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    <title>CX without the BS - Episodes Tagged with “Sales Authenticity”</title>
    <link>https://cswithoutthebs.fireside.fm/tags/sales%20authenticity</link>
    <pubDate>Wed, 30 Jul 2025 11:00:00 -0400</pubDate>
    <description>Most CX podcasts are built for Fortune 500 buyers with seven-figure budgets and dedicated transformation teams... This one isn't. CX Without the BS is for the technology advisors, IT leaders, and business owners working in the trenches of SMB and mid-market companies - the "forgotten 5000" who get pitched enterprise solutions they can't afford and ignored by vendors who don't think they're worth the support call. Host Brian Nichols brings real practitioner perspective from the unified communications and contact center space. No guru theater. No vendor hype. No recycled LinkedIn thought leadership dressed up as expertise. Just the actual conversations advisors and buyers need to be having... about why CX deployments fail, where vendors quietly cut corners, which product categories are oversold, and what questions you should be asking before you sign a three-year contract. Each episode pulls from real customer scenarios, market situations, and the framework laid out in Brian's book, The CX Compass. Some episodes are solo deep dives. Others bring in practitioners, advisors, and operators who can break down the mechanics of what actually works - and what's quietly broken behind the demo. If you're tired of buzzword bingo and ready for the version of CX nobody's willing to say out loud... you're in the right place. Subscribe, share it with an advisor or buyer who needs it, and let's cut through the noise together.</description>
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    <itunes:subtitle>Honest takes on customer experience and UCaaS for the SMB and mid-market buyers enterprise vendors forgot... hosted by Brian Nichols.</itunes:subtitle>
    <itunes:author>Brian Nichols</itunes:author>
    <itunes:summary>Most CX podcasts are built for Fortune 500 buyers with seven-figure budgets and dedicated transformation teams... This one isn't. CX Without the BS is for the technology advisors, IT leaders, and business owners working in the trenches of SMB and mid-market companies - the "forgotten 5000" who get pitched enterprise solutions they can't afford and ignored by vendors who don't think they're worth the support call. Host Brian Nichols brings real practitioner perspective from the unified communications and contact center space. No guru theater. No vendor hype. No recycled LinkedIn thought leadership dressed up as expertise. Just the actual conversations advisors and buyers need to be having... about why CX deployments fail, where vendors quietly cut corners, which product categories are oversold, and what questions you should be asking before you sign a three-year contract. Each episode pulls from real customer scenarios, market situations, and the framework laid out in Brian's book, The CX Compass. Some episodes are solo deep dives. Others bring in practitioners, advisors, and operators who can break down the mechanics of what actually works - and what's quietly broken behind the demo. If you're tired of buzzword bingo and ready for the version of CX nobody's willing to say out loud... you're in the right place. Subscribe, share it with an advisor or buyer who needs it, and let's cut through the noise together.</itunes:summary>
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    <itunes:owner>
      <itunes:name>Brian Nichols</itunes:name>
      <itunes:email>brian@briannicholsconsulting.com</itunes:email>
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  <title>Do Cold Calls Still Work in 2025?</title>
  <link>https://cswithoutthebs.fireside.fm/do-cold-calls-still-work-in-2025</link>
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  <pubDate>Wed, 30 Jul 2025 11:00:00 -0400</pubDate>
  <author>Brian Nichols</author>
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  <itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType>
  <itunes:author>Brian Nichols</itunes:author>
  <itunes:subtitle>Cold calling isn't dead - bad cold calling is. In this episode, I sit down with John from LevelUp Leads to break down how SDRs can stop sounding robotic, block objections before they happen, and finally build real pipeline through human connection.</itunes:subtitle>
  <itunes:duration>42:09</itunes:duration>
  <itunes:explicit>no</itunes:explicit>
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  <description>&lt;p&gt;Why do most cold calls fail before they even start?&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;In this episode of CX Without the BS, we tackle the often-overlooked truth about outbound sales: the customer experience starts the moment someone picks up the phone. Whether you're leading an SDR team, building pipeline from scratch, or trying to get more than "not interested" before the hang-up, this episode unpacks the foundational mistakes—and the practical fixes—that can turn dials into deals.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;We sit down with John Karsant from LevelUp Leads, who manages a team of 40+ SDRs executing real outbound motions every day. He doesn’t sugarcoat it—most cold outreach sounds robotic, scripted, and forgettable. Together, we break down how tone, timing, and real human conversation create the kind of authentic connections that lead to pipeline growth (not just boxes checked on a call log).&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;But it’s not just about calls. This episode explores how to build authentic presence on LinkedIn, why political signage matters in marketing, and how to stop treating every “no” like a full stop. Spoiler: most “no’s” are actually “not right now,” and we show you how to stay top-of-mind until it becomes a yes.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;You’ll also hear sharp insights about multi-threaded outreach, how SDRs can block objections before they arise, and why leaning too hard on AI might be the biggest BS in outbound right now. If you're tired of sales being treated like a numbers game and want to focus on real human connection, this is your cheat code.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;By the end of the episode, you'll walk away with an upgraded playbook for outbound CX—from how you speak to what you post to how you follow up. It’s raw, it’s real, and it just might change how you train your team this quarter. &lt;/p&gt;
</description>
  <itunes:keywords>cold calling tips, SDR training, sales development, outbound sales strategy, how to cold call, sales call script, LinkedIn outreach, customer experience, sales authenticity, B2B sales tactics, cold outreach, appointment setting tips, CX podcast, AI in sales, sales pipeline, sales call mistakes, sales objections, SDR coaching, sales development podcast, how to follow up in sales</itunes:keywords>
  <content:encoded>
    <![CDATA[<p>Why do most cold calls fail before they even start?</p>

