Spark Session: Sales + Tech

Great sales conversations create opportunities—but systems are what turn those opportunities into revenue.

In this episode of The Spark, Jay Kozar and Kendra Morvillo sit down with sales leader and Sandler trainer Robert Perry to discuss how businesses can combine proven sales methodologies with technology, automation, and AI to create scalable growth.

Robert shares lessons from more than 20 years in sales, including how Sandler training helped shorten his sales cycle, why most salespeople fail in their follow-up efforts, and how CRM systems, automation, and buyer intent data can help teams work smarter and close more business.

The conversation also explores personal branding, LinkedIn content strategy, AI tools for sales professionals, and the importance of leadership involvement when building high-performing sales organizations.

If you're looking to improve your sales process, leverage technology more effectively, and create a system for consistent growth, this episode is for you.

Topics Covered:
• Sandler sales methodology
• Sales systems and automation
• CRM best practices
• AI and buyer intent data
• Personal branding on LinkedIn
• Sales leadership and team development
• Growing revenue through existing clients
• Creating scalable sales processes

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Transcript

SPEAKER_03 0:00

Sales today isn't just about relationships. It's about relationships powered by tech and process. Today's special guest is going to talk to us about sales strategies, systems, and technologies that drive real growth. Welcome to The Spark.

SPEAKER_01 0:20

I am really, really excited for this conversation today because who doesn't love a good sales talk?

SPEAKER_03 0:26

I love a good sales talk.

SPEAKER_01 0:27

Everyone loves a good sales talk, right? We love talking about closing deals, uh landing prospects, growing revenue. But here's the reality you can have the perfect talk track, you can know exactly what to say, you can have the perfect sales process. But if you don't have the systems, the ability to follow up consistently, then you don't usually make it to the starting line, right?

SPEAKER_03 0:47

So today we're super excited to have our special guest, Robert Perry. In the house, who is a proven sales leader, has been in sales for over 20 years in the medical, professional sports, and construction management spaces, and has been training with Sandler for over six years now, including training me. I've also taken Robert's class. That's how we got here today. Um, and I want to hear a little bit about your background from you.

SPEAKER_00 1:15

Welcome. Well, thank you both for having me. Uh, it has been a tremendous ride. Uh my journey started working for Pfizer. And I would have thought that was the best training in the world, uniquely because they sent us away and for months and months and months, we had to learn the mechanism of action of drugs. And so you would think, hey, I've got all I need. And throughout the course of my journey, if you will, from sports engagement to construction management, I've had the unique opportunity to sell billions. So when my CEO suggested that we go to sales training, I my heart sunk. Could you not see the pelts on the wall? Could you not see some of the great things that I've done? Why would I possibly need sales training? But to be fair, and I tell that story to every one of the new clients that comes in through our doors, once I saw my sales cycle shorten, that's when I knew I had to lean into Sandler because it works. If you can shorten your sales cycle, then you get the opportunity to sell more faster. So that's part of my personal journey.

SPEAKER_01 2:23

Right on. You know, getting prepared for this, uh, knowing you, uh, hearing stories about you from Kendra and others, and then following you on social media, it became really clear to me that you spend a lot of time teaching people how to communicate, how to engage, how to shorten that cycle uh through the Sandler methodology. Um, you know, tell us if you if you can, please go a little more granular into the methodology, just so we're all understanding like how are you shortening that cycle? How are you helping people have better conversations?

SPEAKER_00 2:54

Well, the Sandler system is positioned to really start with communication. The whole concept is the psychology behind sales, not necessarily a technique or step to help you close faster. It's more how do we better communicate? And through that communication with prospects and existing clients, how do we qualify better? How do we ask better, engaging questions so that we can get to some of the emotional areas that need to be um determined in order to have a relationship? And from that emotional step point, we need to figure out what are clear next actionable steps that we need to have in sales so that we can move forward.

SPEAKER_01 3:36

Okay, got it. Um definitely great insight. Um, I think us all sitting here would agree that you know the conversations, understanding the emotional state, uh, buying criteria, having better conversations is half of the battle. Now, the other half is systems-wise, utilizing technology. Um, that's where we're seeing companies have growth. We're seeing individuals perform, have record years, is where uh they they understand they're having intelligent conversations, but then they have systems in place to automatically follow up with prospects to like provide the right content at the right time and they're buying where they are on their journey. Um, can talk to us a little bit about technologies that that you're familiar with that help you and help your clients in to accomplish what they're trying to do.

