Podcast
The Shift Control Sales Podcast
Hosted by Shift Control · EN
Helping ambitious SMEs and sales leaders unlock performance through strategic coaching, sales training, and practical growth advice rooted in 20 years of real-world experience.
I’m Paul McAnallen, founder of Shift Control, a consultancy that works with SMEs, sales leaders, and founders across Ireland to improve sales performance and leadership effectiveness.
Over the last 20 years, I’ve helped hundreds of businesses accelerate sales through strategy, coaching, and leadership development. From creating go-to-market strategies to developing SDR teams and mentoring senior sales professionals, I bring a no-nonsense, high-impact approach to driving commercial growth.
With deep cross-industry experience and a commitment to clarity and action, I work as a trusted growth partner — not just a trainer — helping businesses turn potential into performance.
12episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Do you need an AI Strategy or something else?
2w ago00:13:56Tap to summarizeRecent discussions about AI with clients, coaching colleagues and friends has opened up different avenues of thinking. No denying the benefits of AI and the opposing concerns and fears that clearly exist over work displacement. Then there is the threat to human intelligence through over reliance on AI for speed and efficiency for even the most basic of tasks. AI can be a game changer for sales teams but only when the conditons for adoption are optimised.
Transcribe →The problem with having more choice
Dec 900:13:07Tap to summarizeThere's a great line from the book "The paradox of choice" by Barry Schwartz - “The more options we have, the less satisfied we are with whatever we choose.” I was drawn to it recently when I was getting a coffee and some breakfast in Belfast - the choices we make and what influences them. Location, price, familiarity, curiosity, recommendation - whatever motivates you puts pressure on the business owner to not only get it right first time but to keep getting it right, then changing, then going again all the while watching out for rising costs in produce, energy and the ever-decreasing attention span of humans - both staff and customers. I have watched on as SEED have taken their successful, food-outlet business into the world of high value content, via social media, email and events. If you are not familiar with them, check out their places in Dungannon and Lisburn Road - also their social media content SEED People on instagram and the brilliant content from chef, StevieB.
Transcribe →How great sales people can become greater
Nov 1300:09:44Tap to summarizeI have noticed recently how businesses have become reliant on data to determine whether their business development efforts work or not - over-reliant maybe. The numbers, lead indicators or whatever the performance metric will tell you what is working on that campaign but what is there to tell you how well your 'brand' is performing overall in the minds of your potential or existing customers. Well executed outreach will generate meetings and begin sales cycles but doesn't impact the sentiment rating (my words...not sure if they're the right words but bear with me) - what the brand means to the customer or the way it makes them feel. It seems that data has become omnipotent in many marketing campaigns at the expense of creativity and experience. It goes back to the notion that marketing isn't an expense but an investment - advertising and sales aren't marketing they are "channels" of marketing. Other channels are available.
Transcribe →Simon Kuper at The Reform Club
Nov 600:08:59Tap to summarizeA first networking event in years - a breakfast event at The Reform Club on Belfast's Royal Avenue in the company of business leaders, listening to journalist Simon Kuper talk about what business can learn from sport. Simon has written books on Barcelona, taking a different approach to Damian Hughes but also writes extensively across other areas than sport. A journalist for the FT he brought a perspective to the topic that has me moderating my own view - that sports teams and business teams are very different my nature - there are clearly some areas of crossover. A very worthwhile event and grateful for the invite as well as the opportunity to meet some very interesting people from different corners of the north. (thanks to Joanne at Clarendon and AAB and MLN.)
Transcribe →The principle of 'contracting'
Oct 3000:13:37Tap to summarizeContracting is a concept that that has been applied to the coaching, psychotherapy and counselling industries whereby boundaries are created and clarity given to collaborative work between a coach and a coachee. Is this something that can be applied to our meaningful interpersonal relationships and is there space for it to add value to your sales activities? Many coaching methodologies offer guidance in how to bring the prospect and customer forward in a sales discussion but for me it is the true intention of collaborative selling whereby you establish and agree the protocols of engagement - PURPOSE, PROCESS and mutual EXPECTATIONS. Every good discussion works better when there is clarity, respect and and understanding of why the discussion is being had in the first place. What do you think?
Transcribe →When not to ask why
Oct 900:14:20Tap to summarizeBeginning a new learning journey and I have picked up some valuable insights already - one being the use of the word 'why' in sales and the importance of finding a different way of asking that question without it. This podcast suggests a rethink on your questioning / information gathering techniques. I also talk about the value of learning later in life and starting the journey of getting to know yourself better.
Transcribe →It's hard to fix what you cannot see
Aug 500:19:11Tap to summarizeI used to work with a business man who was as good at coaching as he was at growing a multi-million pound business. “I really pity the man that doesn’t know he doesn’t know.” He said to me one day, almost 20 years ago. It took a while to land but he was talking about that thing everyone is afflicted with – a blind spot. The phrase ‘blind spot’ comes from the Johari Window, a psychological model developed in 1955 by Joseph Luft and Harrington Ingham — the name “Johari,” comes from a blend of their first names. It was originally created as a framework for understanding and improving interpersonal communication, particularly within group dynamics and team settings. As a coach, a manager to as a sales person intent on improving, it's important to spend some time looking for that which is harder to see - or those characteristics that you have been spending a lifetime trying to avoid
Transcribe →Who do you trust?
Jul 2900:11:50Tap to summarizeHaving invited guests over last week, I found myself without some key ingredients for a vegetarian dish I had planned to make. Taking the list of ingredients I challenged CHAT GPT to create a recipe for a similar meal - and it did. At no point did I question the recipe and it made me realise how much trust I have placed in this technology in such a short space of time. Research suggests that almost 60% of people in sales believe that AI tools sometimes provide inaccurate or misleading information. The big question to sales leaders becomes are you constantly regulating the veracity and quality of the information used by your sales people (and lets face it, yourselves)? If not giving you a competitive edge just yet, AI has given you the chance to reclaim some of your time each day - if you are not integrating AI in your sales function you are missing out. If you haven't given your team the authority to use AI, work on the basis that they are already taking some short cuts - you need to make sure if those short cuts aren't going to case long term damage.
Transcribe →Sales Isn’t About Activity — It’s About Awareness
Jul 1700:31:15Tap to summarizePlenty of the recent episodes focus on the importance of process, from pipeline management to presentation formats. We can get caught up with the lure of CRM, believing that data and data management is everything. It gets tiring, sat in another sales meeting, discussing pipeline and nothing has moved from the previous meeting. A slow agonising death. Data is important, process is important but when it comes to influencing sales decisions, awareness and emotional intelligence matter most. In this episode I talk about the importance of awareness and being present when it comes to closing out on deals in your pipeline.
Transcribe →Forecasting for sales success
Jul 900:26:10Tap to summarizeI was making plans for this coming weekend - Tyrone V Kerry in Dublin. Should I or shouldn't I? Weather isn't all that relevant but I looked at the forecast and found another reason to go. The importance of being able to predict something accurately. (It was in 2008 that Croke park was flooded after one of the quarter finals - so accurate is the operative word.) And so to sales forecasting - the devils business. So critical to all other parts of the business, planning, buying, HR, logistics and so difficult for sales people to get it right every time - because it matters every time. Some thoughts on forecasting from the world of the sales person and the sales manager.
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