Manuel Hartmann

Founder & CEO@SalesPlaybook | Build & scale B2B sales without trial & error

Transforming B2B SaaS Sales in the DACH Region

With over 5 years of experience, I built SalesPlaybook from CHF0 to 30k MRR in under 18 months and scaled it to a 7-figure annual revenue with fewer than 6 FTEs. I’ve supported 300+ B2B SaaS and Professional Service Entrepreneurs to:
- Achieve EUR 0-10 Mio. ARR in under 3 years profitably
- Accelerate ARR growth by over 5x from 0-1 Mio. in less than 18 months
- Close 10-50x larger deals through Message-Market-Fit & Value Selling
- Implement & optimize HubSpot Sales Hub & Outbound Sales from scratch

Career Highlights:
- 2009: Launched sales career with 3-figure NPO donations
- 2012: Reached 6-figure sales with sportscars@Tesla
- 2014-2016: Led 7-figure CRM transformations@Accenture
- 2017-2019: Managed 5-figure AI SaaS@Onedot
- Present: Driving 5-figure deals@SalesPlaybook

What I Offer:
- Pipeline Generation: Developing and executing strategies to build robust sales pipelines.
- Sales Enablement: Equipping sales teams with the tools and training needed for success.
- HubSpot Services: Comprehensive implementation and optimization of HubSpot CRM

Personal Interests: 
- I’m an avid UFC fan, active (kick)boxer, snowboarder, and musician (piano + e-guitar). 
- I enjoy taking on challenges like writing a book in under 30 days or completing 1,000 push-ups

Education: Master’s Degree in Business Innovation from HSG with MBA Exchange in Canada

Let’s connect if: 
- You're a B2B entrepreneur looking to scale sales quickly, efficiently & without 6-figure mistakes
- You identify as a Top 1% talent on hunger & drive, urgent curiosity, intelligence & integrity

Founder & CEO

Join 220+ customers to build & scale sales with the #1 B2B SaaS Startup Sales Journey Partner in DACH.

All the expert sales help you need to fast forward your B2B SaaS Startup.

👉 Book a 1:1 Sales Assessment Call: https://thesalesplaybook.com/bookacall
👉 Get proven hands-on sales resources: https://thesalesplaybook.com/resources
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Track Record:
❖ 0-2M booked ARR in <15 months by finding message-market-fit in <9 months (boostbar)
❖ 0-7 figure ARR in <12 months by hitting message-market fit, setting up outbound sales engine & more (Kyan Health)
❖ 0-7 figure ARR in <18 months by hitting message-market-fit, building outbound sales & training first sales hires (Archlet)
❖ >10 projects to 50+ subscriptions to exit after building outbound sales from 0 (Airica)
❖ 0-2M+ ARR in <18 months by building a sales team from scratch (rready)
❖ 5x MRR by building scalable sales & hiring first sales rep (Turbit)
❖ Ramp 5 SDRs to quota in less than 3 months (Beekeeper)
❖ 4x annual revenue after closing 700k deal with Fortune 500 company by leveraging value-selling (novoMOF)
❖ 2x MRR in 6 months by niching down on Ideal Customer Profile (Houston & Ko)
❖ 370k+ deal closed through hands-on support, approaching 7-figure revenue (56k.Cloud)
❖ 2x ARR in 9 months by 10x'ing ACV by 10x, winning 100K+ deals & hitting 90% reply rates (Classtime)
❖ 2x MRR in 3 months, from 5-10k deals to EUR 150k contract, hitting 30% booking rates (wowflow)
❖ 2x MRR in 6 months from group coaching sessions & more (Houston & Ko)
❖ 250k ARR deal closed by changing their positioning & negotiation approach (Linimex)
❖ <5% to 80% opening and 30%+ reply rates on scalable outbound sales (TRESIO)
❖ 2x MRR in 6 months by niching down on Ideal Customer Profile (Houston & Ko)

What happened when the Founder CEO of a 7-figure agency (me) has been on paternity leave for 10 weeks straight...

First, finishing Q4 >10% ABOVE ambitious booking targets.
With me gone for all of November + December 2025.
Yes, I wrote a 10 page Sales Enablement GDoc.
No, it was not what helped most to succeed.
What really helped was qualified pipeline.
And indeed a rockstar team of "Drivers".

Second, "Drivers Only" is 1 of our 3 Core Values.
It includes to take charge, to lead, to take action.
Every single team member did that, proactively, WITHOUT ME.
Or my huge ego aside, probably a lot more than with me working.

Third, it proved that SalesPlaybook is resilient and operating well.
"If the company needs you all the time, it is not worth much".
(Most agencies work only if the founder works.)
Wise words from our board a while ago.
Glad we're directionally correct here.

Fourth, it seems it gave both the team and me perspective.
That "Manu & Manual processes" do not matter THAT much."
That the team is allowed, able & willing to take decisions alone.
That I contribute positive impact, but it is not critical for survival.

Thank you Florian Lussi Miltos S. Erik Steffen Eric Mattner Erik Plischke Luke Schneider Diego Sosa Fabian Geissler Matteo Treichl Christoph Karger Alen Cerovina Constantin-Alexandre Papadopoulos Jan Fischer for making the above happen + also Jeremias Meier Patrick Trümpi Lars Mangelsdorf Julius Göllner Timo Mueller for your support.