SPEAKER_00 4:23

So, specifically with regards to certain tech stacks, if you will, that I personally use, uh overall, I think the goal here is technology is not going to replace the human element that we have. And that's the big fear out there. What technology does is amplify the sales process. So companies who reach out to our for our services, even yours, are really looking for the human element. It's the tech stack that amplifies it and moves it faster so that we can close deals better. So, from a personal aspect, certainly I've got a CRM system. I personally use Zoho. And a CRM system is not supposed to be a repository of information. That was the bill of goods sold to us, and I hate to age myself, maybe in the latter 90s, early 2000s, to create a library of information of whom you've been talking to. A CRM system really should be scheduling tasks and activities forward to further amplify the conversations you're having. Another area is using something like Zoom info. As far as um prospecting, trying to engage new clients, research, find out more information, the technology that's available today is phenomenal. And it really can compile lists and database faster than anything out there.

SPEAKER_01 5:51

I'm gonna age myself and say like I still use the Yellow books, Yellow pages, right? But I mean, that's really I mean that that was one of my first jobs. I remember here you go. I threw it on the table and I was like, go through these letters. All right, well, find an automotive company here and write that down and you know, get the rotary phone and go. But you're right, uh platforms like Zoom Info for prospecting make it a lot easier.

SPEAKER_00 6:13

And then lastly, from an AI perspective, I think, yeah, um, we all got on the ChatGPT bandwagon early just to kind of figure out hey, what is this thing and how can this be incorporated into my life? But I gotta tell you, right now, today, Claude has blown by Chat GPT and don't get me in trouble with my other services that I pay for. Yeah, right, right. But from that amplification that we're looking for, the creativity of getting new information together, but also tying it with your CRM. So now I can really pinpoint some of the verticals that I want to sell to, and I can use these all together. And you know, I don't want to be a representative for Claude, but honestly, that's what it's presenting us and providing us today.

SPEAKER_01 6:56

We're always looking for opportunities to gain sponsors. So, Claude, decision makers, if you're listening, yeah, please reach out. We would love to have a conversation.

SPEAKER_03 7:04

So you're with Zoho, you also use Zoom Zoom Info to get leads, then you're populating your content with Claude. And are you you're doing workflow automations and mostly through email? Are you you still doing calls? What are you doing?

SPEAKER_00 7:20

It's a combination of uh dials and emails. And from a work perspective, I believe in your world and mine, when you're trying to create new business as well as expand opportunities with existing clients, and outreach is the same, email or dial, but we can't rely on one versus the other. It is a combination of both. And when I work with our clients, I put in a nine plus step approach for outreach. And the purpose of that is because statistically, it takes about eight point four times of outreach in order just to get some meaningful feedback from the people we're prospecting to. Typical sales individuals, people who are reaching out for new business, they quit after 2.2 times.

SPEAKER_01 8:08

Oh wow. Okay.

SPEAKER_00 8:09

So if you're gonna reach out eight to nine times, you have to have a cadence and a system to uh how you're going to create that outreach.

SPEAKER_01 8:18

Yeah, I like what uh to go back to something you said earlier, uh, how technology is amplifying right what you've taught already. It's amplifying the message, it's amplifying uh your offering. And again, I think part of that automation part is like truly getting to them at the right time. Yes. Right when they're in their their big time of need, getting that in front of them to be timely. And I think a lot of those touches then equals um brand recognition, right? Um, so maybe I didn't respond to your first five emails, but now I have this thing and now you're in front of me again. Oh, maybe we're starting to connect dots, right? Psych psychologically.

SPEAKER_03 8:53

So as far as your maintenance of this CRM, because I'm sure you're talking to a lot of people, you're looking at a lot of different groups. What do you see as your best practices to make sure that you know all those touches that have already happened and what they thought? Because Stanler's a lot about that relationship and finding out their pain points, right? And talking to their troubles. So, how are you tracking all that in your CRM?

SPEAKER_00 9:17

I would suggest to anybody who has a CRM, speak with your CRM administrator. And my thoughts on technology, it's only as good as the inputs. Meaning, if we can tell the machine to do what we want it to do, it will do it. So, therefore, all of you individuals who have CRM systems out there, call your administrator and say, hey, if I place a call or an outreach into my system today, I would like it to create a task forward for me, be it seven days, be it 14 days. So that when I turn my computer on 14 days from now, I open it up. There's a list of tasks already ready for me. And so when I walk into my office the first thing in the morning, I don't have to sit there and create a to-do list. I don't have to figure out, hey, what's Robert gonna do today? It the systems is already in place because I've leveraged technology.

SPEAKER_03 10:10

So did you hook everything into your quad yet and have it give you the stand-up? Right now I'm doing that transition.

SPEAKER_00 10:17

Once again, to be fair, there's a couple other relationships I have out there with a credit card.

