Sales & Cigars | Learn to Love Selling with Mark Cox | Episode 222

Welcome to Sales & Cigars, the sales podcast, where the only smoke we blow is from cigars. In
this episode, host Walter Crosby is joined by Mark Cox, founder of In the Funnel Sales
Coaching, to discuss his journey from leading sales organizations in large tech and outsourcing
companies to becoming a consultant and entrepreneur. Mark shares how, after stepping away
from a high-travel role, he stumbled into consulting through personal connections and quickly
realized he preferred working with midsize businesses over large corporations. This epiphany
led to the launch of In the Funnel, where he has since helped over a hundred companies build
sales playbooks and trained thousands of sales professionals. Mark emphasizes the
entrepreneurial energy and focus on growth that characterizes midsize companies, as well as
his own desire for autonomy and a more meaningful, hands-on impact.

 
Mark also discusses the inspiration behind his book, Learn to Love Selling: The Universal B2B
Sales Playbook, which offers a practical framework for converting business capabilities into
revenue. He explains how the book is structured to serve both frontline salespeople and sales
leaders, with clear steps including defining a value proposition, prioritizing market segments,
generating demand, and executing an effective sales process. Although the content had been
part of his training for years, the book took nearly three years to complete due to the demands
of consulting work and the challenges of writing. He also underscores the importance of CEOs
staying involved in sales strategy, warning against the common mistake of delegating it entirely
without understanding its foundational role in scaling a business.

 
Walter and