Above The Business Episode 543: How to Build a Sales Team That Doesn't Depend on You with Nikki Rausch
Most small business owners are naturally great at sales — it's their business, their passion, and they've lived it from day one. The problem? What lives in their head is almost impossible to transfer to a team.
In this episode, Bradley sits down with Nikki Rausch, founder of Sales Maven and author of The Selling Staircase, to talk about what it actually takes to build a sales team that performs without you. From structure and tonality to training, coaching, and the metrics that actually matter — this one is packed.
About Nikki Rausch
Nikki Rausch is the founder of Sales Maven and has spent over 25 years in professional sales — rising from her first job (landed via a college project) to becoming the top-producing rep in North America for one of the largest companies in the world. After discovering neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) and its power to transform how we communicate, Nikki left the corporate world to teach relationship-based selling to entrepreneurs. She's now helped hundreds of business owners close more sales without feeling pushy or inauthentic. She's also the host of the Sales Maven podcast and the author of three books, including The Selling Staircase.
Connect with Nikki Rausch
- Website: yoursalesmaven.com.
- Free Training: yoursalesmaven.com/above.
- Podcast: Sales Maven (available wherever you listen to podcasts).
Register Now! Lead Yourself First: February 24th - an Above The Business Workshop
FREE workshop for business owners who planned well but are running on fumes.
You set the goals in January. You aligned the team. You built the plan.
But six weeks in, you're exhausted.
Here's the truth: Your business won't grow beyond you until you lead yourself first.
Join Bradley for a FREE 2-hour workshop on February 24th at 10 AM CST.
You'll build your Personal Operating System, Decision Framework, Energy Protection Plan, Role Clarity Matrix, and 90-Day Accountability Structure.
Space is limited. https://blueprintos.com/assets
Thanks to our sponsors...
Coach P found great success as an insurance agent and agency owner. He leads a large, stable team of professionals who are at the top of their game year after year. Now he shares the systems, processes, delegation, and specialization he developed along the way. Gain access to weekly training calls and mentoring at www.coachpconsulting.com. Be sure to mention the Above The Business Podcast when you get in touch.
Autopilot Recruiting helps small business owners solve their staffing challenges by taking the stress out of hiring. Their dedicated recruiters work on your behalf every single business day - optimizing your applicant tracking system, posting job listings, and sourcing candidates through social media and local communities. With their continuous, hands-off recruiting approach, you can save time, reduce hiring costs, and receive pre-screened candidates, all without paying any hiring fees or commissions. More money & more freedom: that’s what Autopilot Recruiting help business owners achieve. Visit https://www.autopilotrecruiting.com/ and don't forget to mention you heard about us on the Above The Business podcast.
Direct Clicks is built is by business owners, for business owners. They specialize in custom marketing solutions that deliver real results. From paid search campaigns to SEO and social media management, they provide the comprehensive digital marketing your business needs to grow. Here’s an exclusive offer for Above The Business listeners: Visit directclicksinc.com/abovethebusiness for a FREE marketing campaign audit. They’ll assess your website, social media, SEO, content, and paid advertising, then provide actionable recommendations. Plus, when you choose to partner with them, they’ll waive all setup fees.
About Above The Business:
Above The Business is hosted by Bradley Hamner, founder of BlueprintOS, and focuses on helping small business owners transition from Rainmaker to Architect. Each week, Bradley shares frameworks, interviews successful entrepreneurs, and provides actionable insights for building businesses that run without you. Whether you're doing $300K or $3M in revenue, this show will help you get above your business and design the systems you need to scale.