SPEAKER_01 10:21

So you're not scared of relationships and commitment.

SPEAKER_00 10:23

Yeah, no. But but I am afraid to breaking up. I'm afraid of breaking up.

SPEAKER_01 10:27

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 10:27

And that's kind of what I'm saying.

SPEAKER_01 10:28

Yeah, I usually I use the analogy the other day uh to date us a little bit more. Um, when MySpace wasn't as fashionable anymore, and I had a Facebook account. I felt like I was cheating on MySpace with Tom. Yeah. And I was like, oh, great. That's it. Tom was a good one. Yeah, right.

SPEAKER_03 10:43

All right. So what when you see how the people that you're training, because mostly you are talking about how they're selling and how they're talking to their prospects, but what do you see as like common holes in their processes outside of that, like maintaining all of those relationships and that visibility on those relationships?

SPEAKER_00 11:03

Oftentimes there is a challenge around certain techniques. So companies reach out for our services, one, because they want to learn how to close faster or do something better or whatnot. We've found in order to leverage relationships, communication with tech stacks, it has to be affiliated with what is the strict or outreach that you want to have occur in your business? How do you want to grow your business and scale? What types of companies do you want to reach out to? Once we can identify that, and once again, I've already showed you my tech stack that helps me do that. We now have to figure out how then I can use technology as well as my systems in order to help drive decisions. Sales individuals, guys and girls, they're left out in the chasm of waiting for the prospect or the buyer to make a decision. Not sure when it's coming, but I'll wait it out. And then what we do is once we can start driving those decisions, we now have to maybe focus on another area. That being how do we protect and grow the business we already have?

SPEAKER_01 12:18

Yeah, our existing client base, right? That's they're already they're warm. They already pay you, they like you. Correct. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 12:24

So from leveraging, and I think technology has really helped us in this area, from leveraging from the outreach to the new new to the existing client base, that's how you're gonna maintain and grow what you already have.

SPEAKER_01 12:38

Yeah. Yeah, I think if you can grow your existing client base 15, 20% a year, you hit your number. There you go. Right. That's before even anything net new, anything that new that comes through the door, we're now we're really happy. Right now we're gonna hit stretch goals. Yes. Yeah, and I think I know that's that's where we are in our growth is like, how can we better communicate the things that we do? Because even as a marketing agency, this is just a peek behind the curtain. It's like we we could be better at like, hey, we do these things too. Yeah. Oh, I just thought you were a marketing company. Oh, but wait, you do AI enablement, right? You're gonna help me help me choose my tech stack, right? And it's like, and that's where we start, is uh is the foundation part. So that's what differentiated for us is that we start with like the technology conversation. Is it scalable, right? Um, do you know what a CRM is? Yeah, like these things, because if not, it's probably not gonna be a fit. If I can't, you know, if we can't do work and then show an ROI and like do attribution, it's not gonna be a fit. So, you know, we're looking, we're looking for cut clients and prospects to become clients who who want to invest in themselves, understand um the the wants and the need. Like they intrinsically they they want to grow, they want to scale and not just five percent year over year because that's how it's always been. No, we're we're looking for high growth folks, and that always starts in the technology conversation. But you know, speaking of technologies, AI, um, we mentioned it a little bit. Tell us how you're utilizing AI uh, you know, in your sales process now.

SPEAKER_00 13:57

Well, one of the areas uh I utilize AI is to research, number one, uh specific companies, but also to create a database of types of companies that I'm looking for. Uh I mentioned Claude. Claude has the ability to enable me to find out companies who are researching and looking for what it is I sell.

SPEAKER_01 14:18

Buyer intent.

SPEAKER_00 14:20

Buyer intent.

SPEAKER_01 14:21

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 14:21

And that can help narrow down my search in time spent by eons. Yeah. And it's provided you with names, contacts, information. So now I can directly pick up the phone because I know the compet the my competition, they're not picking up the phone.

SPEAKER_01 14:37

Right. So I also think one thing that's great about buyer intent. Like we've all been here in the sales process where you get a hold of somebody and they're like, I wish I would have talked to you three months ago. Yeah. I've been doing research and we just signed a contract. And it's like, well, let's keep in touch. Tell me how it goes for you. How's your implementation going? We're here to help. But yeah, like if we have buyer intent and if we're being smarter on the front end of the sales process, we can get there sooner.

unknown 15:00

Correct. Okay.

SPEAKER_03 15:01

Mm-hmm. All right. Should I move on to the last leg here?

