Podcast Summary: "The President’s Club Mindset | Inside the Behaviors, Beliefs, and Discipline of Elite Sales Performers with Bob Kocis"

Podcast: Revenue Builders
Hosts: John McMahon (Five-time CRO), John Kaplan (Force Management Co-founder)
Guest: Bob Kocis (COO at Apptium, Author of "The President’s Club Mindset")
Date: January 29, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode dives deep into the mindsets, behaviors, and disciplines that distinguish top-performing B2B sales professionals—those who consistently make it into the elusive President’s Club. Drawing on research for his book "The President’s Club Mindset," Bob Kocis shares insights gleaned from interviewing multiple perennial President’s Club winners. The conversation explores not just what these elite sellers do, but how they think—touching on resilience, curiosity, preparation, leadership, and coaching, with actionable tips for both sellers and sales leaders.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Core Characteristics of President’s Club Winners

• Attitude & Effort (02:00)

  • Elite performers “raise everyone around them” with a positive, energetic attitude. Effort is “contagious.”
  • Quote: “They have this way of having a positive attitude… the energy they bring when they enter a room… It’s contagious.” — Bob Kocis, 01:59

• Curiosity (02:45; 14:00)

  • A consistent trait among repeat winners is intellectual curiosity. They probe deeply to understand client problems without pushing their own agenda.
  • Quote: “They stayed curious, kept going deeper and deeper… unpacking what they were really solving for the client.” — Bob Kocis, 02:45
  • Agenda-free listening: “Be in the moment with the client… not having your own agenda at that moment.” — Bob Kocis, 14:00

• Resilience (03:41)

  • The ability to bounce back from rejection is vital.
  • Memorable Story: A Gong rep called Bob 16 times before he finally answered, eventually leading to a sale, proving persistence pays off.
  • Quote: “She called me 15 times and I did not answer… But the 16th time, I actually ended up buying…” — Bob Kocis, 04:17

• Proactive Selling (02:55, 41:50)

  • Top sellers “find ways to make things happen early” and anticipate what will be needed later in the sales process.
  • Example: Bob’s team at Ansys won a major deal by closing before the incumbent vendor’s contract was set to expire, catching the competitor off guard. (40:48–41:50)

• Collaboration & Leading Without Authority (05:42, 10:57)

  • Elite sellers quarterback resources, drawing people to their projects by building credibility and trust rather than relying on formal authority.
  • Quote: “They actually have no authority over them at all, but they just gravitate to them.” — Bob Kocis, 06:16

• Team Language vs. “I” Language (11:29)

  • Top sellers and leaders speak in terms of “we” and give credit to teams.
  • Quote: “Great leaders talk in terms of, ‘we did this, my team did that.’” — Bob Kocis, 12:27

2. How to Spot & Interview for These Traits

• Interview Questions (08:04)

  • Look for candidates who ask about building customer references and working with teams, not just about resources provided.
  • Ask candidates to recount how they broke into major accounts and what resources they leveraged (09:14).
  • Quote: “If you just look at their resume, you could think they did these big deals, when in reality they didn’t really do the deal.” — John McMahon, 09:14

• Look for Stories, Not Titles (09:55)

  • Probe for the candidate’s actual role and contribution in key deals.

3. Curiosity & Preparedness

• The Skill–and the Why—of Curiosity (15:08)

  • Buyers can sense if a salesperson is genuinely curious or simply following a script.
  • Preparation breeds curiosity—unprepared salespeople lack confidence to probe deeper.
  • Quote: “The best sellers, the work they put in… they prepare better than anybody else.” — Bob Kocis, 17:37

• Listening and Presence (15:02)

  • Being present and responsive is critical.
  • Quote: “If you’re not here, you can’t listen. If you’re not listening, you can’t question effectively.” — John McMahon, 15:08

4. The Value of Self-Assessment and Game Film

• Leveraging Technology for Self-Improvement (21:47–23:04)
  • Tools like call recording (e.g., Gong) allow reps to review their own performance—critical for growth.
  • Quote: “Could you imagine being an NFL team and not watching game film?” — Bob Kocis, 23:04

5. Authentic Passion and Self-Awareness

• Passionate Advocacy (27:06)

  • Top reps are so convinced of their solution’s value, they “make you want to take the meeting.”
  • Quote: “They so deeply are passionate about it… it’s so authentic.” — Bob Kocis, 27:49

• Self-Awareness vs. Unconscious Competence (26:00–27:06)

  • Elite producers are highly self-aware and can break down why they succeed—a critical skill if they want to lead others.

