EP006: Sales First™: The 30-minute sales habit that will change your business

EP012: How to make more sales over summer (*without being on 24/7)

Episode summary Every year, Anna hears the same thing: "nobody buys over summer." In Episode 12, she challenges that belief head-on, because when you stop selling over summer, fewer sales become a self-fulfilling prophecy. Anna shares how she plans her own summers using a "dimmer switch" (fully off for holidays, dialled down to 10-20% capacity the rest) and tells the story of the scrappy, last-minute offer she launched on the way to the airport, with the first sale landing before she'd even checked in. You'll leave with practical summer sales actions to put in place this week. Key takeaways: "Nobody buys over summer" is usually a self-fulfilling prophecy: people stop selling, so they stop making sales. Think "dimmer switch," not on/off: dial down to 10-20% capacity and focus only on income-generating tasks and client delivery. Scrappy beats perfect: a simple Google Doc with a checkout link can sell brilliantly when the offer is right. Choose a summer-friendly offer that fits your capacity, or presell for September. Reposition what you already sell so it feels timely: same substance, summer label. Make buying frictionless: one simple sales asset, visible everywhere, plus a scheduled email sequence. Your best summer sales are closer than you think: build a hot list of warm contacts and follow up daily. Episode outline / timestamps 00:00 – Welcome + the "nobody buys over summer" myth 02:17 – What sales strategy fits your summer (and your clients')? 02:51 – Anna's own figures: July and August hold up 03:36 – The dimmer switch: fully off vs dialled down 05:44 – Story: the scrappy offer that sold before the plane took off 11:04 – Action 1: decide what to sell (keep it simple, or presell September) 12:58 – Action 2: position your offer to feel timely ("change the label") 15:03 – Action 3: create one simple, low-lift sales asset 16:47 – Action 4: make your offer visible everywhere 17:28 – Action 5: schedule a simple summer email sequence 18:26 – Action 6: build a hot list + follow up daily 19:45 – Action 7: thank-you pages and out-of-office as prime real estate 21:00 – Action 8: set consistent action goals (and batch them) 22:49 – Closing: enjoy your summer and keep the sales coming in Links + Resources: * Want to see your greatest opportunities to increase sales? https://www.annapayne.online/quiz [https://www.annapayne.online/quiz] * Join us for 30 days of free online networking? https://www.annapayne.online/networking [https://www.annapayne.online/networking] * Download your free leads tracker https://www.annapayne.online/tracker [https://www.annapayne.online/tracker] * Book a free 15 minute sales game plan call with Anna https://calendly.com/annapaynecall/introduction [https://calendly.com/annapaynecall/introduction] * Buy my best-selling book on sales here: ⁠⁠https://amzn.to/4u9fJy9 [https://amzn.to/4u9fJy9] * See a complete list of ALL the FREE and paid ways I can support you with sales https://www.annapayne.online/everything [https://www.annapayne.online/everything] Meet Your Host: Anna Payne is a sales and business growth expert with almost three decades of experience across sales, leadership and entrepreneurship. She has founded and co-founded three successful businesses since 2008, selling and delivering millions of pounds of consultancy and working with clients across five continents, as well as building and leading high-performing teams. Anna is also the author of the number one bestseller Everything You’ve Been Taught About Sales is Wrong (*Probably) and a keynote speaker on sales and entrepreneurship. Website: https://www.annapayne.online/everything [https://www.annapayne.online/everything] Subscribe / Follow: * Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-to-make-more-sales-with-anna-payne/id1895374587 [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-to-make-more-sales-with-anna-payne/id1895374587] * Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5RMn940JibdhqMWeQo73To\ [https://open.spotify.com/show/5RMn940JibdhqMWeQo73To\] * YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HowToMakeMoreSales [https://www.youtube.com/@HowToMakeMoreSales]

EP011: Why selling might feel harder right now (and what to do about it)

