Bridging Generations in Sales and Outreach

E1 with Butch Nicholson - From Cold Calls to Connection Requests: A Sales Evolution

• Season 1 • Episode 1

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What happens when decades of face-to-face sales experience collides with today’s digital-first buyer?

In this inaugural episode, host Butch Nicholson introduces Bridging Generations in Sales and Outreach, a show built for Baby Boomer and Gen X sales leaders navigating a changed sales landscape.

Drawing from his personal journey, Butch shares how the 2008 crash rewrote his career path, how his first attempts at using LinkedIn were anything but smooth, and how he eventually embraced technology to build meaningful connections again.

But this show isn’t about theory, it’s about practical conversations with leaders who’ve made the digital transition.

Butch sets the stage for upcoming guests who’ve merged decades of relational selling with tools like LinkedIn, automation, and data-driven prospecting.

You’ll walk away with

  • Why the fundamentals of trust and problem-solving still matter.
  • What’s actually changed about how buyers buy—and why it's a wake-up call.
  • A modern view of LinkedIn as your new 24/7 networking event.
  • The common fears Baby Boomers face with tech—and how to overcome them.
  • Why having a “learning mindset” isn’t optional anymore.

Whether you're trying to adapt or just don't know where to begin, this show is here to prove: if Butch can do it, you can too.

Don’t miss next week’s episode with guest Jeff Watts, sharing how he transitioned from cold calls to digital strategy, and landed the job he always wanted.

Bridging Generations in Sales and Outreach is hosted by Robert (BUTCH) NICHOLSON and produced by Fist Bump

Helping Gen X and Baby Boomer leaders turn their reputation into revenue—without losing the human touch.

📅 Join us LIVE every Friday at 10 AM ET on LinkedIn

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Butch Nicholson: [00:00:00] Good morning. Uh, you may wonder why I called you here, uh, and I'm gonna tell you, uh, this is the first episode of Bridge or Generations. Bridging Gen, I'm sorry, bridging Generations in Sales and outreach. And I'm Butch Nicholson. I'll be the host of the show moving forward. Uh, glad to have you here today.

Butch Nicholson: If you have any, uh, comments, just put 'em in the, uh, chat. If you have any questions, put 'em in the chat and we'll. Do our best to answer 'em here. And, uh, if we can't do that, we will, uh, get bit back in touch with you. Uh, so why am I doing this today? Uh, the reason I'm doing this today is to introduce the show and the reason I [00:01:00] created the show comes from a personal experience I had, uh, or am having to be honest with you.

Butch Nicholson: Uh. There are a lot of baby boomers and some older Gen Xers who like me, really didn't, didn't figure they'd be working right now and haven't paid enough attention to the changes that have are occurring in sales. Uh, the good news is people still buy for the same reason that they've always bought.

Butch Nicholson: They're just doing it a different way and it's easier. To learn the different way to do it than it is to learn how they buy. Uh, so let me, let me share my story. Let me share my story and, and what has happened. Uh, I was in, I'd been in sales for over 40 years, uh, like a lot of baby boomers. I didn't think I'd be working now, but I [00:02:00] got pretty much wiped out by the, uh, crash in 2 0 7.

Butch Nicholson: And I talked to a lot of baby boomers that that happened to. Uh, you'll notice a lot of times when you talk to a baby boomer, ask 'em what they do. It always starts with, well before the crash I did and since the crash. Uh, so if you're in my boat, uh, there is hope. I promise when I. Got involved with Fist Bump, uh, and with Brandon Lee.

Butch Nicholson: Uh, probably four years ago. Uh, actually Brandon was helping me figure out what I wanted to do. Uh, what I was really looking for was something I could do 20, 25 hours a week related to sales. And with the meetings Brandon and I had, I got interested in what he was doing. Uh, a company called Funnel Amplified, which morphed into fist bump and, uh.