Now truly looking forward to scale sales quickly again here.
I've never been more confident in SalesPlaybook success.
Still Day 1.

Helping DACH B2B software firms to scale sales quickly, efficiently & without 6-figure mistakes with done-for-you pipeline generation, fractional sales & HubSpot services.

After 3 years on Salesforce, this B2B software firm completely moved to HubSpot for Marketing, Sales & Customer Success in <3 months.

Like most companies, they were hesitant at first.

Because CRM migrations are notorious for:
- Misaligned processes with low adoption
- Broken data and data quality issues
- Low adoption and frustrated teams

Here’s what the client appreciated with SalesPlaybook
- A structured, hands-on migration approach from start to finish
- Clear mapping and adaptation of Salesforce processes into HubSpot
- Deep HubSpot, Software & GTM expertise, not generic CRM consulting

CRM migrations do not work with "good morning, go-live & goodbye."
They require onboarding, training, and continuous optimization.
So revenue teams do not get a new CRM.
They get to buy back their time.
And scale sales quickly.

One line from the client that stuck with me from this 5-Star Review:

“We switched to HubSpot and are not looking back.”

I have never seen a CxO say "I miss Salesforce...".

👉 “Considering a Salesforce → HubSpot switch this year?”

No alternative text description for this image

How to grow impressions by +8‘000% & members reached by +15‘000%:


Post 0 for 10 weeks while on paternity leave. 

Then post reasonably valuable content. 

Sounds feasible for most CxOs here. 

Just not happening a lot.

Due to capacity or fear. 

👉 Share below?

Vertrauen im Vertrieb ist die neue Währung. Nicht Technologie. Nicht Budget.
Wer in B2B "kaufen lassen" will in 2026, muss eines verstehen:
Ohne Vertrauen kein Meeting. Ohne Meeting kein Umsatz.
Das gilt in DACH noch 10x mehr als in den USA.
Hier ein paar unbequeme Wahrheiten:

1. Kunden, die Dich nicht kennen, kaufen nicht.
- Vertrauen ist die Eintrittskarte in den Entscheidungsprozess.
- >70% der B2B Software-Deals scheitern nicht an der API-Doku.
- Sondern am als zu hoch empfundenen Risiko des Buying Centers.

„𝘞𝘦𝘯𝘯 𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘥𝘢𝘴 𝘬𝘢𝘶𝘧𝘦 𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘴 𝘨𝘦𝘩𝘵 𝘴𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘦𝘧  𝘩𝘢𝘣𝘦 𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘬𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘯 𝘑𝘰𝘣 𝘮𝘦𝘩𝘳.“ 
Das ist die stille Angst auf der anderen Seite.
Nicht, ob Du jetzt CHF 30 oder 50k willst.

2. Vertrauen ≠ Reichweite.
- Niemand kauft, weil Du "laut, VC-backed & 10x" bist.
- Kunden kaufen, weil Du ihr Problem besser löst als sie selbst.
- Dafür brauchst Du Relevanz und Tiefe, nicht Likes & Clickbait.

3. Vertrauen muss skalierbar werden.
- Heute: LinkedIn Content, Case Studies, E-Books.
- Früher: Persönliche Beziehungen, Netzwerke, Messen.
- Auch Heute: Software + AI, um früher zeitlich möglich zu machen

Wenn Du Aufbau & Skalierung von Vertrauen heute nicht systematisiert?

Kannst Du morgen im 2026 Sales nicht skalieren ("ohne sauteure Leute").

Most "AI GTM B2B SaaS" in 2026 is too much, too confusing.
Ocean.io is one of the few that consistently just f***ing works.

I've been 10+ years in the GTM Tooling space (Salesforce in 2012...).
But I struggle to understand what "the market leaders" do.
Salesforce, Apollo, Gong, ZoomInfo, 6Sense etc?
Those stopped working for <500 FTE firms.

Here’s why I love "niche" solutions like Ocean.io :

It does ONE job really, really well:

“Show me companies that look like my best customer.”

That’s it. Not 14 features, 9 use cases and 3 clouds.

If let's say Personio is your #1 customer. 
Just type in Personio. Get 14,000 lookalikes.
Filter for DACH + 50–200 FTEs. Get 60 real prospects.

That’s who you should call in January 2026.
Not some inflated number from an SDR scraping LinkedIn.

We do not need more "GTM Tech."

We need a few tools that help us execute.

Daniel Ryan 🐨 is also one of the friendliest humans I know.
So just chat him up if it seems useful?

("Disclaimer": Yes, we use ocean.io with almost all our clients.)

Switzerland "Scaled paternity leave 5x" in 2021.
From 2 to 10 days for dads welcoming a new family member... 😐️ 
Don't know how this is supposed to welcome a new family member. 

For context, I took 10 weeks off from late October 2025 to early January 2026.
(That is still <50% of what my wife has been taking off for both our sons!)

As a Founder CEO of a 7-figure agency, I "get" some of the concerns.

1/ "But the company needs me to run the firm."
SalesPlaybook is still at <20 FTEs, so yes, a challenge for small firm.
But even more motivation to "raise" your team to function without you?
And for the 2025-minded ones - is this not the same for women as well?