Episode summary A client recently asked Anna if she's having to work harder this year. Her honest answer: yes—but really, she's working differently. Anna unpacks what's changed and walks through her Multi-Layered Sales Framework—human, leverage and scale—and shares her own numbers to show where the real money is coming from, drawing a clear line between toxic hustle and the truth that building a business still takes work. Episode outline / timestamps 00:00 – "Am I working harder this year?" (and the more useful answer) 01:12 – What's really changed: AI noise, cautious buyers, a correcting market 05:57 – Anna's shift: from a 65% launch model to relationship-led sales 06:33 – Two challenge launches this year (~16% each) 07:49 – The Multi-Layered Sales Framework 08:03 – Layer 1: the human layer 08:45 – Layer 2: the leverage layer 09:36 – Layer 3: the scale layer 10:50 – £17k of new sales in two weeks—and where it came from 12:00 – The big mistake: skipping straight to scale 14:52 – The £250k, four-hours-a-day story 17:23 – Working harder vs working differently 20:00 – Your actions: map your revenue + client lifetime value 20:42 – Closing + how to work with Anna Links + Resources: * Want to see your greatest opportunities to increase sales? https://www.annapayne.online/quiz [https://www.annapayne.online/quiz] * Join us for 30 days of free online networking? https://www.annapayne.online/networking [https://www.annapayne.online/networking ] * Download your free leads tracker https://www.annapayne.online/tracker [https://www.annapayne.online/tracker ] * Book a free 15 minute sales game plan call with Anna https://calendly.com/annapaynecall/introduction [https://calendly.com/annapaynecall/introduction ] * Buy my best-selling book on sales here: ⁠https://amzn.to/4u9fJy9 [https://amzn.to/4u9fJy9] * See a complete list of ALL the FREE and paid ways I can support you with sales https://www.annapayne.online/everything [https://www.annapayne.online/everything ] Meet Your Host: Anna Payne is a sales and business growth expert with almost three decades of experience across sales, leadership and entrepreneurship. She has founded and co-founded three successful businesses since 2008, selling and delivering millions of pounds of consultancy and working with clients across five continents, as well as building and leading high-performing teams. Anna is also the author of the number one bestseller Everything You’ve Been Taught About Sales is Wrong (*Probably) and a keynote speaker on sales and entrepreneurship. Website: https://www.annapayne.online/everything [https://www.annapayne.online/everything] Subscribe / Follow: * Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-to-make-more-sales-with-anna-payne/id1895374587 [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-to-make-more-sales-with-anna-payne/id1895374587] * Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5RMn940JibdhqMWeQo73To\ [https://open.spotify.com/show/5RMn940JibdhqMWeQo73To\] * YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HowToMakeMoreSales [https://www.youtube.com/@HowToMakeMoreSales]

EP010: The top 10 mistakes that are stopping founders building six-figure sales momentum💔

Episode summary I see behind the scenes of a lot of businesses, and the difference between the founders who fly and the ones who stay stuck usually has very little to do with how good they are at what they do. So this episode is an honest list — updated for 2026 — of the 10 (plus a bonus 11th) mistakes I see entrepreneurs under £100k making, and what I'd do instead. Some of it is perhaps more direct than you may be used to me being, but it's all given with love and the intention of helping you spot where you might be becoming the bottle neck or keeping yourself stuck. Key takeaways * Start broader, not narrower: niche down once you've got traction and money coming in, guided by where the opportunity is. * Protect your time for what actually creates revenue: connections, conversations, talking about your offer and asking for the sale. * Your voice is your edge — AI can assist your content and interrogate your plan, but it shouldn't replace either. * Don't delay selling: aim for proof and profit at every stage, and build with your clients rather than before them. * Your next 10 clients (or next £10k) are probably already in your existing network. * Keep it simple and sell first every day — 30 minutes of income-generating activity, even when you're busy. Episode outline / timestamps 00:00 – Welcome + why some founders fly while others stay stuck 00:43 – Mistake 1: Niching down too far, too soon 02:46 – Mistake 2: Trying to do too much, too soon 03:46 – Mistake 3: Spending time on things that don't generate revenue 04:51 – Mistake 4: Only posting "business" content (and why it's boring) 05:43 – Mistake 5: How you're using AI — in your content and your planning 09:44 – Mistake 6: No systems, no help, no investment in yourself 11:19 – Mistake 7: Delaying selling until everything is "perfect" 13:42 – Mistake 8: Underestimating how much selling (and work) it takes 15:41 – Mistake 9: Chasing new leads while ignoring the ones you have 16:36 – Mistake 10: Overcomplicating it with scaling strategies too early 18:01 – Bonus Mistake 11: Stopping sales activity when you get busy 19:16 – Recap + the one action to take today Links + Resources: * Want to see your greatest opportunities to increase sales? https://www.annapayne.online/quiz [https://www.annapayne.online/quiz] * Join us for 30 days of free online networking? https://www.annapayne.online/networking [https://www.annapayne.online/networking] * Download your free leads tracker https://www.annapayne.online/tracker [https://www.annapayne.online/tracker] * Book a free 15 minute sales game plan call with Anna https://calendly.com/annapaynecall/introduction [https://calendly.com/annapaynecall/introduction] * Buy my best-selling book on sales here: https://amzn.to/4u9fJy9 [https://amzn.to/4u9fJy9] * See a complete list of ALL the FREE and paid ways I can support you with sales https://www.annapayne.online/everything [https://www.annapayne.online/everything ] Meet Your Host: Anna Payne is a sales and business growth expert with almost three decades of experience across sales, leadership and entrepreneurship. She has founded and co-founded three successful businesses since 2008, selling and delivering millions of pounds of consultancy and working with clients across five continents, as well as building and leading high-performing teams. Anna is also the author of the number one bestseller Everything You’ve Been Taught About Sales is Wrong (*Probably) and a keynote speaker on sales and entrepreneurship. Website: https://www.annapayne.online/everything [https://www.annapayne.online/everything] Subscribe / Follow: * Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-to-make-more-sales-with-anna-payne/id1895374587 [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-to-make-more-sales-with-anna-payne/id1895374587] * Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5RMn940JibdhqMWeQo73To\ [https://open.spotify.com/show/5RMn940JibdhqMWeQo73To\] * YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HowToMakeMoreSales [https://www.youtube.com/@HowToMakeMoreSales]

