The Closing Code

From Hustler to Inc. 5000: Azhar Siddiqui’s RepStack Playbook for Agency Growth

Strap in, this one’s packed with fire. In this episode of The Closing Code Podcast, host Clinton James sits down with Azhar Siddiqui, CEO and co-founder of RepStack, to uncover how one bold idea turned into one of the fastest-growing companies in the U.S. (Inc. 5000 ranked). Azhar shares his journey from hustling in sales at Best Buy to building a 300+ person remote powerhouse that helps agencies scale with world-class marketing and sales talent. If you’ve ever wondered when to hire your first SDR, how to train and retain top sales talent, or what it really takes to build an unstoppable team, this episode is your playbook. You’ll discover: * The exact revenue point where agencies should hire their first SDR * Why lead flow must come before sales hires (and how to avoid costly mistakes) * How RepStack trains talent so they hit the ground running from day one * The hidden advantages of global hiring—and how to do it the right way * Why “wanting it” is the #1 trait every great salesperson must have * How culture, coaching, and peer-to-peer learning fuel RepStack’s success This episode is raw, tactical, and guaranteed to shift how you think about scaling your agency sales team. And if you want to go deeper, Azhar is hosting a brand-new webinar with his brother Athar and sales leader Urooj on August 21st called “Your Next Key Hire.” It’s built specifically for agency owners who want to know exactly which roles to fill next, what they should cost, and how to scale the right way. Don’t miss it. https://promotions.repstack.co/your-next-hire [https://promotions.repstack.co/your-next-hire] If you’re serious about closing more high-ticket deals and building a team that crushes it, this is a must-listen. ----- Connect with Azhar Siddiqui https://repstack.co [https://repstack.co]https://www.linkedin.com/in/azharsid-repstack/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/azharsid-repstack/] ----- Take Action Now: Subscribe to The Closing Code Podcast on Apple or Spotify Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/@TheClosingCodePod [http://www.youtube.com/@TheClosingCodePod]Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theclosingcodepodcast [https://www.facebook.com/theclosingcodepodcast]Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theclosingcodepodcast [https://www.instagram.com/theclosingcodepodcast] Share this episode with your team or your favorite agency owners—it might just change the way they sell forever. This isn’t theory. It’s how you scale with confidence. Let’s crack the code together. Take Action Now: * Subscribe to The Closing Code Podcast so you never miss a power-packed episode Apple or Spotify * Subscribe to our YouTube Channel at www.youtube.com/@TheClosingCodePod [http://www.youtube.com/@TheClosingCodePod] * Follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/theclosingcodepodcast [https://www.facebook.com/theclosingcodepodcast] * Follow us on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/theclosingcodepodcast [https://www.instagram.com/theclosingcodepodcast] * Share this episode with your team and fellow closers to help them level up their sales game It’s time to crack the code and start closing like a pro!

No Sales Team? No Growth. How Matt Plapp Built One That Actually Closes

What does it take to turn a one-man agency into a sales-driven machine that dominates a niche? In this episode of The Closing Code, Clinton and Josh sit down with Matt Plapp, founder of America’s Best Restaurants, to dig deep into the raw truth of building and scaling a sales team from scratch. From humble beginnings in radio and boat sales to leading a 12-person outbound sales team, Matt shares exactly how he carved out a niche, scaled his agency, and built a culture of performance and accountability. This episode is packed with actionable strategies and hard-earned wisdom for agency owners, sales leaders, and entrepreneurs ready to scale. Here’s what you’ll learn: - How Matt transitioned from generalist to restaurant niche specialist and why niching down was a game-changer - The early grind: cold emails, door-to-door visits, and the messy hustle that built momentum - What Matt looks for when hiring salespeople (and why most agencies get this wrong) - Why in-person sales teams outperform remote ones and how culture plays a huge role - The simple but powerful KPI Matt tracks that outperforms deal count - The moment Matt fired himself as sales director and why that skyrocketed conversions If you're building or scaling a high-ticket digital marketing agency, this is the episode you can't afford to skip. Connect with Matt Plapp: https://mattplapp.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattplapp/ ----- Take Action Now: * Subscribe to The Closing Code Podcast so you never miss a power-packed episode Apple or Spotify * Subscribe to our YouTube Channel at www.youtube.com/@TheClosingCodePod [http://www.youtube.com/@TheClosingCodePod] * Follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/theclosingcodepodcast [https://www.facebook.com/theclosingcodepodcast] * Follow us on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/theclosingcodepodcast [https://www.instagram.com/theclosingcodepodcast] * Share this episode with your team and fellow closers to help them level up their sales game It’s time to crack the code and start closing like a pro!

