Sales strategies that worked in the past are no longer enough in today's rapidly evolving market. By the time a buyer engages with a sales team, they’ve often already made up their mind. So how do you break through the noise and stand out in a crowded, info-overloaded world?

Em Holldorf, Director of Demand Generation at Integrity Solutions, joins host Hayley Parr to explore how sales teams can adapt to the dramatic shifts in buyer behavior. Em explains why relying on outdated tactics, like generic sales pitches and "info dumps," won’t cut it in 2026, and shares the tools and strategies that modern sales teams need to succeed.

Em dives into the concept of the ‘dark funnel,’ where buyers do all their research and make decisions behind the scenes, and shares how marketers can spot the signals that show when a buyer is ready to engage. She joins Hayley to discuss the importance of human connection and why shifting from transactional sales approaches to trust-based partnerships is key— not just for sales, but for marketing teams looking to stay relevant and aligned with how buyers actually make decisions.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• The Dark Funnel: Why buyers are forming opinions without your involvement and how to get in front of them before they exclude you.
• The Info Dump Trap: Why overwhelming prospects with too much information leads to disengagement and how to foster authentic, human conversations instead.
• Intent Signals: How to recognize the subtle signs that show a lead is ready to buy and how to act on them before they even reach out.
• Personalized Outreach: How to break through the noise with quality, personalized messages that resonate with today’s self-educated buyers.
• Sales and Marketing Alignment: How to create seamless communication between teams to deliver the right messages at the right time and close more deals.

Resources:

• Em Holldorf’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emily-holldorf/
• Learn more about Integrity Solutions: https://www.integritysolutions.com/

Jump into the conversation:
(00:00) Meet Em Holldorf
(02:05) Understanding the dark funnel and its impact on sales
(06:19) Why the "info dump" is hurting your sales approach
(10:33) Key signals that indicate buyer readiness
(14:00) How personalized messaging leads to better engagement
(18:45) Aligning sales and marketing for success in 2026

This year brought constant change to the sales profession and to Mental Selling itself. Throughout 2025, communication, purpose, and culture stood out as the forces that set strong teams apart. The year also marked a new chapter for the podcast, with Hayley Parr stepping into the host role and building on the foundation established by those who helped shape the show from the start. In this year-end reflection, Hayley looks back on the conversations that defined Mental Selling in 2025 and the lessons that continue to resonate.

Throughout this year, sales leaders, industry experts, practitioners, and coaches shared their perspectives on what drives meaningful performance. This special end of year recap episode looks back on some of the key themes that emerged in 2025, including: how storytelling and clarity build trust and connection, why purpose fuels resilience in high-pressure environments, and how training, coaching, and culture support long-term success.

Together, these insights show how sales professionals strengthened communication, stayed grounded in purpose, and built teams that perform over time.

In this episode, you’ll revisit some of these key podcast themes that emerged in 2025:

• Communication as a Competitive Advantage: Understand how storytelling and clarity shape relationships.
• Purpose as a Steadying Force: How aligning with purpose helps navigate pressure.
• Building Strong Sales Teams: Discover why culture, coaching, and consistent training are the keys to sustained growth.

Resources:

• Lauren Deal’s LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/tvhostlaurendeal/
• Jacob Hicks’ LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacob-hicks-5ab068ab
• Jen Mueller’s LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenmuellertalksporty/
• Brad Farris’ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradfarris/
• David Hammond’s LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/dhammond/
• Donna Horrigan’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donnahorrigan/
• Patty Gaddis’ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pattygaddis/
• Em Holldorf’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emily-holldorf/
• Garin Hess’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/garin-hess/
• Gearoid Cox’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gearoid-cox-b20b73104/
• Derek Roberts’ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/derekroberts1/
• Duncan Taylor’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/duncanjtaylor/
• Brett Shively’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brettshively/
• Danita High’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danita-high-257a5a1a3/
• Brad Jung’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradjung/
• Learn more about Integrity Solutions: www.integritysolutions.com/

Jump into the conversation:
(00:00) The year in review
(01:58) Theme 1: Communication as a Competitive Advantage
(05:37) Theme 2: Purpose-Driven Performance in a Chaotic Market
(10:57) Theme 3: Training, Coaching, and Culture as the Engine of Sales Success
(17:027) Key lessons and takeaways for the future

Revenue Operations is one of the most strategic drivers of growth, even if many organizations only notice it when something breaks.

Jess Rose, the newly hired Director of Revenue Operations at Integrity Solutions, joins Mental Selling to emphasize a discipline that many organizations undervalue but rely on every single day. In her first weeks with the company, she is already bringing clarity to the systems, processes, and decisions that fuel predictable performance. Jess explains why Rev Ops is the connective tissue across sales, marketing, and customer success, and why clean data, transparent processes, and human-centered systems create the conditions for scalable growth.