EP009: Follow the money: how to use my Sales Bullseye to find your quickest sales opportunities

Episode summary Most people think lead generation means finding brand new to your world people. Anna's take: your fastest sales are usually sitting far closer to home. In this episode she walks you through her Sales Bullseye, a target board with your warmest opportunities at the centre. You'll learn how to map your own board, match your sales action to the warmth of each relationship, and follow the money to the people most likely to buy soonest. Key takeaways * Follow the money: start with the people most likely to buy soonest, then build longer-term pipeline. * Leads are not equal so match your sales action to the warmth of the relationship. * Past buyers are statistically more likely to buy again, decide faster, and spend more. * The biggest mistake is focusing on new leads. * No clients yet? Your centre is "existing trust" your relationship bank. * Your open opportunities (your hot list) are one of the fastest places to close follow up to a clear yes, no, or not now. * Visibility only pays off if you draw new connections inward and actually have conversations. Episode outline / timestamps 00:00 – Welcome 00:28 – The big idea: picture your sales plan as a target board 01:42 – "Follow the money": start with who'll buy soonest (while building future pipeline) 03:00 – Ring 1 (centre): existing clients — their next natural step, upsell/cross-sell 05:03 – Newer in business? Reframe the centre as "existing trust" — your relationship bank 07:29 – Ring 2: active prospects + open opportunities (your hot list) — follow up to a decision 09:03 – Ring 3: past clients and previous buyers — give them a reason to re-engage 11:24 – Ring 4: older leads who went quiet — reactivate with a warm check-in (+ the 4 Ps) 13:13 – Ring 5: your existing audience — content that gets people to raise their hand 16:53 – Ring 6: new visibility and new connections (colder, longer-term) 21:00 – Why it works: leads aren't equal, so match your action to the warmth 22:11 – Action to take today: draw your board, map your rings, work the centre first Links + Resources: Want to see your greatest opportunities to increase sales? https://www.annapayne.online/quiz [https://www.annapayne.online/quiz] Join us for 30 days of free online networking? https://www.annapayne.online/networking [https://www.annapayne.online/networking] Download your free leads tracker https://www.annapayne.online/tracker [https://www.annapayne.online/tracker] Book a free 15 minute sales game plan call with Anna https://calendly.com/annapaynecall/introduction [https://calendly.com/annapaynecall/introduction] Buy my best-selling book on sales here: https://amzn.to/4u9fJy9 [https://amzn.to/4u9fJy9] See a complete list of ALL the FREE and paid ways I can support you with sales https://www.annapayne.online/everything [https://www.annapayne.online/everything] Meet Your Host: Anna Payne is a sales and business growth expert with almost three decades of experience across sales, leadership and entrepreneurship. She has founded and co-founded three successful businesses since 2008, selling and delivering millions of pounds of consultancy and working with clients across five continents, as well as building and leading high-performing teams. Anna is also the author of the number one bestseller Everything You’ve Been Taught About Sales is Wrong (*Probably) and a keynote speaker on sales and entrepreneurship. Website: https://www.annapayne.online/everything Subscribe / Follow: * Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-to-make-more-sales-with-anna-payne/id1895374587 [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-to-make-more-sales-with-anna-payne/id1895374587] * Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5RMn940JibdhqMWeQo73To\ [https://open.spotify.com/show/5RMn940JibdhqMWeQo73To\] * YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HowToMakeMoreSales [https://www.youtube.com/@HowToMakeMoreSales]