2/ "The dad can anyways contribute 0 to the family in the first months."
I completely disagree here - even if it is "unpleasant & inconvenient".
Yes, I don't give milk (Matteo argues my boobs are too small.)
Yes, I can even give milk via a bottle, and carry Alessio.
But most of all, I can help my spouse to recover well.

3/ "Clients want to see the Founder CEO all the time".
Honestly, not at all in my experience - with a great team.
"How can I get less Manu & more Luke", one client asked me.
"Just sign this 6-figure quote here & you're great to go."
The client DID sign the 6-figure deal on the spot.
Still want to have lunch with him.
Because I want, not need to.

4/ "But it has always been that way - women nurture, men work".
Now you lost me, like completely. Common, it is 2026 now. 
Even if Switzerland only approved women to vote in 1971.
Besides losing out on 50% of the potential workforce.
Every human deserves to fulfill their work potential.
If the person wants & commits to it indeed.

Now if you are an (aspiring) young dad reading this:
- I do not judge you if you work 7 days a week, 8am-10pm
- I do not judge you if you do not work at all and stay home
- Just please don't claim "I'd love to, but.......<excuses 1-4>?

Zylon had 39k+ GitHub stars in <2 years with PrivateGPT.
Backed by top-tier VCs, but without a revenue engine.
Here's step-by-step how they fixed it to 5x revenue.

1. Built their first enterprise sales motion
- ICP: NOT (anymore) "everybody that cannot use ChatGPT"
- 3-5 Specific niches: Credit unions, local banks, academia
- Clear buyer journey stages, fast follow-ups, playbooks
- Hands-on sales call reviews & coachings from experts

2. Converted traction into pipeline
- Increased sales velocity with improving message-market-fit
- From “GitHub stars” to "great enterprise contracts"
- Matured early inbound into recurring customers

3. Professionalized LinkedIn Brand Building
- Go from posting 2x/month to 2x/week
- Founder-first Point of Views from real experience
- Viral hits with > 1 Mio. impressions & 1'000+ engagements

4. Prepared & hired their first GTM professional
- Invested a lot into "Right Person, Right Seat, Right Enablement"
- Found & hired a top sales rep that "did it before" in their field
- Helped founders be ready to delegate without losing control

Look, there is no "Silver Bullet" to scale sales quickly in 2026.
But there is a right sequence of doing the right things right.
But here from Iván himself sharing his thoughts?
https://lnkd.in/ep6k9r3b

AE @ Pleo || Interested in meaningful outreach 🤝 || Sales Leader of the Year 2023

HEY YOU! 👋

Today, I’m a Senior Strategic Account Executive at Pleo, working with some of our largest customers across Central Europe and DACH.

But my SaaS story didn’t start with President’s Club or record months.

For my first six months in sales, I struggled hard.
Missed numbers.
Doubted myself.
Questioned if enterprise sales was even for me.

It was frustrating and ultimately the most important phase of my career.

Instead of quitting, I went deep:

Studied top performers
Rebuilt my habits
Refined my process
Learned to truly own my pipeline

And slowly things started to click.

Fast forward to today 👇

Promoted from Enterprise AE to Senior to Strategic in record time
Back to back President’s Club winner
Highest banker across Central Europe and DACH
Closed a 405% month setting a regional record
Ranked #1 Closer multiple times
First AE in 3 years promoted into a Senior role

But what matters more than the numbers is how they happened:

Consistency. Resilience. Strong relationships.
Long term value over shortcuts.


Because I know how hard the beginning can be, I started sharing my journey openly on LinkedIn. Wins, losses, and everything in between.

That community has grown to nearly 50,000 people, which I’m incredibly grateful for.

I also write a newsletter:

Sell It Like You Mean It

Where I go behind the scenes of enterprise SaaS sales:

President’s Club strategies
Missed deals
Mindset shifts
Small habits that compound into big results

No fluff. No bro energy.
Just tactics that actually work.


A bit about me 👇

Ex hockey player turned SaaS enthusiast
Passionate about developing people and lifelong learning
Usually running or rowing
Listening to podcasts
Reading history
Watching field hockey

All things that keep me curious, disciplined, and grounded.

If you’re in sales and struggling at the start,
I’ve been there.

And if you’re curious about enterprise SaaS or modern selling,
let’s connect or check out Sell It Like You Mean It in my Featured section.

JBM

Jan Benedikt Mundorf

Just hit President's Club for the 2nd time in a row.

And honestly? This one means everything.

When I made it in 2024, I was proud.
But there was this voice in my head:
"Was it luck? Right territory? Good timing?"

I needed to know if I could do it again.
So in January 2025, I set one goal: repeat it.

That became my entire year. 
My obsession. 
My reason to show up every single day.

Because here's the thing - anyone can have a great year once.

But doing it twice? 
That's when you prove it wasn't a fluke.
And I'm so grateful I didn't give up when it got hard.

The second time was harder.
- The pressure of "can you actually back it up?"
- Tougher market conditions.
- Higher quota.
- Moments where I doubted myself.

But I spent the whole year working toward this moment.
Not chasing shiny tactics.
Not hoping for a miracle Q4.

Just showing up. 
Staying consistent. 
Trying to trust the process.

