The Advanced Selling Podcast: "Time Goes Fast and Speeds Up: Mastering the Sales Timeline"

Release Date: March 24, 2025

In this engaging episode of The Advanced Selling Podcast, hosts Bill Caskey and Bryan Neale delve into the often-overlooked aspect of time management within the sales profession. Titled "Time Goes Fast and Speeds Up: Mastering the Sales Timeline," the episode offers valuable insights and practical strategies for sales professionals to navigate the accelerating pace of time, especially as sales cycles stretch longer and quarters seemingly fly by.

1. Introduction and Setting the Stage

The episode kicks off with Bill and Bryan sharing light-hearted banter about their podcast's longevity and recent interactions, including humorous anecdotes about emails from PR firms. This segment sets a relaxed tone, making listeners feel at ease before diving into the episode's core topic.

2. The Accelerating Pace of Time in Sales

Brian Neal (A) introduces the central theme with a relatable observation:

“Time goes fast and speeds up. Time goes fast and speeds up. And nothing is more true than if you're a seller.”
[17:45]

He elaborates on how weeks slip into months, months into quarters, and quarters into years, making it challenging for sales professionals to keep up with their targets. The hosts discuss the common scenario where sales leaders pressure their teams to close deals precipitously as the quarter ends, often disregarding the natural length of sales cycles.

Bill Caskey (B) adds to this by sharing a client scenario:

“If we could get it off the street it would have been in by now. The idea that you're, and it's a six-month selling cycle. If you just start at the end of the, you know, the middle of the month, you're not going to end it by the end of the month.”
[05:56]

This highlights the unrealistic expectations placed on sales teams when time feels like it's slipping away uncontrollably.

3. Reframing Time Horizons

The hosts emphasize the necessity of reframing time horizons to better manage sales activities. Instead of focusing solely on the immediate week, they advocate for broadening the perspective to include monthly and seasonal planning.

Brian Neal (A) states:

“You really need to start to reframe your time horizons... What does my month look like? What does April look like for you?... It's taking them 50 years.”
[07:18]

By doing so, sales professionals can anticipate personal and market-related events (like vacations or holidays) that might impact sales momentum and adjust their strategies accordingly.

4. Strategic Planning Across Quarters

Bill Caskey (B) offers tactical advice on planning:

“When you plan April,... try to think about June, July, and August. That may sound far away, but it's really not.”
[09:05]

He suggests allocating specific time to strategize for future months, ensuring that high-impact activities are scheduled ahead of time. For instance, planning webinars or marketing initiatives well in advance helps maintain steady sales momentum without last-minute scrambles.

5. The Importance of Giving to Receive

A pivotal part of the discussion revolves around Ralph Waldo Emerson's law of compensation:

“You want to make more money, you got to give more to the marketplace.”
[13:06]

Bill explains that instead of fixating on how to recover lost sales, salespeople should focus on providing value to their clients and the marketplace. This approach fosters goodwill and reciprocity, which can organically lead to increased sales.

Brian Neal (A) reinforces this with a real-world example:

“He was giving away a certain fixed number of free smoothies for a year... creating buzz and now it sustains.”
[14:03]

This illustrates how giving freebies or providing exceptional value can generate long-term customer loyalty and sustained sales growth.

6. Practical Examples and Anecdotes

Throughout the episode, Bill and Bryan pepper their discussion with practical examples and personal anecdotes that bring the concepts to life.

• Free Offerings to Build Demand: Brian shares a story about a franchise owner who successfully built his business by offering free smoothies, which created substantial buzz and customer loyalty.
  [14:51]

• Training for Testimonials: Bill suggests training a few companies for free in exchange for testimonials or referrals, emphasizing that many will continue as paying customers once they experience the value firsthand.
  [15:24]

• Speaking for Free to Grow a Business: Brian advises a young keynote speaker to offer free speeches to build credibility and eventually secure paid engagements.
  [16:04]

  “You go give as many speeches as you can for free... getting 10, 15, 20, 40, 50, 80, $100,000 down the road.”
  [16:35]

7. Conclusions and Takeaways

As the episode wraps up, Bill and Bryan reiterate the key strategies discussed:

• Plan Ahead: Allocate dedicated time each week to plan not just for the immediate future but for upcoming months to stay ahead of the sales cycle.

• Adopt a Giving Mindset: Focus on providing value to clients and the marketplace to foster trust and reciprocity, leading to sustained sales growth.

• Create Momentum: Start small with actionable steps towards long-term goals, building momentum that propels continued success.

Bill Caskey (B) concludes with a motivational reminder:

“Don’t be afraid to give some stuff away... What do you need to give to get the 900 grand back?”
[17:32]

Key Quotes from the Episode

• Brian Neal (A): “Time goes fast and speeds up. Time goes fast and speeds up. And nothing is more true than if you're a seller.”
  [17:45]

• Bill Caskey (B): “If we could get it off the street it would have been in by now. The idea that you're, and it's a six-month selling cycle.”
  [05:56]

• Bryan Neale (A): “You really need to start to reframe your time horizons... What does my month look like? What does April look like for you?”
  [07:18]

• Bill Caskey (B): “When you plan April,... try to think about June, July, and August. That may sound far away, but it's really not.”
  [09:05]

• Bryan Neale (B): “You want to make more money, you got to give more to the marketplace.”
  [13:06]

• Bryan Neale (B): “We might have to give 2 million to get the 900 grand back.”
  [15:24]

Final Thoughts

This episode of The Advanced Selling Podcast offers a comprehensive look at managing the relentless pace of time in sales environments. By advocating for strategic planning, a generous approach to client interactions, and building momentum through incremental actions, Bill Caskey and Bryan Neale provide actionable advice that can help sales professionals not only keep up with but thrive amidst the accelerating timeline pressures. Whether you're a seasoned salesperson or new to the field, the strategies discussed in this episode are invaluable for achieving sustained sales success.

For more insights and ongoing training, listeners are encouraged to join the podcast's LinkedIn group or become a member of the Insider program at advanced selling podcast.com Insider.

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