Butch Nicholson: I got more and more intrigued with the technology. [00:03:00] Now I have to tell you, when I started this journey, my LinkedIn page reflected a job that was three jobs ago. Uh, the only post that I had ever made on LinkedIn were just an occasional happy birthday or congratulations on your new job. I, I, in fact, I didn't even know how to change my LinkedIn page, so I knew about as little a technology just.

Butch Nicholson: Technology as you can. But one thing, I know this, this changed the world. Uh,

Butch Nicholson: and, and one thing to take, to take a look at a, a thing to remember, depending on how old you are, look at your kids. In my case, even my grandkids, uh. They go anything they don't know, they just Google. They don't have to ask anybody. Uh, and they're not used to interacting with people the way you and I did.

Butch Nicholson: Uh, you know, back in the day, uh, everything [00:04:00] we did was face-to-face. When I started, I had a push button phone. Uh, most of the time if you call somebody, uh, an assistant or secretary answered the phone. Wrote down on, remember those old pink slips? Everybody had to take phone numbers, wrote down the phone number on there, put it on your desk.

Butch Nicholson: Uh, not a very effective way, but that was the only way there was. Uh, today you pick up, pick up this, do it on your computer, you get anything you want, you can leave a message. Uh, so it has changed, but the, the bandage baby boomers have in, in this change going on is. We know why people buy. We know how to build relationships.

Butch Nicholson: We understand, know, like, and trust, which is the reason people buy. They buy from people they know, like, and trust. Also, uh, the younger generation [00:05:00] seems to be really good at coming up with a product and telling you you need that product. But one thing we know is people don't buy products. They don't buy services.

Butch Nicholson: They buy solutions to problems. And you know how to find the problem, identify that, and come up with a solution. What they know how to do a lot better than we do is leverage technology, and that's what we're gonna talk about on this show. Uh, what I'm going to do is invite people on this show. Who have bridged that gap.

Butch Nicholson: People who, who are baby boomers, who have leveraged technology in a great way and have them share their stories. I want it to be very, very practical. What they're gonna do is share, you know, what they did before, what happened and what they're doing now, and how it's working. Uh. [00:06:00] If you look at, uh, what has changed in sales, it is that it is, buyers don't really need salespeople the way they used to.

Butch Nicholson: Uh, you remember back in the day if somebody needed information on a product or a service, the only person they can call was us. Uh, the. Challenge that we have now is they don't need information from us. They got their phone, they got their computer. They can look up, find information on everything in the world, uh, so they don't need to call a salesperson.

Butch Nicholson: And research shows that, uh, 70 buyers do 75% of their research before they even want to talk to a salesperson. Another thing, if you're a baby boomer, the average age of a B2B buyer is [00:07:00] 39 years old. Uh, if you're like me, my daughter is over 39 years old.

Butch Nicholson: So you have to meet, you have to meet people where they are, and if where they are is doing 75% of their research. Uh, before they engage with the salesperson. You have to be prepared for that also. And this, this goes back to leveraging, uh, technology. You want to be the one that they go to to get that 75% of, uh, the information they need.

Butch Nicholson: And we'll have guests that talk about that as we move forward here. Uh. Another challenge that we have in these days, these days because we never had to deal with that, is, uh, data driven sales. Uh, we're all, we're all dealing with ai. Uh, we we're dealing with automation, we're dealing with [00:08:00] analytics. Uh, you know, they're doing, ev the younger generation is doing everything they can do to leave the sales person out.

Butch Nicholson: Uh, but that's fine because the sales person can be the person that provides all that information to them, becomes the trusted advisor, and then is the one who they turn to for, uh, the solutions to their problems. Uh, so let's talk a little bit about, and I'm gonna tell you this from my experience, talk about the, the, um, common frustrations that.

