{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"The Authentic Sales Manager","title":"Side by Side Authentic Leadership: Getting in the Trenches with Your Sales Team -Stephen Menendez ","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":2198,"description":"In this energetic episode of the Authentic Sales Manager Podcast, host Harry Spaight welcomes Stephen Menendez, Head of Sales at Strety. Stephen shares his philosophy on \"backing into management,\" evolving from a top-performing individual contributor to a servant leader who prioritizes the emotional well-being and growth of his team.\nThe conversation explores why top reps don't always make the best managers and the critical role of curiosity in the discovery process. Stephen provides a raw look at \"leading from the bullpen,\" including how he uses his own recorded mistakes to build a culture of humility and continuous improvement. The episode concludes with a look at the importance of personal recharge through creativity and the timeless truth that in an AI-driven world, people still buy from people.\n\nKEY TAKEAWAYSAuthenticity as Energy: Being an authentic manager means being yourself and serving as the \"ultimate cheerleader\" to ensure your team leaves every meeting with a \"sparkle in their eyes\".The Management Trap: Being a top-performing rep is an entirely different skillset from management; true leaders are often those already coaching others before they ever get the title.Curiosity Over Scripts: In the discovery phase, curiosity is the most vital trait. A great discovery should feel like a natural conversation, not a mechanical list of questions.Objective-Based Management: Moving away from \"spreadsheet management,\" Stephan focuses on conversion rates and deal progression rather than just raw activity metrics.Leading in the Trenches: Authentic leaders don't stay in the corner office; they sit in the bullpen, run their own demos, and let their teams \"rip them to shreds\" by critiquing their recorded calls.High-ROI Training: Role-playing is one of the highest ROI activities for a manager, especially when training for \"worst-case scenarios\" to de-risk complex deals.Personal Recalibration: To stay upbeat in the \"rat race\" of sales, leaders must find a way to detach...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/3o1JSi5YPdTgam9tDK790T9gzdZSCoOd1bGJ8lZ6TxU/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS9hNjFl/ZTkyZjhhODJiZTRm/NjNlMzNlNjE3YWI3/NjcxZC5qcGc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}