I owe so much to my team - my managers who believed in me, my peers who pushed me, my SDRs who had my back.

I couldn't have done this alone.

Here's what kept me going:

1. I stopped celebrating the first win too long
Made President's Club in '24, enjoyed it for a week, then got back to work.

2. I tracked my own standards, not just quota
Hit my activity goals every week.
Kept my pipeline clean.

3. I leaned on my team more
Asked for help when deals stalled.
Shared what was working.

4. I made it about the habit, not the outcome
Some months were rough.
But I kept doing the work.

Now it's done.
Two years. Two President's Clubs.

And I'm so grateful to be here.

𝗠𝘆 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲:
One great year is impressive.
But repeating it? 
That's when you prove you belong.

❤️Thank you to everyone who believed in me.

PS. It’s January 2026 now - so I just picked another goal for this year. Guess which one.

Helping sales teams win without the bro-energy || 2x President’s Club Winner || Senior AE @ Pleo

How I build pipeline in the first 90 days of the year as an AE

(no 3 got me to Presidents Club last year)

January is noisy.
Everyone is “back at it.”
Most reps feel busy… but not productive.

I used to start the year reacting.
Panic a little (read A LOT).

Now I (mostly) run a system.

Here’s exactly how I build real pipeline in Q1:

1. I audit before I prospect
Not all pipeline is equal.

Action (Week 1):
Pull last year’s data and answer:
- Which deals actually closed?
- Which industries moved fastest?
- Which use cases converted best?

Then build your ICP from your own wins - not marketing decks.

2. I tier accounts (not leads)
Spray-and-pray kills momentum.

Action:
Create 3 buckets:
- Tier 1: Dream accounts (high fit, high intent)
- Tier 2: Strong fit, longer cycles
- Tier 3: Everything else

Your Q1 focus = Tier 1 only.

3. I multithread before I pitch
Single-threaded deals die.

Action:
For every Tier 1 account:
- Identify 3 personas (user, manager, exec)
- Reach out with different value angles

Not the same message to everyone.

4. I run a 30-60-90 pipeline plan
Structure beats motivation.

First 30 days:
- Heavy outbound
- Reconnect with last year’s lost deals (already booked in one today)
Ask: “What changed for 2025?”

Next 30 days:
- Deepen discovery
- Bring in decision-makers
- Build business cases

Last 30 days:
- Push late-stage deals
- Clean up weak opps
- Double down on what’s converting

5. I follow up like a consultant, not a chaser
Most reps stop too early.

Action:
Every follow-up must include one of:
- A relevant case study
- A quantified insight
- A sharp question tied to their goals

No “just checking in.”

6. I protect daily prospecting time
Pipeline is built when it’s boring.

Action:
Block one non-negotiable hour daily:
- Calls
- Personalized emails
- Account research
Treat it like the gym. No skipping.

7. I track leading indicators, not just revenue
Revenue is lagging. Activity is not.

Action:
Review weekly:
Conversations started
Meetings booked
Deals with power + timeline
Patterns tell you what to scale.

The result?
- Faster ramp in Q1
- Cleaner pipeline
- Fewer “hope deals” later in the year

My take:
You don’t win the year in December.
You win it in how you build January, February, and March.

Strong pipeline isn’t luck.
It’s structure, consistency, and doing the boring work early.

𝗣𝗦. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝗿𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝟵𝟬 𝗱𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗲𝘁 𝘂𝗽 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿?

Helping sales teams win without the bro-energy || 1x President’s Club Winner || Senior AE @ Pleo

I once got pitched a role with $300,000 OTE.

The recruiter said top reps make it "easily."

It sounded incredible - five times more what I was making at the time.

I asked about quota attainment, team performance, ramp time.

The recruiter dodged every question with "our best people crush it."

Red flag.

So I did what I always do: I went to LinkedIn.

I filtered for people who left that company in the past 12 months.

Then I sent 8 DMs asking about their experience.

𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲'𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗜 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗱:

- The "$300k OTE" required 150% attainment
- Only 1 out of 30 reps hit quota last year
- Accelerators didn't kick in until 120%
- Most reps made $80-90k total
- Average tenure was 9 months

One former rep told me: "The OTE is technically possible. So is winning the lottery."

Another said they were put on a performance plan after missing quota twice - which was basically everyone after 6 months.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗻:

If a comp plan sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Before you take any role, talk to people who actually worked there.

Ask about:
- How long reps stay
- Quota attainment rates
- Actual earnings (not OTE)
- What "top performer" really means

𝗠𝘆 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲:
A realistic $120k OTE at a healthy company beats a fantasy $300k OTE every time.

Don't let recruiters sell you a dream that only exists on paper.

𝗣𝗦. 𝗛𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗱𝗼𝗱𝗴𝗲𝗱 𝗮 𝗯𝗮𝗱 𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿 𝗯𝘆 𝗱𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗵𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸? 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗶𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗱?

Sitting in my 4th Sales Kick Off at Pleo today.

(And honestly? It hits different now.)

Year 1, I was the new guy trying not to drown.
Year 2, I was figuring it out.
Year 3, I had my groove.

Now? Year 4.
I'm watching new AEs walk in with that same wide-eyed energy I had.

And here's what I've realized sitting here today:

𝟭. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗴𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂'𝘃𝗲 𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝗲𝗮𝘁
→ I'm not trying to prove I belong anymore.