Butch Nicholson: We can have as older people not used to it. Moving into the technology side of sales these days, uh, one of the things I hear is all the time is I don't have time to post on LinkedIn. [00:09:00] So what I want you to do, if you're a baby boomer, think about the, uh. Networking meetings we went to in say, 2005 in that timeframe, couple years, one way or another.

Butch Nicholson: Uh, first off, you had to get in your car and drive there. Then you had to find a place to park. Then you had to walk into the building and get a name tag and, uh, they maybe give you a couple of tickets for a drink. There're a hundred people in the room and you don't know where anybody is, and you don't know if the people you wanna see are there or not.

Butch Nicholson: And you start wandering around and two hours later you shook hands with a bunch of salespeople and I. You know they're gonna be the same ones you see at the next networking meeting back in 2005. But what I want you to think about is think about LinkedIn as a 24 hour, seven day days a week, [00:10:00] 365 days a year, networking meeting.

Butch Nicholson: The be what the advantage is, you don't have to drive there. You don't have to park there. You don't have to rumble around in a room and get knocked around with 200 people trying to find the five people you want to talk to. You can identify exactly who you want to. You can target those people and you can know whether or not they got your information, and hopefully they can respond to your information that way.

Butch Nicholson: Look at LinkedIn is a, is a great advantage, not as a challenge. And if you just don't even know where to start with LinkedIn, uh, give us a call at fist bump. We can point you in the right direction. Uh, if we can't do it for you, we can certainly line up somebody that can help you with what you need. Uh.

Butch Nicholson: But I believe, and from my experience in the [00:11:00] last year and a half, people's biggest problem with LinkedIn is not that they don't have time. Now, time I is, uh, is a valid excuse. Uh, it because it does take some time. It's not timeless. Uh, but I really believe. Especially with baby boomers 'cause we're, we didn't grow up this way.

Butch Nicholson: I believe that baby boomers are just scared about getting on LinkedIn, making themselves transparent, uh, and, and they don't want to look bad. Those fear, those fears exist. Those fears are real, but those are the fears that you've gotta get over. Because done the right way. LinkedIn can be used just like a first interview back in the day when we didn't have technology.

Butch Nicholson: And it's a lot easier than [00:12:00] having to deal with technology, uh,

Butch Nicholson: to do to, to make this shift. You've gotta adopt a learning mindset. Now, I'm gonna tell you this, I'm gonna be completely transparent here. I, I was the, I didn't know anything. I, I was totally lost on LinkedIn, but I was just determined I was gonna learn how to do it and I was gonna seek help in getting it done.

Butch Nicholson: And you can do that. If I can do it, you can do it, I promise. And if you don't believe me. Just let me know. You don't, and what I'll do is I'll let you talk to some of the people that helped me and they will tell you that, that I was a basket case. Uh,

Butch Nicholson: the next thing I want to talk about is, uh, the purpose of our show. Uh. [00:13:00] The purpose of this show is to have people on who have lived through making this change and how technology continues to work for them. Uh, one of the important things to remember and, and one of the things you know, is a baby boomer, people buy from people that they know, like, and trust.

Butch Nicholson: Uh, and they may not even know that that's what they're doing, but that's what they do. And you know, we know how, how to build those kind of relationships for know, like, and trust. Uh, the other thing, you know, and. And I said this before, people buy solutions. People don't buy products and, and services, although they think that's what they're buying.

Butch Nicholson: They're really buying a solution to a problem, [00:14:00] and we know how to do that. So just get a, a change in your mindset. How you're gonna do it. And I promise you, you can get this done and on this show, I'm gonna have guests who have done it. Uh, please, please, I encourage you to come be on the show next week. Uh, my friend Jeff Watts is going to be the guest and, uh, he's got a great story, an absolutely great story on how he, he made the change, uh.

Butch Nicholson: From, uh, you know, just being beating on doors and calling to using technology and, uh, wound up with the job that he had always wanted.

