Spotlight Interview With Senior Master Trainer and Sales Coach Brad Adams

Brad Adams: Master Sales Trainer And Professional Goofball

Brad Adams?is a Senior Master Sales Trainer and Master Sales Coach at Sales Gravy. In this Sales Gravy Spotlight Interview, Brad talks about how he got his start in sales, the highs and lows of his sales career, and his personal style as a sales coach.

A Day In The Life At Sales Gravy

As a Senior Master Sales Trainer, I teach about 250 to 500 sales professionals each week. I’m also one of the top salespeople at Sales Gravy. When I’m not training, I’m on discovery calls and putting together deals. I absolutely love sales and I’m passionate about helping people improve their sales skills.

Sales Origin Story

I got my start in sales when I graduated from the University of Georgia.?I started working for an international wholesale computer and cell phone distributor. At the time, I worked in the credit department, but I really wanted to make more money. That’s when I made the switch to a sales role.

I fell in love with the sales profession and have been dedicated to it ever since.

Brad’s Biggest Win And How He Got There

One of my biggest wins in sales was a big brand name company. I was working with the president of the company and we had already agreed on what he wanted. We laid out the scope. We even had a start date for training, but procurement got involved and almost derailed everything.

Because I had such a strong pipeline at the time, I was able to say,?“You know, if this doesn’t work out, this doesn’t work out. It will be okay.”?I went into our conversations with that kind of an attitude. Eventually, I was able to bend this person who had been a 27-year veteran of procurement to my will. I was able to convince them to comply with our terms and conditions in the contract.

It was an important win for me because not only did we get the deal that we wanted, but we also got it on our terms. I thought that deal was dead at least half a dozen times, but I also didn’t stress too much about it because I had so many other deals that were right behind it.

That’s the benefit of prospecting consistently to maintain a full pipeline, no matter what deals are already in the works. Because of that, I was in a great position to be able to negotiate while?maintaining confidence and emotional control. That was probably my favorite deal that I’ve ever closed.

How A Sales Coach Changed His Career Forever

One of the most critical lessons that I learned early on in my sales career comes back to this story. I was working really, really hard to be one of the best sales professionals at my organization. There were 400 of them, and I was ranked at about #175. I just couldn’t figure out how the very best sales reps got to where they were.

I had a mentor who coached me, and I was initially resistant to what he said.

He told me that I needed to focus on the top part of my customer base and get rid of the lower part of my customer base— those people who took so much time away from closing more business, from growing as a sales professional, growing my revenue, and getting to the top of the leaderboard.

Through this coaching, I was able to get rid of the lowest 25% of my clients and give them back to the house. I spent that time prospecting bigger customers who were a better fit for us.

By doing so, I quickly moved to the top of our leaderboard and stayed in the top five for the rest of my time working for that company. Without his coaching, I might never have achieved that goal.

Brad’s Sales Coaching Style

I’m someone who has been in the trenches. I can relate to people because I’ve walked a mile in their shoes. I’ve coached, trained, and managed, and I’ve changed the way people approach their sales funnels to make them fireproof.

I’m also a little bit of a goofball. When it comes to coaching, I’m not going to be a great fit for someone who’s super serious. I like to joke around and I like to have fun, but I’m also really quick on my feet. I can pivot easily and I can deviate from the plan if I see an opportunity to provide something that the client really needs.

How A Sales Coach Can Help You Reach Your Goals

If you’re a leader who was a great sales professional but you’re unsure how to become an impactful leader, I know how you feel. All too often, that’s what we do. We throw our best sales professionals into leadership roles and give them no training and coaching. I can help you?create systems for your team?that will help you get your team to where you once were as a sales professional.

I’ve worked with people that are 20 to 25-year sales veterans who didn’t think that they needed sales coaching. I have worked with younger people who were brand new in the sales world and showed them the path to reach their goals. If you have any desire to be better at your craft, I can help you get there.

If you liked this interview with Brad, schedule a coaching consultation with Brad to find out if he’s the right fit for you.?Click here to learn more about coaching and set up your first session today!