About Sean Shannon
Sean Shannon brings 34 years of sales leadership experience to Strategic Growth Design, where he partners with small and medium-sized businesses to transform their marketing, messaging, and sales strategies. His unique perspective comes from literally “selling air” for over three decades – helping hundreds of SMBs unlock their growth potential through proven sales methodologies.
Experience & Expertise
Sean’s approach is refreshingly practical. As he puts it, “Most of what I share you probably already know. But in 30 years of sales leadership, these are five areas we forget to focus on”. His expertise spans:
Sales Strategy Development – Helping businesses identify their ideal customer profiles and align value propositions
Pipeline Optimization – Implementing the “Three V’s” (Volume, Velocity, Veracity) to unclog sales pipelines
Team Performance – Designing compensation plans and coaching strategies that drive results
Customer Intelligence – Using Clayton Christensen’s Jobs Theory to understand what customers are actually buying.
Academic & Professional Background
Beyond his consulting work, Sean teaches at the University of North Georgia and the University of Washington, bringing academic rigor to real-world sales challenges. His presentations blend practical wisdom with proven frameworks, making complex sales concepts accessible to growing businesses.
Philosophy
Sean believes in the power of data-driven decision making and systematic approaches to sales growth. His methodology focuses on five critical questions every business should answer: understanding your ideal customer profile, maintaining healthy customer mix, managing to the individual level, creating effective compensation plans, and having the right people in the right roles.
Testimonials
What People Say
Hear from business leaders who have transformed their sales challenges into growth opportunities.
Sean is one of the brightest self starters I have ever worked with. He knows how to move the needle while managing a team of productive sales people. I had the opportunity to work with Sean for over 5 years where he continually set the pace for the market. Great guy, amazing leader.
Lisa Marinkovich
Sean is a ravenous Learner/Teacher:
Sean devours business, philosophy, industry, and a variety of other information. He then boils it down and teaches it to associates, direct reports, and clients for the better of all.