SPEAKER_01 15:05

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 15:06

So totally kind of off topic for what we've been talking about. Uh, is your personal brand that you've been working on. So obviously we're a marketing agency, so we're paying attention to each other's feeds right now. Um, and you've been showing up a lot on LinkedIn in particular, is where I see you most actively. What led to you pursuing a more active position on LinkedIn?

SPEAKER_00 15:31

Well, I believe you can see from a lot of the work you're doing that people want the personal emotional touch. And so this whole conversation today was around AI, and that's not the necessarily the personal touch. So people still want to be engaged with human beings. And what looks more human than experiencing the element of where I am and what I'm doing? Yeah. I started out uh the concept of moving around Cleveland. I was featuring myself at the West Side Market in front of museums, buildings to feature Cleveland. Then I also tried to tie in a one of my favorite things to talk about because I'm from Youngstown, Ohio, is pizza. So I wanted to tie in pizza. So from a personal brand aspect, I wanted you to know I'm from Cleveland, Ohio, and I love pizza, and you can partner with me and we can walk this area together. Love it.

SPEAKER_03 16:28

Mm-hmm. So how so we try and get a lot of our clients to do this kind of thing too. So just start recording yourself. I know it's hard and that's awkward, but like first you just have to start. Just like this. Just like this. Yeah. Yes. It's still marginally awkward, but it's a lot easier than it was when we first started. Yeah. Um, how much time are you spending on your content?

SPEAKER_00 16:46

So the Ruby group um and my partners, we put together a plan that said, hey, look, we want to make sure we're producing at least eight videos per month.

unknown 16:56

Nice.

SPEAKER_00 16:56

There will be additional items that we'll put in our LinkedIn pages and other social media feeds, but we want to be specific about the number of uh outreaches we're doing. But also, secondly, what type of content and message should we put out? So a lot of this is scripted because we have an internal, internal uh marketing team that's very, very strong. Yeah. So we'd be blessed with that.

SPEAKER_03 17:18

Nice. And are you just just shooting these on the fly? Because that's how it feels.

SPEAKER_00 17:23

Don't say it like that.

SPEAKER_03 17:24

Yeah, right?

SPEAKER_01 17:25

It was a compliment.

SPEAKER_03 17:26

Yeah, it is a compliment. Yeah. It looks like you just pull it up and talk about it wherever you're walking.

SPEAKER_00 17:31

Well, the concept behind that was it appeared more real to me. At first, when I started out, I was almost reading the information. Yeah. And that did not feel like me. So very robotic. If I wanted people to partner with me, hey, walk along. I'm gonna mess up some lines. Right. It's gonna be totally real. Yeah. I might even, in fact, I think I got a comment once once that I said a word wrong.

SPEAKER_02 17:58

Oh no.

SPEAKER_00 17:59

And I responded back, thank you. I knew that, but I wanted a you know, nice cut online. So here it is.

SPEAKER_01 18:05

Authenticity matters. Yeah. Yeah. And we talk a lot about it in our business, and it it does. And you know, as somebody who watches your social media, uh loving it because it is authentic.

SPEAKER_03 18:15

Yeah. Um, here's the here's the big tough question that we get asked all the time about because we do we're doing the same thing, right? Yep. Has it led to any new business, do you think?

SPEAKER_00 18:23

Oh, absolutely yes. Great. I can tell you wholeheartedly I'm in a process right now where specifically the VP of sales reached out because of my LinkedIn videos and showed them to his CEO. And I'm in conversations now, and I have what's specific to this conversation, having clear futures, time and date on the calendar for next conversation. I have that actively right now. So it has. And I know all the stuff that you're doing has led to new business as well because I love your material.

SPEAKER_01 18:53

Well, thank you. Thank you. Um, yes, and it's always interesting because it's um it's the it's been going on forever. Like from a brand standpoint, we're like, well, we're gonna chalk that up to brand. And it's not always easy to draw a direct ROI. And we we answer to folks who want to know, like, hey, so did that, what did that turn into? So we're always uh we understand that question uh justifying that expense of time and everything. But you know, I I think that you know, brands build trust, and trust equals conversations, and conversations when you layer it with the systems and the timeliness that we're talking about can equal revenue. So it's great to this is totally unscripted, everyone. So uh we were really hopeful that you'd say, yes, this has turned into business. So that was awesome. Yeah, good.

SPEAKER_03 19:39

I also think it's kind of interesting, like what you're saying about using all these processes and tools, also building the personal brand, keeping that authenticity, but still using AI. Like you're you're absolutely right. It's something that we keep saying about how we're using AI in you have to in everything that you're doing, but you always have to keep in there and like make sure you're correcting your voice and and keeping control on it. You can't just let it loose.