Selling to the Elite: How Austin Irabor Closes High-Ticket Clients Without Chasing Anyone

How do you build a sales process that disqualifies the wrong prospects, attracts elite clients, and positions YOU as the prize? In this powerhouse episode of The Closing Code, Clinton and Josh sit down with Austin Irabor, founder of NetFly, a legal tech company that’s redefining what it means to sell high-ticket services in a saturated market. This is not your average agency founder story. Austin dives deep into the mindset, systems, and positioning strategies that let him sell expensive solutions to rich people without begging for the deal. Whether you're stuck taking bad-fit clients just to fill your pipeline or you're looking to command bigger retainers with confidence, this episode will shake up the way you sell forever. In This Episode, You’ll Learn: * How to build mystique and position yourself like "the wizard" your prospects must earn the right to meet * Why "if it works…” is a red-flag phrase and what it reveals about bad-fit clients * Austin’s counterintuitive advice: Don’t be flexible. Rigid processes win high-ticket deals * The power of disqualifying clients early—and how that increases conversions * A behind-the-scenes look at the advantage-driven tech NetFly built to dominate the legal space This episode is packed with tactical wisdom, no-BS advice, and proven methods that will help you close better clients, faster. ----- Connect with Austin Irabor https://netfly.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/austinirabor/ Take Action Now: * Subscribe to The Closing Code Podcast so you never miss a power-packed episode Apple or Spotify * Subscribe to our YouTube Channel at www.youtube.com/@TheClosingCodePod [http://www.youtube.com/@TheClosingCodePod] * Follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/theclosingcodepodcast [https://www.facebook.com/theclosingcodepodcast] * Follow us on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/theclosingcodepodcast [https://www.instagram.com/theclosingcodepodcast] * Share this episode with your team and fellow closers to help them level up their sales game It’s time to crack the code and start closing like a pro!

Selling Like a Boss & Becoming the Authority in Your Niche with Tony Ricketts

This is the episode every digital marketing agency owner wishing they could sell with more authority needs to hear. Tony Ricketts—CEO and Co-Founder of Lawnline Marketing—built a 7-figure powerhouse by doing one thing differently: he stopped selling like a vendor and started selling like a boss. In this episode of The Closing Code, Tony breaks down exactly how he turned a struggling agency into the go-to authority in the lawn and landscape niche—without offering discounts, negotiating with tire-kickers, or customizing proposals for every prospect. What You’ll Learn in This Episode: * Why offering menus of services is killing your close rate—and what to do instead * The 4 non-negotiables Tony uses to qualify (or disqualify) every prospect * How he built a high-conviction sales team without commissions or sales backgrounds * Why Tony only presents one offer—and how that simplifies the sale and boosts authority * How to position yourself as “the doctor, not the pharmacist” and take control of every deal * Why quoting in annual terms changes buyer psychology and increases stick rate * How Tony uses market-specific data to dominate his niche and shut down objections cold Whether you're trying to get out of project hell, build a repeatable sales system, or finally stop playing small, this episode will show you how to sell like a boss and build a sales engine that scales. Connect with Tony Ricketts https://www.lawnline.marketing https://www.linkedin.com/in/tonyricketts/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/tonyricketts/] Take Action Now: * Subscribe to The Closing Code Podcast so you never miss a power-packed episode Apple or Spotify * Subscribe to our YouTube Channel at www.youtube.com/@TheClosingCodePod [http://www.youtube.com/@TheClosingCodePod] * Follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/theclosingcodepodcast [https://www.facebook.com/theclosingcodepodcast] * Follow us on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/theclosingcodepodcast [https://www.instagram.com/theclosingcodepodcast] * Share this episode with your team and fellow closers to help them level up their sales game It’s time to crack the code and start closing like a pro!

Sales Is a Team Sport: Why Your Agency Isn’t Closing More Deals

Selling high-ticket digital marketing services isn’t just about the closer. It’s about building a team that creates an unbeatable client experience from the first call to ongoing results. In this episode of The Closing Code, Clinton James and Josh Konigsberg unpack one of the biggest myths in agency sales that the salesperson alone wins or loses the deal. They reveal how your fulfillment, onboarding, and client success teams directly impact your ability to close more deals and grow revenue. You’ll hear how to train client success managers to upsell and drive recurring revenue, why world-class onboarding leads to referrals before campaigns even launch, and the systems top agencies use to align sales and delivery for maximum impact. This isn’t theory—it’s the real-world playbook used to scale agencies to multi-million-dollar operations. Whether you’re tired of being stuck in the sales seat or looking for ways to turn delivery into a sales accelerator, this episode gives you the mindset and strategies to get your whole team selling for you. Take Action Now: * Subscribe to The Closing Code Podcast so you never miss a power-packed episode Apple or Spotify * Subscribe to our YouTube Channel at www.youtube.com/@TheClosingCodePod [http://www.youtube.com/@TheClosingCodePod] * Follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/theclosingcodepodcast [https://www.facebook.com/theclosingcodepodcast] * Follow us on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/theclosingcodepodcast [https://www.instagram.com/theclosingcodepodcast] * Share this episode with your team and fellow closers to help them level up their sales game It’s time to crack the code and start closing like a pro!