Todd Caponi - The Transparent Sales Leader: How The Power of Sincerity, Science & Structure Can Transform Your Sales Teams Results

ADVANCE PRAISE

So many amazing ideas and moments in this book that will forever change the way I think about sales leadership. It engages you from beginning to end, bridging the gap between framework and science.

ANDY KOFOID, President, Global Field Operations at Databricks

Now more than ever, organizations who prioritize customer success above all else will come out on top. The Transparent Sales Leader is a fantastic resource for those just beginning their sales careers, seasoned leaders, and everyone in between. This insightful book will transform your approach to leadership.

DJ PAONI, President, SAP North America

As if Todd couldnt get transparency in sales any clearer after his first book, he goes and writes a book on transparency in leadership, taking it to the next level! The breakdown of what it is and what it isnt, the Five Fs Framework, and the cherry on top of what leadership that matters truly looks like in practice made it difficult for me to put the book down. Whether youre thinking about getting into leadership or have been in the game for years, this is a must-read book where youll get better as a result.

AMY VOLAS, Founder & CEO, Avenue Talent Partners and Co-Founder of Thursday Night Sales

Certain words are used in business so thoughtlessly that they have become devoid of meaning: Authentic. Real. Transparent. And there is no one I trust more to rescue them than Todd Caponi. In this most recent book, he erects upon the foundation he poured in The Transparency Sale a sales leadership framework of such astounding utility and obvious value as to be almost self-evident. I buy a copy of his book for sellers for every rep I hire or mentor, and I will buy this book for every sales leader I work with. Todds work is as compelling and useful as any business book I have ever read.

ETHAN ZOUBEK, Chief Revenue Officer, Atari

The Transparent Sales Leader is a modern playbook for maximizing the revenue potential of your teams. If you hate complex, hard-to-implement leadership books with lots of theory and little how-toyoure going to love this book.

JASON BAY, Founder, Outbound Squad

The Transparent Sales Leader provides straightforward advice, examples, and best practices for any modern sales leader, new or experienced. This is a refreshing guide for how to build trust and high-performing organizations in todays landscape.

JEFF ROSSET, Founder & CEO, Sales Assembly

The Transparency Sale quickly became required reading for sales professionals everywhere. With The Transparent Sales Leader, Todd Caponi has miraculously caused lightning to strike twice. Often counterintuitive but backed up by compelling research and actionable takeaways, Todd provides sales leaders a step-by-step guide on how to build and lead high-performing teams while making the job of a sales leaderone of the most stressful and underappreciated roles in any industrymuch more enjoyable to execute.

MATT GREEN, Chief Revenue Officer, Sales Assembly

Its an exciting time for women in sales as we are beginning to get more and more curious about salesand sales leadership! As you continue to explore the careerand leadership opportunitiesTodds easy-to-follow leadership framework is a must! It will optimize your career and give you that competitive edge!

TANIA DOUB, Founder & CEO, Work It! and Author of Work It, Girl!

Todd Caponi is one of the most affable, down-to-earth people youll ever meet. In The Transparent Sales Leader, hell punch you right between the eyes with the truth about effective sales leadership, back it all up with science and a smile, and youll thank him for it.

JEFF BAJOREK, Consultant, Author, Podcast Host, Rethink The Way You Sell

Todd Caponi has always been a top performer in the sales leadership field. In our work together over 15 years, Ive watched how his done right sales leadership has massively impacted his career, his companies, and those he has served. This book shows you how, in an insightful, engaging framework and science-forward way. A must-read for any revenue leader whos serious about their craft.

SCOTT ANSCHUETZ, CEO & Founder, Visualize, Inc. for ValueSelling

Copyright 2022 by Todd Caponi

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner without written permission from the publisher, except in the context of reviews. All trademarks are the property of their respective companies.

Published in the United States by Ideapress Publishing.

Ideapress Publishing | www.ideapresspublishing.com

Cover Design: Paul Nielsen, Faceout Studio

Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file with the Library of Congress.

ISBN: 978-1-64687-111-7 (Paperback)

ISBN: 978-1-64687-064-6 (Hardcover)

Special Sales

Ideapress Books are available at a special discount for bulk purchases for sales promotions and premiums, or for use in corporate training programs. Special editions, including personalized covers, a custom foreword, corporate imprints, and bonus content, are also available.

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TODD CAPONI

To my dad,
the original transparent sales leader

It is worse than futileit is foolish for you to imitate anybody else. Just be your best self. Make the most of what you have that is salable. You require no more to assure your success.

Norval A. Hawkins, Certain Success, 1910

We think youre ready.

It was the middle of the night in Germany, where I was conducting training for one of our partners. My co-worker, Mark, was banging on my hotel room door to wake me up. My phones SIM card wasnt functioning, so attempts from my CEO to reach me were going unanswered.

Todd, Michael is on the phone. He needs to speak with you right now!

The company was struggling, consistently underperforming the great expectations set by our Silicon Valley investors. Michael informed me of the departure of our senior vice president of sales. He was handing the reins of the sales organization over to me. The responsibility for driving the revenue that would keep the entire organization afloat and the investors financially above water was now mine.

I was not selected because I was a consistent top sales performer. It was not because of my age and experience, either. I was in my 30s, which made me younger than every single person I would now be overseeing. It also had nothing to do with the extensive training I had received in sales leadership. I had never received any.

Sales leadership was always my goal. Two years earlier, during my second day on the job, I had shared this desire with Michael during a random interaction. During a drive together, I explained to him how I had a deep background in sales, sales training, and learning science. However, I knew I had never been trained in sales leadership, nor did I possess any experience running a real team. Part of my decision to join this organization was to learn under the SVP of sales, see how its done, and eventually work my way into a similar role. Michael remembered.