EP008: How To Generate Better Leads

Episode summary Why visibility alone is not enough, and how to create better leads and warmer sales opportunities. In this episode, I’m talking about how to generate more and better leads. Lead generation is the most important activity in your business because all sales, client growth and long-term revenue sit downstream of it. But being visible and generating leads are not the same thing. I’ll walk you through how to think about lead generation as an ongoing business task and habit, why most small businesses need to be both the ‘lighthouse’ and the ‘door-knocker’, and how to create more warm sales opportunities. We’ll also look at where to start first, how to spot the warmest opportunities already in your business, and what simple actions you can take this week. By the end of this episode, you’ll know how to take lead generation beyond posting on social media and hoping for the best, and start using your time more strategically to create more leads, better conversations, better opportunities and, ultimately, more sales. Key takeaways * Lead generation is a core daily job, not a quiet-month rescue mission, and small, consistent actions compound. * Visibility and a big audience help, but they don't equal leads: plenty of 100k-follower accounts make few sales, while sub-1,000 audiences turn over six and seven figures. * Success leaves clues: look at where your last 10 clients actually came from, then double down before chasing anything new. * Work out how many leads you genuinely need; your strategy should fit your business, not industry norms. * Be both the lighthouse (content that draws people in) and the door knocker (proactive outreach, follow-up, networking). * What you measure, you can manage, and Anna notes roughly 80% of sales happen between the 5th and 12th follow-up. Episode outline / timestamps 00:00 - Welcome + why lead generation underpins everything 01:11 - Be more intentional, not just busier 02:14 - Lead gen as a daily habit that compounds (Sales First & sales fitness) 04:00 - The big myth: visibility and audience are not lead generation 05:55 - Success leaves clues: where do your clients really come from? 09:30 - How many leads do you actually need? 11:11 - The lighthouse vs the door knocker 14:54 - Track everything (and the 5 to 12 follow-up rule) 18:01 - Your practical actions + 30-day plan 20:00 - Strategy options: networking, workshops, borrowing audiences 22:00 - Recap + what's coming next week Links + Resources: * Want to see your greatest opportunities to increase sales? https://www.annapayne.online/quiz [https://www.annapayne.online/quiz] * Join us for 30 days of free online networking? https://www.annapayne.online/networking [https://www.annapayne.online/networking] * Download your free leads tracker https://www.annapayne.online/tracker [https://www.annapayne.online/tracker] * Book a free 15 minute sales game plan call with Anna https://calendly.com/annapaynecall/introduction [https://calendly.com/annapaynecall/introduction] * Buy my best-selling book on sales here [https://amzn.to/4u9fJy9] * See a complete list of ALL the FREE and paid ways I can support you with sales https://www.annapayne.online/everything [https://www.annapayne.online/everything] Meet Your Host: Anna Payne is a sales and business growth expert with almost three decades of experience across sales, leadership and entrepreneurship. She has founded and co-founded three successful businesses since 2008, selling and delivering millions of pounds of consultancy and working with clients across five continents, as well as building and leading high-performing teams. Anna is also the author of the number one bestseller Everything You’ve Been Taught About Sales is Wrong (*Probably) and a keynote speaker on sales and entrepreneurship. Website: https://www.annapayne.online/everything [https://www.annapayne.online/everything] Subscribe / Follow: * Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-to-make-more-sales-with-anna-payne/id1895374587 [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-to-make-more-sales-with-anna-payne/id1895374587] * Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5RMn940JibdhqMWeQo73To\ [https://open.spotify.com/show/5RMn940JibdhqMWeQo73To\] * YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HowToMakeMoreSales [https://www.youtube.com/@HowToMakeMoreSales]