Selling in the Age of AI - Episode 27: Joey Gilkey

Quote: "You have to obsess over being a student of the game... Trust is the one ingredient you have to have to close a deal no matter what." - Joey Gilkey

Episode Summary: In this powerhouse episode of "Selling in the Age of AI," Frank Somma is joined by Joey Gilkey, CEO of Titan X, a game-changing phone intent platform for B2B sales teams. Joey dives deep into how sales organizations can achieve 20-30% connect rates by leveraging behavioral data to prioritize high-probability conversations. From AI's role in sales to the evolution of sales hiring and leadership, Joey shares bold insights that challenge the status quo and elevate what it means to be a high-performing sales pro in the AI era.

Key Topics & Insights:

• The Titan X Revolution: How Titan X leverages telephony behavioral data to predict which prospects will answer the phone—cutting wasted dials and tripling rep productivity.
  

• Phone-First Strategy: Why Joey believes the phone remains the most powerful outbound channel for human interaction and bi-directional feedback.
  

• AI as Back-of-House: Drawing a vivid restaurant analogy, Joey explains how AI should enhance administrative workflows, not replace human connection at the "front of house."
  

• From Mass Volume to Precision Targeting: Why scaling headcount and activities without strategy leads to diminishing returns—and how intent data flips the equation.
  

• Beyond the Hype: Joey debunks common AI promises and emphasizes that trust and human interaction are irreplaceable in complex B2B sales.
  

• Hiring the Right Salespeople: Joey’s radical, no-resume, cold-call-first hiring method that filters for hunger, coachability, and grit.
  

• Trial by Fire: A bold, competitive final interview round where top candidates must cold call live against each other—because the job is the interview.
  

• Special Forces Sales Teams: Why the future of sales is fewer, elite reps empowered by technology—not bloated teams of average performers.
  

• AI-Powered Sales Intelligence: How analyzing call transcripts with AI can pinpoint top-performing behaviors and lift team performance instantly.
  

• Three Traits of Elite Sales Reps: Relentless mindset, masterful questioning, and the ability to navigate complex conversations with empathy and skill.
  

• Sales Leadership Truths: Stop rewarding mediocrity. Double down on your top producers, and treat your team like a true meritocracy.
  

Connect with Joey Gilkey:

• https://titanx.io/

• https://www.linkedin.com/in/joeygilkey/
  

Connect with Frank Somma:

• https://www.franksomma.com/

• https://www.linkedin.com/in/fsomma/

• https://www.instagram.com/franksomma/
  

Want to take your sales skills to the next level and thrive in the age of AI? Frank Somma is offering a special discount to our podcast listeners!

Mention this podcast when you contact Frank and receive a 10% discount on your first coaching session, keynote, or workshop booking!