She shares lessons from her career leading operational strategy, including how minor workflow adjustments can create meaningful lift, why sellers need clarity rather than more noise, and how human habits can either strengthen or derail even the best-designed systems. Listeners will gain a grounded view of how Rev Ops strengthens alignment, improves decision-making, and creates the conditions for consistent, confident performance.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Operational Excellence Starts with the Basics: Clean data, clear ownership, and simple enablement power confident, consistent performance.
• Process as a Growth Lever: Standardized stages and documented workflows create a shared path that drives predictable results.
• Technology That Works for People: Tools designed with a human-first lens remove friction and help reps stay focused on selling.
• Adoption Through Trust: Teams commit to operational change when the process feels supportive, transparent, and genuinely helpful.

Resources:

• Jess Rose’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessica-rose-2b482122/
• Learn more about Integrity Solutions: https://www.integritysolutions.com/

Jump into the conversation:

(00:00) Meet Jess Rose

(02:31) What revenue operations really means

(04:42) Jess’s path into Rev Ops

(06:39) Misconceptions that hold teams back

(08:40) Why data hygiene influences revenue health

(11:37) Simple fixes that create measurable impact to the bottom line

(16:21) The human habits behind operational success

(22:01) Building trust across sales, marketing, and customer success

Strong sales training is built on clarity, consistency, and purpose. When those foundations slip, even well-designed programs struggle to gain traction. This special episode takes listeners inside the webinar Pivots & Pitfalls: 5 Sales Training Traps Holding You Back, featuring Shawn Young, Senior Director of Global Training and Education at AtriCure. He shares the real pitfalls that hold sales teams back and the practical ways leaders can avoid them.

With more than 20 years of experience in medical device sales, Shawn has coached teams through constant innovation, shifting priorities, and uncertain markets. He explains why momentum fades when strategy and execution drift apart, how frequent new initiatives weaken credibility, and why a values-driven approach strengthens confidence in high-pressure environments. His examples bring to life what it looks like when training is aligned with culture and when it silently falls off course.

Host Hayley Parr highlights moments that reveal how preparation, mindset, and ongoing reinforcement help training take root in meaningful, lasting ways.

To catch the full webinar, visit: https://www.integritysolutions.com/resources/webinar/pivots-and-pitfalls-5-sales-training-traps-holding-you-back/

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• The Momentum Advantage: Why aligning strategy, messaging, and execution keeps sales teams focused and prevents performance drift.
• Consistency as Credibility: How steady reinforcement and fewer, deeper initiatives build trust and long-term adoption.
• Preparation That Fuels Performance: Why anchoring training in mission, mindset, and education gives sellers confidence when markets feel uncertain.
• Stability Through Values: How creating space for feedback, mistakes, and reflection fuels innovation and stronger customer relationships.

Resources:

• Shawn Young’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shawn-young-9898b15/
• Learn more about AtriCure: https://www.atricure.com/

Jump into the conversation:

(00:00) Meet Shawn Young

(01:14) Why sales training loses momentum without precise alignment

(03:52) The hidden impact of the “What’s new?” mindset on strategy

(06:26) Understanding the flavor of the month syndrome in sales teams

(09:10) Why consistency builds trust and long-term adoption

(11:53) How values and mission stabilize teams in uncertain markets

(14:19) Training through education rather than product pitching

(17:51) Preparation as the foundation for confident performance

Sales success starts with clarity. In a world that never slows down, clarity becomes an anchor, the difference between teams that survive the whirlwind and those that rise above it.

This episode takes a different format, as we recap our recent webinar, Winning in the Whirlwind: A New Playbook for High Performing Sales Teams, where host Hayley Parr pulls together the most powerful moments and insights from David Hammond, Senior Director of Sales at Epicor, and a veteran of more than two decades leading go-to-market teams. He shares what it takes to lead with purpose in an era defined by change. David explores why today’s biggest challenges, including ambiguity, pressure, and constant transformation, stem not from productivity issues but from a lack of clarity.

From rethinking how we measure success to empowering the next generation of sellers, David outlines a future where culture is the actual growth engine. When leaders create space for presence, transparency, and human connection, sales teams don’t just do more with less; they find meaning in the work itself.

At its core, this conversation is a reminder: the best sales organizations don’t fight the whirlwind. They find clarity within it and turn purpose into performance.

To catch the full webinar, visit: https://www.integritysolutions.com/resources/webinar/winning-in-the-whirlwind-a-new-playbook-for-high-performing-sales-teams/

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Clarity as a Competitive Edge: Why the best sales teams don’t just work harder, they work with a clear sense of purpose that cuts through noise and change.
• Purpose-Driven Performance: How connecting everyday actions to a meaningful “why” transforms pressure into privilege and drives long-term engagement.
• Courageous Vulnerability: Why openness and authenticity aren’t soft skills, but the foundation for trust, learning, and real growth on sales teams.
• Psychological Safety as a Growth Engine: How creating space for feedback, mistakes, and reflection fuels innovation and stronger customer relationships.