𝟮. 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗴𝗻𝗶𝘇𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝘀
→ What actually moves the needle in your deals.
→ Which advice to take, which to adapt, which to ignore.

𝟯. 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘇𝗲 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗺𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝘆𝗼𝘂'𝘃𝗲 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄𝗻
→ The problems that felt impossible in Year 1? I solve them in my sleep now.

𝟰. 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱
→ What's next for me?
→ How do I keep growing here?

𝟱. 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗷𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗲𝘆
→ Every lost deal that taught me something.
→ Every win that built my confidence.

𝗠𝘆 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲:
Sales Kick Offs aren't just about new targets and strategies.

They're a mirror.

They show you how far you've come - and remind you why you're still here.

Here's to Year 4.

PS. How was your SKO? 

/ JBTHEAE

I'm turning 30 this year and honestly, I'm kind of freaking out.

Not because I feel old. 
But because I thought I'd have more figured out by now.

When I was 22, I had this mental checklist:
- By 30: running my own team, maybe even a VP title
- By 25: promoted to senior level
- By 27: six figures locked in

Reality check:

I'm a Senior AE. I'm doing well. 
But I'm not where 22-year-old me said I'd be.

And that messes with you more than you'd think.

Here's what I've been wrestling with:

The comparison game hits different at 30.
→ LinkedIn feels like everyone's a founder, VP, or "thought leader."
→ Meanwhile, I'm still carrying a quota and grinding deals.

The pressure to have it all mapped out.
→ Career. Relationship. Savings. Life plan.
→ But honestly? I'm still figuring out what I actually want.

The fear that I peaked too early.
→ I hit President's Club. I've had great years.
→ But what if that was it? What if I'm coasting now?

The weird guilt around not being "settled."
→ Some friends have kids. Houses. The whole thing.
→ I'm in Stockholm, by myself, and still not sure where I'll be in two years.

But here's what I'm learning:

30 isn't a deadline. It's just another year.

The people I respect most didn't have it figured out at 30 either.

They just kept showing up and doing the work.

So yeah, I'm nervous. But I'm also weirdly excited.

Because maybe the next decade isn't about having all the answers. Maybe it's about asking better questions.


𝗣𝘀. 𝗔𝗻𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗲𝗹𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝟯𝟬 𝘀𝗼𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝗺𝗲? 𝗪𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗜'𝗺 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀.

9 out of 10 salespeople quit before they ever get good.

(Here's what nobody tells you)

It's staying consistent when nothing is working.

You can have the perfect pitch, the best product, and all the right skills.

But that doesn't guarantee results.

The real challenge is showing up every day when:

- Everyone else seems to be winning
- Deals fall through last minute
- You're behind on target
- Your pipeline is empty
- Prospects ghost you

I've been there more times than I care to admit.

What got me through wasn't talent or luck.

It was building a system I could trust:

- Celebrate small wins
- Learn from every lost deal
- Focus on what I can control
- Block time for prospecting daily
- Track activities, not just outcomes

The difference between average and great sellers isn't ability.

It's who keeps going when the results aren't showing up yet.

Success in sales is built in the quiet moments when no one is watching.

When you're making calls that go nowhere.

When you're refining your process for the hundredth time.

When you choose to trust the process over your feelings.

That's where real growth happens.

𝗣𝗦. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁'𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘀𝗮𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂?

I closed 79 deals in 2025

(here’s what 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘭𝘦 one had in common)

This wasn’t my easiest year.
Some months I felt sharp.
Other months I felt tired, behind, and unsure if I was doing enough.

But when I looked back at the deals that actually closed, I noticed something:
- They weren’t perfect.
- I wasn’t perfect.
BUT the fundamentals were always there.

Here’s what every one of those 79 wins shared - and what I kept coming back to when things felt messy:

1. 𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙡 𝙥𝙖𝙞𝙣
Not “interesting.” Not “nice to have.”
Something that genuinely mattered to their business.

What I learned:
If I couldn’t clearly explain why this had to change, the deal never moved.

→ Ask: “What happens if this stays the same for the next 6 months?”

2. 𝙄 𝙠𝙣𝙚𝙬 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙪𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙨𝙖𝙮 𝙮𝙚𝙨
The deals I lost?
I was often talking to someone who liked the product… but couldn’t move the decision.

What I learned:
Access to power isn’t optional.

→ By call 2: “Who needs to sign off on something like this?”

3. 𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙡 𝙪𝙧𝙜𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙮
Not end-of-quarter pressure.
Business pressure.

What I learned:
Deadlines driven by their world always beat deadlines driven by mine.

→ Ask: “What changes for you if this isn’t solved by [date]?”

4. 𝙒𝙚 𝙩𝙖𝙡𝙠𝙚𝙙 𝙣𝙪𝙢𝙗𝙚𝙧𝙨, 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙛𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚𝙨
Every closed deal had a simple business case.

What I learned:
Feelings don’t get budget. Numbers do.

→  Turn pain into:
Time saved
Cost avoided
Revenue protected

5. 𝙄 𝙝𝙖𝙙 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙤𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙞𝙣𝙨𝙞𝙙𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙪𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙙
Not just someone who liked me.
Someone who wanted the change to happen.

What I learned:
A real champion makes deals move when you’re not in the room.