Butch Nicholson: That's the purpose of the show. To give you some practical, practical ways that people have u leveraged technology. [00:15:00] With what they know about sales as baby boomers and had super success. Uh, if you know anyone that you think might like to be on the show, please let us know that we'd be happy to reach out to 'em.

Butch Nicholson: Uh, one other thing that I want to touch on is, uh, my journey. Um, and I'm be, I wanna be completely transparent here. Um. When I started working with Brandon, I, I had really no intention of having a full-time job. Uh, but as I saw how I. The company that he had was evolving and evolving and evolving. I decided to make an investment in the company, um, and I'm glad I did, and I, and I, I know I probably know as much about this company as anybody except for Brandon.

Butch Nicholson: [00:16:00] Uh, and I'm a very happy investor. But on top of that, um, I love sales. I'm, I'm a sales guy. I love studying the psychology of sales. I think it's fascinating how, how people make buying decisions and how the mine works and all that stuff. Uh, and I started working with Brian Brandon, uh, I, 'cause I know how to sell, I, I can sit down at the table with you.

Butch Nicholson: I knew how to do that. I knew nothing I. Nothing about technologies, how they work, but I just got determined to learn and I drove. People that worked with worked for us with us crazy, asking what they had to think were really dumb questions. Like, I'm stuck on this page. How do I get to a next, the next one?

Butch Nicholson: Uh, somewhere in there I made a switch. Um. To, I [00:17:00] just had to, I just, and this is the mindset, I said, I'm gonna stop asking anybody a question until I've exhausted always to find it. Uh, one of the things I've found, you can learn a whole lot about technology, even for people like me, I don't think to be the smartest guy in the world.

Butch Nicholson: Uh. I even hate to admit this, but with Google you can find out how to do most everything. And one thing I know, the best way to learn is to figure it out yourself, but have somebody guiding you. That's what I've been able, that's what I've been able to do and I promise that you will be able to do if, if that is what you want to do.

Butch Nicholson: But anyway, it wound up, I got a full-time job now, and in fact I've got more than a full-time job. Uh. But I am a very happy investor and, uh, sales guy. Uh.[00:18:00] 

Butch Nicholson: Well, sorry about that guys. I think I got disconnected for a while. I'm back now. Um, see, I don't know how to use technology. Uh, sorry about that. If you have any questions, please put 'em in the chat. Be happy to answer 'em. See a couple familiar faces there, [00:19:00] Troy. Hope you're doing well, Dave. A baby boomer who, uh, has been navigating technology.

Butch Nicholson: So let's just kind of hit the highlights and we'll wrap this up. I know y'all are busy. Uh. There is a gap. There is a gap right now if you're a baby boomer, but it's a gap that you can fill. Remember, you know how, you know, you understand, know, like, and trust, and you understand solving problems, so you, you've got an advantage there.

Butch Nicholson: Uh, also you can learn how to leverage digital tools. There are plenty of people out there.

Butch Nicholson: Like I said, if you have any questions looking for some direction, you email, send me a direct message on LinkedIn. I know how to do that now, and uh, we'll be, like I said, if we can't help you, we'll point you in the right direction. [00:20:00] Uh. But, but you do have an advantage over younger, uh, competition because you understand really how the buy, how buying works.

Butch Nicholson: I, I'll just wrap it up quick. One. There is a gap. There is a gap you've gotta fill between knowing how to sell no, like, and trust solving problems and the challenges of the, of the internet. Uh. If I can overcome 'em, you can overcome 'em.

Butch Nicholson: I'm gonna have guests on the show that have overcome them and give you, can give you some very practical, tactical, easy to implement ways to, uh, bridge those gaps. And what I really hope you'll do is join us next week. Uh, same time, same place. Got as I said, we got a great guest, Jeff Watts. And, uh, if, if I wasn't hosting this show, I would be leading this show.[00:01:00] 

Butch Nicholson: So with that, I'll wrap it up. If you have any questions, please send them to me and have a fist bump earning day. I.