunter and someone who’s been coasting on team glory.
Along the way, we share an all-too-relatable music festival fiasco, celebrate the power of humility, and laugh at our own mental meetings (again).
Join us as we dig into filters, expectations, and why “just sell things” probably isn’t a solid job description.
This week, we ditched recruitment for a hot sec and dove headfirst into the wild world of onboarding. But not the “here’s your laptop, now good luck” kind — we’re talking mutual accountability onboarding. You know, that rare unicorn where both the company and the new hire actually know what’s going on.
We unpack the difference between ticking boxes and setting up humans to succeed, share a “we almost lost a client story” (don’t worry, it ends well), and explore how onboarding should be an ongoing conversation — not a one-and-done HR ritual. Whether you're hiring, being hired, or just nosy, this one’s got something for you.
In this bonus July episode, we explore what it means to live in a state of constant evolution (and how a flat tire can be surprisingly enlightening). From late-night roadside reflections to the business lessons hiding in market stagnation, we talk about shifting mindsets from doers to leaders, and operators to guides. It's part strategy, part therapy, and—let's be honest—part coping mechanism for when your growth chart flatlines. If you're wondering why your business feels stuck despite working harder than ever, this one's for you.
In this episode, we tackle the not-so-delicate balance between productivity and well-being—with a cold drink in hand and a not-so-healthy snack probably nearby. We reflect on how our physical habits (or lack thereof) affect our minds, our work, and our leadership. From beer-fueled guilt trips to dodging fast food temptations at youth baseball tournaments, we share personal stories and self-deprecating truths about finding moderation in the madness. Whether you're a leader trying to set a better example or just someone who forgot what a glass of water looks like, this one's for you. Spoiler: taking a solo cinema trip might just be the new spa day.