In this episode of Entrepreneurship Unlocked, Nate sits down with Ben Kinning, owner of Sales Geek Denver and CRO of Satori XR, to unpack Ben’s path from an accidental start in sales to leading high-performing teams and helping founders grow revenue in a smarter, more sustainable way.
Ben shares the early career story that shaped him, including a brutal first sales job selling subprime mortgages before 2008, and how persistence and relentless networking helped him break into corporate banking, where he quickly became a top producer and later a top-performing sales leader. From there, the conversation shifts into what actually makes great salespeople great, why “natural talent” is only part of the equation, and how most people get pulled into bad, copy-and-paste sales approaches that do not fit who they are.
Nate and Ben also dive deep into fractional sales leadership, why it is becoming more common, and how it helps companies cut expensive leadership bloat while giving teams more time to execute. They talk through real world examples of the disconnect inside organizations, including what happens when leadership thinks the CRM is “dialed in” while half the team swears it does not even exist.
For founders, this one hits hard. Ben breaks down common mistakes entrepreneurs make in sales, including overexplaining, clinging too tightly to control, hiring the wrong kind of “big title” sales leader too early, and expecting results in a few weeks when sales cycles take time. They also get practical about hiring your first sales support, signals that it is time to step back as the main revenue driver, and how to think about roles like appointment setting versus closer responsibilities.
Finally, Ben calls out the sales myths he wants to see disappear, especially the idea that “sales is a numbers game,” and replaces it with a better framework built on effectiveness, focus, and learning your craft.
Ben also shares advice on outsourcing business development, what to watch for with overseas agencies, and the model he has seen work best long-term.
Where to find Ben:
Sales Geek Colorado
https://salesgeekcolorado.com/