6. Building Champions, Navigating Enemies

• From Skeptic to Champion (29:02)

  • Connect the solution to the individual buyer’s pain and personal win—not just the close, but their world after the close.
  • Quote: “Focus past the close to the ‘as is’ scenario… get the customer envisioning themselves in that success with you.” — Bob Kocis, 29:12

• Managing Risks and Account Enemies (32:15–36:56)

  • Identify and “neutralize” internal detractors within the buyer organization, even if you can’t turn them positive.
  • Quote: “You want to find your enemies in these big complex accounts and… at least get them to even.” — Bob Kocis, 32:15
  • Mature sellers recognize that some enemies just have a different vested interest—not that they’re “out to get you.”

7. The Brutal Honesty Framework

• Reality-Checking Opportunities (37:03–39:24)
  • Be ruthlessly honest: Are you assuming the buyer will purchase, or have you truly confirmed intent and business case?
  • Memorable Quote: “Does the customer know they’re actually buying something—or are you just telling me they’re buying?” — Bob Kocis recalling Dick Harrison, 38:36

8. Sustaining President’s Club Performance

• Consistency and Discipline (46:30)

  • There’s no coasting: “They do not take shortcuts.” Grit, toughness, and consistency over time.
  • Quote: “These things don’t come easy just because you made it a few years… they just have that grit and toughness.” — Bob Kocis, 46:30

• Adaptability & Technology (47:37–49:59)

  • Stay on the edge by embracing new technologies, processes, and feedback. Don’t complain—adapt.

9. Managing Perennial All-Stars

• Service Leadership (50:44)

  • Manage top reps by serving, protecting, and advocating for them rather than micromanaging.
  • Quote: “You got to serve your team… make sure you clear a path for them so they can be successful.” — Bob Kocis, 51:23–51:49

• Trust and Autonomy (52:29)

  • Give President’s Club sellers autonomy but clarity: “I’ll leave you alone, but when you call, I’ll be there for you.” — John McMahon, 52:29–54:17

• Leverage Top Performers as Multipliers (57:33)

  • Have all-stars share their “use cases” and insights with the greater team for broader success.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Leading Without Authority:
  “I call it the wanna factor—how did I get people to wanna… not because they had to.” — John Kaplan, 10:57

• On the Power of Preparedness:
  “No great lawyer is putting anyone on a stand before they've done so much homework that they're only asking the questions they already know the answers to.” — John McMahon, 20:29

• On Why Curiosity Sometimes Lacks:
  “It's not just a DNA thing of a person. Sometimes it can be a DNA of an organization.” — John Kaplan, 16:06

• On Enemies in the Account:
  “You want to find your enemies… and you may not win them. It's okay. But you have to at least get them to even.” — Bob Kocis, 32:15

• On the Risk of No Enemies:
  “When you don't see any enemy, that's actually a red flag because you're not bothering anybody.” — John Kaplan, 36:17

• On Managing Top Talent:
  “If you're leading the team and you have Tom Brady, don't put him at tight end. Let him play quarterback.” — Bob Kocis, 57:11

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 02:00 – President’s Club mindset: attitude and energy
• 04:17 – Story about the persistent Gong rep
• 05:42 – Collaborating and “quarterbacking” deals
• 10:57 – Leading without authority—the “wanna” factor
• 14:00 – Curiosity and agenda-free listening
• 15:08 – Listening as the #1 sales skill
• 17:37 – Preparation as the foundation for curiosity
• 21:47–23:04 – Using “game film” (tech for self-assessment)
• 26:00–27:06 – Self-awareness vs. unconscious competence
• 29:02 – Turning skeptics into champions
• 32:15 – Identifying and neutralizing account enemies
• 37:03–39:24 – The Brutal Honesty Framework
• 41:23–42:05 – Example: Proactive selling to beat the incumbent
• 46:30 – How elite sellers sustain high performance
• 50:44–52:28 – Best practices for managing President’s Club talent
• 57:11 – Don’t try to “break” your best talent—let them play to strengths

Final Insights

The President’s Club Mindset is not about following a rigid formula—it’s about cultivating a growth mindset, deep curiosity, authentic passion, consistent preparation, and above all, a collaborative, resilient approach to selling. Elite performers thrive because of their intrinsic motivation, adaptability, and their ability to elevate those around them. Leading them effectively requires service leadership, respect for their autonomy, and leveraging their unique strengths to inspire broader team success.

Recommended Read: "The President’s Club Mindset" by Bob Kocis for further strategies and stories from the field.