<p>In this episode of CX Without the BS, we tackle the often-overlooked truth about outbound sales: the customer experience starts the moment someone picks up the phone. Whether you're leading an SDR team, building pipeline from scratch, or trying to get more than "not interested" before the hang-up, this episode unpacks the foundational mistakes—and the practical fixes—that can turn dials into deals.</p>

<p>We sit down with John Karsant from LevelUp Leads, who manages a team of 40+ SDRs executing real outbound motions every day. He doesn’t sugarcoat it—most cold outreach sounds robotic, scripted, and forgettable. Together, we break down how tone, timing, and real human conversation create the kind of authentic connections that lead to pipeline growth (not just boxes checked on a call log).</p>

<p>But it’s not just about calls. This episode explores how to build authentic presence on LinkedIn, why political signage matters in marketing, and how to stop treating every “no” like a full stop. Spoiler: most “no’s” are actually “not right now,” and we show you how to stay top-of-mind until it becomes a yes.</p>

<p>You’ll also hear sharp insights about multi-threaded outreach, how SDRs can block objections before they arise, and why leaning too hard on AI might be the biggest BS in outbound right now. If you're tired of sales being treated like a numbers game and want to focus on real human connection, this is your cheat code.</p>

<p>By the end of the episode, you'll walk away with an upgraded playbook for outbound CX—from how you speak to what you post to how you follow up. It’s raw, it’s real, and it just might change how you train your team this quarter.</p>]]>
  </content:encoded>
  <itunes:summary>
    <![CDATA[<p>Why do most cold calls fail before they even start?</p>

<p>In this episode of CX Without the BS, we tackle the often-overlooked truth about outbound sales: the customer experience starts the moment someone picks up the phone. Whether you're leading an SDR team, building pipeline from scratch, or trying to get more than "not interested" before the hang-up, this episode unpacks the foundational mistakes—and the practical fixes—that can turn dials into deals.</p>

<p>We sit down with John Karsant from LevelUp Leads, who manages a team of 40+ SDRs executing real outbound motions every day. He doesn’t sugarcoat it—most cold outreach sounds robotic, scripted, and forgettable. Together, we break down how tone, timing, and real human conversation create the kind of authentic connections that lead to pipeline growth (not just boxes checked on a call log).</p>

<p>But it’s not just about calls. This episode explores how to build authentic presence on LinkedIn, why political signage matters in marketing, and how to stop treating every “no” like a full stop. Spoiler: most “no’s” are actually “not right now,” and we show you how to stay top-of-mind until it becomes a yes.</p>

<p>You’ll also hear sharp insights about multi-threaded outreach, how SDRs can block objections before they arise, and why leaning too hard on AI might be the biggest BS in outbound right now. If you're tired of sales being treated like a numbers game and want to focus on real human connection, this is your cheat code.</p>

<p>By the end of the episode, you'll walk away with an upgraded playbook for outbound CX—from how you speak to what you post to how you follow up. It’s raw, it’s real, and it just might change how you train your team this quarter.</p>]]>
  </itunes:summary>
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