An industry-first podcast launching next month will highlight the stories behind some of the biggest disruptors in FMCG.
Superior Sales Consulting has produced a new podcast series, Superior Sales Disruption.
Superior Sales’ Managing Director Jamie Lobina and Mark Truelson (pictured) will lead the podcast, which will feature discussions with a “really enviable” list of people in the FMCG industry who have “made a big difference”.
Not all ‘strawberries and ice cream’
Mr Lobina says the podcasts will explore the pasts of current industry leaders to inspire and educate the next generation.
“We’re going to interview industry leaders to understand their journey,” Mr Lobina said. “Not only from a business perspective, but also a personal disruption perspective.
“These back stories are going to be really valuable for our listeners to get a gauge of how they can overcome obstacles. How they can see challenges and find a solution. And how they can build teams that can transform the marketplace.
“It’s not going to be all ‘strawberries and ice-cream’. We’ll be asking what decisions, in hindsight, may have been the wrong decisions. Or when they felt it was the wrong decision, but really it was one of the best decisions in their career.
“Who were their mentors? Mentors are an amazing part of all our journeys. Most people who get to the heights of corporate industry – whether that be owner operators, whether in the corporate space in FMCG or outside – they’ve all had mentors. So we want to hear how those mentors shape those people and where they are now. What were some of the disruptive programs, techniques, sales training modules that they’ve put their teams through?”
A very Superior podcast
The podcast stems from Superior Sales’ blog, which has covered a range of topics over the past year.
“We’ve been posting every Friday morning for the last 12 months, covering topics from sales training practices to the challenges of sales and marketing – are they joined at the hip?” Mr Lobina said. “And it’s had a massive increase in subscriptions.
“It was through this we realised people would love to hear directly from some of the icons in the industry. Stories on how they’ve climbed the corporate ladders to achieve the heights they’ve reached within the FMCG industry.”
With a successful blog behind them, though, why did the pair decide to produce a podcast?
“I think a podcast is the way that information and knowledge is transferred these days,” Mr Truelson said.
“Not everybody has a lot of time to read. Podcasts seem to be something that you can do whether you’re at the gym, on a walk, in between meetings … And I think it’s just a great way to engage an audience on the disruptions of some of the best salespeople in our industry.”
Season one: icons, leaders, innovators
Season one of the Superior Sales Disruption podcast will feature 13 interviews with industry “icons, leaders and innovators”. Among them are former Coca-Cola Amatil sales director James Lane, Lion National Sales Director Mark Powell, Pharmacare CEO John Donlan, and Frucor Suntory Sales Director Australia Caroline Waite.
In the first episode, launching on May 1, Mr Lobina and Mr Truelson interview each other. They discuss how the idea for a podcast series developed, their own journeys in the world of FMCG, and a mutual admiration for “legendary” singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen.
“I think the thing that resonates most with us is that you know [Bruce Springsteen] understands those that have been disrupted in their life and he helps people get through those troubling times,” Mr Truelson said. “It also leads a really clear path to transformation, which, for everybody out there – that’s what we’re all seeking.”
Coming soon
Superior Sales Disruption podcast launches on May 1 with a new episode each Wednesday for 13 weeks. Download the podcast from iTunes or from www.superiorsales.com.au/podcast.