Is sales really about relationships, or is it just math in disguise? Host Dennis Sorenson sits down with Blaine Sibby, Chief Revenue Officer at Zenith Roofing, for part one of a two-part conversation on friction — the invisible force that stalls deals before they start. A former Marine Corps lieutenant, Blaine traces the concept back to MCDP Tac1, a Marine Corps warfighting publication, and applies it directly to sales: “friction is anything that makes the seemingly easy very difficult.” What’s really slowing your pipeline down? Blaine’s answer: it’s rarely the market. It’s the self-imposed friction sellers create for themselves.
The two dig into where friction actually hides — in weak qualification, in white space on a calendar, in comp plans that reward the wrong activity. Dennis introduces his “sales is just math” framework, and Blaine counters with his own CRM dilemma: how do you actually quantify relationship-building? They close on the deepest friction point of all — trust — with Blaine’s take that “people do business with those that they like,” but the real work starts once you have to earn something deeper.
In This Episode:
- (00:00) Welcome guest Blaine Sibby
- (01:08) Where the concept of the point of friction comes from
- (05:49) Removing friction as an individual seller versus a sales leader
- (12:07) Sales is just math: pipeline coverage and relationships
- (18:25) Inspect what you expect: the power of quality activity
- (22:23) Maintaining initiative and earning trust in the sales process
- Share with a sales leader or seller who’s ready to build something that lasts. Subscribe to hear all future episodes!
About the Show
Think Big. Win Bigger is hosted by Dennis Sorenson, CEO of Cove Group, a strategic partner for companies seeking to optimize sales performance and achieve sustainable growth. With deep expertise in enterprise sales and fractional CRO leadership, Dennis specializes in addressing challenges at the point of friction—where inefficiencies, misalignment, or resistance occur within the sales process.
The podcast is built on Process-Driven Sales and the three pillars of Ambition, Strategy, and Execution. Each episode breaks down the systems and operating rhythms that drive predictable performance, giving leaders and sellers practical insights they can use immediately. This is for professionals who are ready to stop improvising, start operating with intention, and build repeatable success over time.
Resources:
Blaine Sibby LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/blaine-sibby-mba-b5ba3935/
Dennis Sorenson: LinkedIn
