In this episode of The Buyer Facilitator Podcast, George Chavez, President of Topaz Sales Consulting, explores how sales leadership has evolved, and why leading your team like it’s still 2010 could be costing you growth.

George breaks down twelve essential traits that define today’s most effective sales leaders. From being a strategist who aligns the team with company goals, to a coach and mentor who develops people, not just performance. He explains how modern leaders must also act as motivators, technologists, customer advocates, and change agents who guide their teams through rapid shifts in markets and technology.

You’ll learn how to communicate more clearly, attract and retain top talent, set a vision that inspires, foster accountability, and embody true servant leadership: Leading with empathy, integrity, and example.

Tune in to discover what it takes to lead your team confidently into 2025 and beyond.

Find out more about our training for sales leaders.

Are you accidentally giving away your expertise for free? In this episode of The Buyer Facilitator Podcast, George Chavez, President of Topaz Sales Consulting, tackles one of the most common traps in sales—the “free consulting support trap.” Discover how even the most well-intentioned sales professionals end up offering endless advice and strategy sessions that never convert into business… and how to break free from that cycle.

George shares practical strategies to set boundaries, protect your time, and position your expertise as something prospects are willing to invest in. You’ll learn how to recognize red flags—like uncommitted buyers, endless follow-ups, and undervalued expertise—and how to replace over-teaching with powerful questions that build trust and move the sale forward.

If you’ve ever walked out of a meeting feeling like you just gave a free training session, this episode is your wake-up call. Learn how to stop educating and start facilitating so you can turn those “free sessions” into real, profitable relationships.

For more training an tools, visit our resources page at TopazSalesConsulting.com/resources

Budget conversations can make or break a deal. In this episode of The Buyer Facilitator Podcast, we share two simple yet powerful sales questions that transform how you qualify prospects and uncover real intent.

What your prospect says about budget is rarely the full story, and asking the right follow-up questions can uncover hidden motivations, decision-making dynamics, and true expectations. Learn how to move beyond surface-level budget answers and start facilitating deeper, trust-based sales conversations that lead to better alignment and more wins.

Listen now to learn:

• The two most powerful questions to ask after a prospect shares their budget
• How to interpret the story behind the number
• When to challenge, align, or walk away gracefully
• How curiosity builds trust and wins better deals

In this episode, Jorge Chavez tackles one of the most debated topics in sales hiring: Does a salesperson really need industry-specific expertise to succeed? Drawing on the core principles of the Buyer Facilitator model, Jorge explains why sales fundamentals and leadership skills are more transferable, and more valuable, than most companies realize.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• Why companies overvalue industry-specific sales experience
• The key transferable sales skills that matter most
• The core leadership traits that drive sales team success
• How Buyer Facilitation transforms non-traditional sales professionals
• Why curiosity and discipline often outperform experience

Key Takeaways:

• Sales and leadership skills like prospecting, qualifying, presenting, coaching, and closing are universal across industries.
• Industry knowledge can help — but it’s easier to teach than true sales ability.
• Talent, mindset, and training often outweigh years of industry experience.

Learn more about Metahire, a sales hiring system by Topaz Sales Consulting.

Ever assume you know what your buyer’s thinking before they finish their sentence? In this episode of The Buyer Facilitator Podcast, Jorge Chavez, President of Topaz Sales Consulting, explores how top-performing salespeople flip assumptions into powerful questions. Learn the four essential sales question types: Open-ended, investigative, assumptive, and transformational questions. These questions help uncover hidden objections, build trust, and turn routine sales meetings into breakthrough conversations. If you’re ready to stop pitching and start facilitating, this one’s for you.

For training and resources to help you ask better sales questions, visit Topaz Sales Consulting.

Objections are part of every sales conversation. How you handle them can make or break the deal. In this episode of the Buyer Facilitator Podcast, host Jorge Chavez unpacks insights from a survey of 1,000 sales professionals to reveal when objections happen most, which ones derail deals, and what top-performing reps do differently. Learn how the Buyer Facilitator approach turns resistance into opportunity through empathy, curiosity, and clarity.

You can find out more about our survey and see some illuminating infographics in this article: Mastering Sales Objections: Insights from 1,000 Sales Professionals.

In this episode of The Buyer Facilitator Podcast, Jorge Chavez explores one of the most overlooked moments in the sales process: the conversation that happens after you leave the room. Learn how to spark that internal dialogue while you’re still there, build trust, uncover hidden concerns, and become part of your buyer’s decision-making process. Don’t wait for a call back… guide the conversation before it even starts.

For more sales tips and training, visit TopazSalesConsulting.com

In this episode of the Buyer Facilitator Podcast, host Jorge Chavez offers a liberating mindset shift every sales professional needs to hear: You are not for everyone. And that’s perfectly okay.

Embracing this truth can transform your sales approach, helping you spend less time chasing unqualified prospects and more time connecting with the right ones. He explains how to recognize clients who truly value what you offer, and why walking away from a bad fit is actually a smart, strategic move. If you've ever felt pressure to win every deal or convince everyone, this episode will encourage you to reframe your thinking... honor your value... and focus on fit instead of force.

Key takeaways:

• Why trying to please everyone in sales is a trap
• How to spot the “right” client (and release the wrong ones)
• A new way to think about rejection as redirection
• Practical encouragement for staying confident and focused

Whether you're new to sales or a seasoned pro, this episode will help you sell smarter, with more clarity, confidence, and purpose. For more tools, resources, and coaching, visit TopazSalesConsulting.com.