→ Ask: “If you had to sell this internally without me, what would you say?”

6. 𝙄 𝙛𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙤𝙬𝙚𝙙 𝙪𝙥 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣
No “just checking in.”
Every message had a reason.

What I learned:
People respond to relevance, not reminders.

→ Every follow-up should include:
A new insight
A relevant example
Or a sharper question

7. 𝙄 𝙠𝙚𝙥𝙩 𝙜𝙤𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙤𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙙𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝙄 𝙙𝙞𝙙𝙣’𝙩 𝙛𝙚𝙚𝙡 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙛𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙣𝙩
Some of my biggest deals closed in weeks where I felt anything but “on.”

What I learned: You don’t need to feel strong to be consistent.

→ Protect your basics:
Daily prospecting
Clear next steps
Honest qualification

My take:
Those 79 deals didn’t close because I was special.
They closed because I kept showing up, even when it felt boring, slow, or uncertain
.
Sales isn’t about having your best day.
It’s about not letting your worst days break the system.

→ Full breakdown in my FREE newsletter this sunday: https://lnkd.in/eCi4Cx-A

𝗣𝗦. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗯𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝘂𝘀𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗼𝗻?

Confidence is the most underrated skill in sales

(and it took me 3 years to build mine)

I used to think confidence was something you either had or didn’t.
Some reps walked into calls relaxed.
Asked hard questions.
Handled objections without flinching.

That wasn’t me.

Early on, I overprepared.
Second-guessed myself.
Tried to sound “professional” instead of natural.

What I didn’t realize back then:
Confidence isn’t a personality trait.
It’s a byproduct.

Here’s how I actually built confidence as a seller - step by step:

1. I stopped chasing confidence and focused on competence
Confidence followed once I knew my craft.
Action:
Master the basics:
- Discovery
- Qualification
- Follow-ups
- Deal control

You don’t need charisma when you have clarity.

2. I built proof for myself
Confidence grew when I had receipts.
Closed deals.
Handled tough calls.
Recovered from losses.

Action:
Keep a private “win log.” Re-read it on bad days.

3. I got comfortable asking uncomfortable questions
Price.
Timeline.
Decision-makers.
Avoiding these killed my confidence.
Facing them built it.

Action:
Practice one hard question per week until it feels normal.

4. I stopped trying to be liked
Being liked feels safe.
Being respected closes deals.

Action:
Say the thing that moves the deal forward - even if it creates tension.

5. I accepted that confidence fluctuates
Some months I feel sharp.
Other months I don’t.
That’s normal.

Action:
Build routines that carry you when confidence dips:
- Prep
- Process
- Discipline

My take:
Confidence in sales isn’t loud.
It’s quiet certainty.

It comes from doing the work when no one’s watching.
From knowing you can handle whatever comes next.

If you’re not confident yet - good.
That means you’re still building something real.

And it will come.

PS. Happy start to your week, JBTHEAE

After 5 years in sales, I still get nervous.

Every. Single. Month.

And I used to think that meant something was wrong with me.

Here's what I've learned about the anxiety that shows up on day one - and why fighting it is the real mistake:

𝟭. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆'𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗮 𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝘄𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀
They're a sign you care.
The day I stop feeling pressure at the start of a new month? That's the day I've checked out.
Nerves mean the outcome still matters to me.

𝟮. 𝗤𝘂𝗼𝘁𝗮 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗯𝗿𝘂𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗯𝘆 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻
You close a massive deal on the 31st.
Wake up on the 1st at zero.
No matter how good last month was - you're starting from scratch.
That psychological reset hits different every time.

𝟯. 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗮𝗻'𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗹 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴
Deals slip.
Champions leave.
Budgets freeze.
I can do everything right and still miss because of factors outside my control.
That uncertainty? It doesn't disappear with experience.

𝟰. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽
They keep me sharp.
They push me to prep harder.
They remind me not to coast on past wins.
The months I felt too comfortable? Those were the months I underperformed.

𝟱. 𝗜'𝘃𝗲 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗴𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺
I don't let the nerves paralyze me anymore.
I channel them into action:
→ Review pipeline on day one
→ Book calls early in the week
→ Focus on what I can control: activity, preparation, follow-up

The nerves don't go away.
But the panic does.

𝗠𝘆 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲:
If you're feeling the pressure at the start of every month - you're not broken.

You're human.

The goal isn't to stop being nervous.
It's to stop letting the nerves stop you.

𝗣𝘀. 𝗖𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀: 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗱𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵𝗹𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝘁? 
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗸𝗲𝗲𝗽𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿 𝗳𝗹𝗶𝗽𝘀?

I started hitting quota once I did these things

(number 5 is the gamechanger for me)

To be real here, I used to think working harder was the answer.
- Bigger pipeline.
- Longer hours.
- More calls.

But I was stuck at 60-70% for three quarters straight.

Then I changed my approach.
Not the effort - the execution.

Here are the 8 things that shifted everything:

𝟭. 𝗜 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗱 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘂𝗺𝗲

→ Fix: Qualified harder. Booked 8 demos with real budget, pain, and timeline.
Result: Higher conversion, less wasted time.

𝟮. 𝗜 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗺𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆

→ Fix: Asked in discovery: "Who else needs to weigh in on this decision?"
Looped them in by call two - not week six.