SPEAKER_01 20:04

No. Not yet. Yeah. All right. Let's uh let's bring this home with some rapid fire. So let's do some rapid fire questions. It's the first time on this podcast. So uh our listener is gonna say, what where did this come from? But um I have to know, since I'm following yours, um uh you filmed in the barber shop. So I have to understand what is your cadence in the barber shop and how does your barber feel about it? Because I'm thinking about asking mine to participate as well.

SPEAKER_00 20:26

Well, you happen to ask a very timely question because as you can see here, there is no facial hair. Uh, and that occurred about a week ago before I left on an international trip to train some companies in Dublin, Ireland, Ireland. Um, my cadence was weekly. Weekly. Once a week. I had to keep it fresh and crispy because my clients will tell you when I started the journey about probably probably about three years ago, I didn't know what I was doing. Okay. I looked like the worst James Harden. In fact, when Kinder came in, yeah. She kind of, well, he's nice, but his beard's all over the place.

SPEAKER_01 21:03

So okay, got it. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 21:05

All right. Uh, what is your favorite piece of advice for a salesperson?

SPEAKER_00 21:12

Favorite piece of advice for a salesperson is probably lean into whatever you're doing. Meaning you have to have a little bit of courage because this is a violent sport we're in as far as sales. You're gonna get a heck of a lot of no's. So lean into those no' so that you can get the yes.

SPEAKER_03 21:33

I like that.

SPEAKER_01 21:34

Yeah. What is one thing uh you think businesses should fix in their organizations right now? What do you see when you when you're working with your clients that you see a cross or you see a you know a trend here? Um, what what should businesses stop doing?

SPEAKER_00 21:47

Businesses, um, I think when they invest in their people, and I'm taking and giving you this perspective from what I do, uh it has to come from top down, meaning I won't train or work with companies that the leadership is not going to go through training. Because if you're just trying to pay for people to come through our program, essentially you might have identified an area that's not really causing you problem, but you think by throwing money at it. So the companies that partner with the Ruby Group, I gotta tell you, the ones who've been with us upwards of 13 years are because their leadership leans in and participates in the program. Got it.

SPEAKER_03 22:26

Yeah, that makes a lot of sense. And then the most important one what is your favorite style of pizza and where do you get it from?

SPEAKER_01 22:35

Put out a lot of pizza. Tough questions now, but now we're getting into it.

SPEAKER_00 22:39

So I will say this, and I hope I don't get in trouble with some of the pizza in Northeast Ohio. Yeah. As I stated, I'm from Youngstown, Ohio. We think we have the best pizza in Northeast Ohio and Cleveland. I would say the Ilrion is number one, but you can't necessarily put it up against a, I don't know, an Angel's because they're two different types of crusts, a little bit thicker. So I don't classify them all together. You have your Neapolitan wood-fired ones, you have your thicker ones, and then the question I always ask, and Kendra wait. I asked her this when she first came into my room. Give me a pizza shop that you would recommend to a friend. My only stipulation is it cannot be commercial pizza.

SPEAKER_01 23:23

Yeah, no change.

SPEAKER_00 23:24

And it has to be less than three locations. Because I really want that mom and pop feel.

SPEAKER_01 23:29

Yeah, no, I'd rather support those businesses anyway. Yes. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 23:34

Okay. That's all we got.

SPEAKER_01 23:35

That's all we got.

SPEAKER_03 23:36

Yep.

SPEAKER_01 23:36

All right. Um, I guess we'll try to close this up now. Yep. Um, say it with me. If you build it, they will come. Everybody recognize that one. I know it's baseball season. Uh, but if you build the system, if I think if you show up consistently and if you're timely, that's how organizations will grow. So if we're incorporating everything you're teaching, yes, right. And if we're gonna uh have better conversations and then we're gonna layer the technology stack so that we're interacting with prospects at the right time, that that's gonna equal growth and revenue growth. Um so happy that you're able to join us today. You accepted the invitation uh to sit in the hot seat with us. Uh go ahead and give your plugs, tell people where to find you uh so they can find you on social media and how can they reach out, and then uh after that, I'll bring us home.

SPEAKER_00 24:17

My name is Robert Graham Perry, as you know from the last hour, basically. Uh I work with Sandler Sales Training. Our franchise is called the Ruby Group, located in Fairlawn, Ohio. Feel free to reach out to me via LinkedIn or on my cell, 216-650-6522.

SPEAKER_01 24:36

Excellent. All right. Special shout out, Robert. Thank you so much again for joining us today. And as always, everybody, you should know how to get a hold of us. Like, comment, subscribe. This is the part I butcher, but we're gonna spark a conversation. Let's have a good let's have a talk and we'll figure out how we can grow together. Take care.