Season 2 kicks off with a conversation between host Eric Smith and sales coach and author Walker McKay, diving deep into what effective, modern sales really look like—especially in the textile rental industry. This episode challenges traditional sales mindsets, reframing “no” as a powerful and productive outcome, and emphasizes the importance of transparency, qualifying prospects early, and differentiating through meaningful conversations rather than generic claims. From handling competition, to empowering route service reps to sell confidently, to building a simple, repeatable sales process for family-owned and independent operators, Walker shares practical, actionable insights listeners can apply immediately. It’s an insightful episode packed with real-world sales strategies designed to help business leaders sell smarter, faster, and with far less friction.

Listen now on your preferred platform and share your thoughts on our episode!

https://blog.alliantsystems.com/laundry-talks-podcast/s2-ep1-no-bs-sales-conversation-with-walker-mckay

• (00:00:00) - Laundry Talks
• (00:00:43) - Laundry Talks
• (00:03:25) - Getting a No quickly
• (00:07:57) - The Textile Rental Industry
• (00:12:02) - Do Route Sales People Get Enough Upselling?
• (00:15:45) - How to Get the Help You Need
• (00:17:28) - Route Sales Hiring 101
• (00:18:42) - New Business Sales Coach: Change Behavior
• (00:20:52) - 4 Steps in the Business Buyer's Process
• (00:23:53) - How to Improve Your Sales Process?
• (00:28:43) - How to Get More Business From Your Customers
• (00:32:26) - No BS Sales: Walker McKay on

In this episode of Laundry Talks we discussed the challenges of hiring and retaining top-performing route service representatives (RSRs) in the textile rental industry. Host Eric Smith interviews Nancy Roberts, also known as the Disc Wizard, who specializes in using behavioral assessments to help businesses make better hiring decisions. Nancy shares insights from her years of experience, explaining how top RSRs possess strong customer service skills but are also internally driven by efficiency and control—traits similar to business owners. She discusses how benchmarking successful employees and using assessments can help laundries reduce turnover and find the right candidates.

Listen now on your preferred platform and share your thoughts on our episode!

https://blog.alliantsystems.com/laundry-talks-podcast/ep10-how-to-hire-great-route-service-representatives-with-nancy-roberts

• (00:00:00) - Hiring and Retiring Great Route Service Reps
• (00:02:16) - Hiring With the Disc Wizard
• (00:03:17) - Laundry Talks
• (00:04:05) - Bucket List Vacation
• (00:05:10) - In the Elevator With the Disc Wizard
• (00:06:49) - Have the Assessment Programs Changed the Way You Hire Route Reps?
• (00:09:25) - The Process of Job Benchmarking
• (00:14:01) - WSJDLive: Hiring in the Laundry Industry
• (00:15:21) - Don't Hire This Route Rep
• (00:16:29) - Getting the survey data out there
• (00:17:17) - The Top Performers Project
• (00:18:10) - The Competencies of Top Performers
• (00:22:22) - Top Selling Reps: Skills and Competencies
• (00:25:09) - Top Operators: The RCRS Assessment
• (00:27:28) - Have I Got The Right Route Rep?
• (00:30:27) - RSR cheat sheet for hiring reps
• (00:31:44) - Book Recommendation
• (00:34:18) - The Changes in Payment Systems for Textile Rentals

In episode 9 of Laundry Talks, we're excited to welcome TJ Acerra, the President and Founder of Avail Wealth Group, as our special guest. We'll explore succession planning strategies, employee benefits, and even insurance, for textile rental businesses. This new episode will help you learn more about why is very important for small and mid-sized family-owned businesses to have a forward-looking plan.

Listen now on your preferred platform and share your thoughts on our episode!

https://blog.alliantsystems.com/laundry-talks-podcast/ep9-securing-the-legacy-a-financial-planner-talks-essential-succession-planning-strategies-for-textile-rental-companies