𝟯. 𝗜 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝘁 𝗺𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻𝘀

→ Fix: Co-created a timeline with the buyer.
"Here's what we'll do. Here's what you'll do. Does this work?"
Deals moved faster because they owned the process too.

𝟰. 𝗜 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗱 𝗱𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗲𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀

→ Fix: Showed only what solved their specific pain.
Asked: "Is this what you meant when you said [X]?"
Let them talk more than me.

𝟱. 𝗜 𝗮𝘀𝗸𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀

→ Fix: Pushed deeper: "What happens if this doesn't get solved this quarter?"
If they couldn't answer, I knew the deal wasn't real.

𝟲. 𝗜 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗲𝗱 𝗺𝘆 𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘀

→ Fix: Started tracking:
- Discovery-to-demo conversion
- Demo-to-proposal conversion
- Proposal-to-close time
Found my weak spot: I was losing deals between demo and proposal.

𝟳. 𝗜 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗱 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆

→ Fix: Held firm and asked: "What would need to change for this to work at full price?"
Most of the time, they found budget or adjusted scope.

𝟴. 𝗜 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿

→ Fix: If there was no pain, no timeline, or no budget - I walked.
Freed up time to focus on real opportunities.

Most reps add more activity when they're behind.
The best reps audit what's broken - and fix that instead.

𝗣.𝗦. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁'𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽𝗲𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗰𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗹𝘆?

1 habit that still moves my pipeline every week as an AE: 

cold calling (and how I fit it into my day)

Cold calling didn’t disappear when I became an AE.
It just became… harder to prioritize.
Deals. Demos. Forecasts. Slack. Internal meetings.

There’s always something “more important.”
For a while, cold calling was the first thing to slip.

My pipeline felt it.

Here’s how I now build cold calling into my day - without burning out or blocking half my calendar:

𝟏. 𝐈 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞-𝐛𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐤 𝐢𝐭 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐚 𝐦𝐞𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐦𝐲𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟
If it’s not on the calendar, it doesn’t happen.

What I do:
- I block one short, protected window (30 minutes).
- No internal calls. No “just one more email.”
- Cold calling isn’t something I fit in.

It’s something I show up for.

𝟐. 𝐈 𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞 - 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐓𝐢𝐞𝐫 𝟏 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐬
Random dials = low energy, low returns.

What I do:
Before the block, I prep 5-10 accounts that actually matter:
- Right industry
- Right size
- Real potential

Fewer calls. Better conversations.

𝟑. 𝐈 𝐭𝐢𝐞 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐨 𝐚 𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧
Never dial “just to pitch.”

What I do:
- Every call answers one question:
- “Why would this matter to them right now?”

If I can’t answer that in one sentence, I don’t call.

𝟒. 𝐈 𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲, 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞
Don’t try to be impressive.
I try to be useful.

What I do:
- Open with curiosity, not a script.
- Ask one sharp question early. Then listen.

Confidence comes from understanding - not talking.

𝟓. 𝐈 𝐟𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐮𝐩 𝐢𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐡
The call isn’t the win.
The follow-up is where deals start.

What I do:
- Same day:
- Recap in their words
- One relevant insight or example
- Clear next step

No “just checking in.”

The result?
- Warmer conversations
- More control over my pipeline
- Less stress waiting for inbound

My take:
Cold calling as an AE isn’t about volume.
It’s about consistency, focus, and intention.

You don’t need hours.
You need one protected block - every day.

𝐏𝐒. 𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐝𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐟𝐢𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐧𝐨𝐰?

5 lessons that helped me stop comparing myself on LinkedIn

(and got me 47,000 followers along the way)

Sometimes, LinkedIn gets to me.

Every scroll shows:
- Someone hitting 200%
- Someone closing a massive deal
- Someone announcing President’s Club

Meanwhile, I am sitting at my desk:
Missing quota
Grinding through tough months
Second-guessing if I was falling behind

The comparison IS LOUD on here.

Here’s what helped me quiet it - and actually get better as an AE:

1. I stopped comparing highlight reels to my behind-the-scenes
Most posts don’t show the missed calls, lost deals, or bad months.

Action:
When comparison hits, remind yourself: you’re seeing outcomes, not effort.

2. I narrowed my comparison circle
Comparing yourself to everyone guarantees frustration.

Action:
Pick 2-3 people whose journey actually inspires you. Mute the rest.

3. I compared process, not results
Results fluctuate. Process compounds.

Action:
Ask: “What habits can I steal from this?” not “Why am I behind?”

4. I tracked my own progress
Nothing builds confidence like receipts.

Action:
Review yourself quarter-over-quarter:
- Better discovery
- Cleaner qualification
- Shorter cycles

5. I remembered why I started sharing
Posting isn’t about proving worth.
It’s about documenting growth.

Action:
If LinkedIn drains you, pause - don’t quit.

My take:
Comparison kills focus.
Focus builds careers.

The only AE you need to beat is the one you were last quarter.

PS. How do you think you could keep perspective when LinkedIn gets noisy?

/ JBTHEAE

5 cold call openers that get people to stay on the line

(and you can use it to get started in 10 minutes)

I used to overthink my opener.
Tried to sound confident.
Tried to be “different.”
Still got hung up on.

What finally changed my results wasn’t creativity - it was 𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲.