Resources:

• David Hammond’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dhammond/
• Learn more about Epicor: https://www.epicor.com/en/

Jump into the conversation:
(00:00) Intro

(01:11) The whirlwind reality of today’s sales market

(04:32) Finding clarity and purpose amid constant change

(06:15) Turning pressure into purpose-driven performance

(08:23) The hidden costs of indecision and fear in sales teams

(11:22) Building courageous vulnerability and psychological safety

(12:43) Empowering the next generation of sellers through connection

(14:59) Culture, clarity, and purpose as the foundation for growth

Integrity, empathy, and authenticity are the foundation of meaningful sales leadership, and this October, Mental Selling celebrates Women In Sales Month with two leaders who embody those values every day.

In this episode, Donna Horrigan and Patty Gaddis, seasoned sales leaders at Integrity Solutions, share how their defining moments shaped not only their careers but their approach to leadership, mentorship, and purpose. From motherhood and flexibility to confidence and credibility, they explore how women continue to elevate the sales profession through empathy, resilience, and service.

Together, they reflect on what it means to lead without the title, how to balance results with relationships, and why doing the right thing will always drive the best outcomes.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Purpose Over Pressure: Why long-term success in sales begins with service and partnership, not quotas.
• Empathetic Leadership: The unique ways women bring listening, intuition, and authenticity to sales.
• Redefining Success: Why fulfillment, flexibility, and relationships matter as much as results.
• Mentorship in Action: How paying it forward empowers the next generation of women in sales.

Resources:

• Donna Horrigan’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donnahorrigan/
• Patty Gaddis’ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pattygaddis/
• Learn more about Integrity Solutions: https://www.integritysolutions.com/

Jump into the conversation:

(00:00) Meet Donna Horrigan and Patty Gaddis

(02:12) Donna and Patty’s journey into sales

(04:23) Defining moments that shaped their sales careers

(05:16) Balancing motherhood and career choices

(06:53) The impact of mentorship and leadership growth

(09:31) Building confidence and credibility

(12:32) The power of listening in sales

(13:45) Values-driven sales leadership

(15:01) Navigating sales results and relationships

(16:38) Empowering the next generation of women in sales

Sales success starts with presence. It’s about showing up with calm confidence, leading conversations with purpose, and helping buyers feel secure in your expertise.

Brad Farris, executive leadership coach at Anchor Advisors, shares how leaders can build trust, reduce anxiety on their sales teams, and set the tone for meaningful customer relationships. He explains why presence is leadership, how high-status behaviors signal confidence, and why slowing down in a deal can actually accelerate results.

Drawing on decades of experience coaching service firm leaders, Brad unpacks the habits that set anxious sellers apart from trusted advisors. He explores practical ways to create boundaries that elevate your value, lead teams with intention, and turn every conversation into an opportunity for deeper connection and long-term success.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Presence as Leadership: How showing up with calm confidence helps buyers trust you and follow your lead.
• High-Status Behaviors: Why slowing down, speaking deliberately, and listening deeply can shift the power dynamic in any sales conversation.
• Boundaries that Build Value: How protecting your time and availability signals confidence and raises your perceived worth.
• Coaching Through Reflection: How using a simple start, stop, continue framework helps sales professionals stay centered and lead with intention.

Resources:

• Brad Farris’ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradfarris/
• Learn more about Anchor Advisors: https://anchoradvisors.com/
• Self-Leadership Assessment: https://anchoradvisors.com/self-leadership-assessment/

Jump into the conversation:

(00:00) Meet Brad Farris

(02:05) The importance of presence in sales

(04:04) Brad's journey and insights

(06:19) Impact of leadership on sales teams

(08:17) Behavioral techniques for sales success

(10:38) High-status behaviors in sales

(15:37) Setting boundaries and managing time

(18:00) “Start, Stop, Continue” framework

Sales success isn’t just about hitting numbers. It’s about equipping people with the right mindset, tools, and support to thrive.

Gearoid Cox, founder and CEO of SalesPipeline shares how sales leaders can move beyond one-time onboarding and build a culture of continuous training, appreciation, and intentional leadership. He explores why top performers benefit from revisiting fundamentals, how small teams can maximize limited training budgets, and why appreciation is the hidden fuel that drives motivation and long-term results.

With years of experience leading global sales teams and now helping companies scale through outsourced and fractional sales leadership, Gearoid has seen firsthand what today’s top sales talent really needs. He unpacks how flexibility, supportive leadership, and the right tools create stronger, more engaged teams, and why listening to your people is often the simplest but most overlooked leadership advantage.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Training Beyond Onboarding: Why continuous learning gives sales teams a competitive edge long after the first 90 days.
• Appreciation as a Mindset: How practicing gratitude transforms sales conversations, boosts motivation, and strengthens team culture.
• Leading with Consistency: Why leaders who stay in tune with their teams drive stronger performance and long-term growth.
• Building Global Sales Teams: Today’s top talents really want flexibility, the right tools, and leadership that listens.

Resources:

• Gearoid Cox’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gearoid-cox-b20b73104/
• Learn more about SalesPipeline: https://sales-pipeline.io/

Jump into the conversation:
(00:00) Meet Gearoid Cox

(02:03) Training beyond onboarding

(04:43) The importance of continuous training

(11:46) Appreciation in sales

(18:03) The new era of global sales talent

(18:44) Building distributed teams

(27:34) Misconceptions and market trends