Here are the five openers I use most today, and why they work:

𝟏. “𝐐𝐮𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐨𝐧𝐞 - 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐈 𝐫𝐮𝐧 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐲 𝐲𝐨𝐮?”
Simple. Human. Low pressure.

Why it works:
You’re asking for permission, not attention.

When to use it:
First-time outreach when you need 30 seconds, not a pitch.

𝟐. “𝐈 𝐦𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐛𝐞 𝐨𝐟𝐟 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞, 𝐛𝐮𝐭…”
This one disarms instantly.

Why it works:
It lowers defenses and invites correction instead of resistance.

When to use it:
When you’re referencing a possible problem or assumption.

𝟑. “𝐈 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐦…”
Curiosity > confidence.

Why it works:
It shows you didn’t dial randomly.

When to use it:
When you’ve seen a trigger (growth, hiring, product change, market shift).

𝟒. “𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 [𝐗] 𝐭𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲?”
Straight into discovery.

Why it works:
You’re not pitching. You’re asking about their world.

When to use it:
When you want a real conversation, not a monologue.

𝟓. “𝐌𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐦𝐬 𝐈 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐤 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐠𝐠𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 [𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐦] - 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐫?”
Pattern-based, not personal.

Why it works:
You’re positioning insight, not selling a product.

When to use it:
When you’ve seen the same issue across similar companies.

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐝 𝐝𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠:
- “How are you today?”
- “Did I catch you at a bad time?”
- Reading a script line by line

Those don’t earn attention. 
They give people an exit.

My take:
A great opener doesn’t sound clever.
It sounds relevant.

If your first sentence makes them think, you’ve already won the hardest part of the call.

𝐏𝐒. 𝐖𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫 𝐝𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐨𝐧 𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐧𝐨𝐰? (𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐬)

5 soft skills I had to learn the hard way to survive sales 

(and I wish I’d started earlier)

When I started in sales, I thought being good meant:
- Knowing the product inside out
- Having the perfect talk track
- Sounding confident on every call

I was wrong.

What actually moved my career forward were soft skills I didn’t even realize I was building at the time.

Here are the ones that changed everything for me - and why they matter even more going into 2026:

1. Listening without trying to “win”
Early on, I listened just enough to respond.
Not enough to understand.

What changed:
I started slowing down and letting prospects finish their thoughts.
Action:
On your next call, don’t interrupt. Let the silence work.

2. Being okay with uncomfortable pauses
Silence used to terrify me.
Now it’s a tool.

What changed:
I learned that confidence shows when you don’t rush to fill space.

Action:
Ask a question. Mute. Count to 3.

3. Regulating emotions after wins and losses
I used to ride every deal emotionally.
It drained me.

What changed:
I built routines that carried me when confidence dipped.

Action:
Review results weekly - not emotionally, but objectively.

4. Saying things that might cost me the deal
I avoided tough questions because I wanted to be liked.

What changed:
Respect closes deals. Comfort doesn’t.

Action:
Ask one uncomfortable question earlier than feels natural.

5. Trusting myself enough to walk away
My biggest growth came when I stopped chasing every deal.

What changed:
Confidence grew when I realized I didn’t need every “yes.”

Action:
If there’s no urgency, power, or clarity - qualify out.

My take:
Soft skills aren’t “nice to have” anymore.
They are the edge.

As sales gets noisier and more automated, being calm, present, and human will matter more than ever.

And the good news?
Every one of these can be learned - one call at a time.

/ JBTHEAE

PS. Which soft skill are you actively working on right now?

99% of reps suck at quanifying pain

(Here's how you do it)

Most AEs talk about pain - but never actually quantify it.

And that's the difference between a prospect who moves forward and one stuck in "we'll think about it."

I pulled one of my recent Gong calls where I closed a sweet deal.
The turning point? Getting the prospect to put a number on their problem.

Here's the exact talk track I used to quantify pain - and how you can steal it:

𝟭. 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘆𝗺𝗽𝘁𝗼𝗺, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻
Them: "Our expense process is slow."
Me: "Slow compared to what? Walk me through what happens today when someone submits an expense."
↳ Get them talking specifics. Vague pain = vague urgency.

𝟮. 𝗔𝘁𝘁𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺
Me: "How many hours per week does your finance team spend chasing receipts and approvals?"
Them: "Maybe 10-15 hours."
↳ Now you have a baseline. Time = money.

𝟯. 𝗠𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗶𝗽𝗹𝘆 𝗶𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗻𝗻𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗰𝗼𝘀𝘁
Me: "So if that's 15 hours a week across your team - that's roughly 60 hours a month. At an average finance salary, you're looking at what, €40-50K a year just in manual work?"
Them: "Yeah... I hadn't thought about it like that."
↳ This is where pain becomes real. Make them feel the number.

𝟰. 𝗔𝗱𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗶𝗱𝗱𝗲𝗻 𝗰𝗼𝘀𝘁𝘀
Me: "And that's just internal time. What about delayed reimbursements? Frustrated employees? Compliance risks?"
Them: "We've had two audit flags this year already."
↳ Stack the pain. One problem rarely lives alone.

𝟱. 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻
Me: "So if nothing changes - you're spending €50K a year on admin work, risking compliance issues, and burning out your finance team. Does that feel like something you can afford to push to next quarter?"
Them: "No. We need to fix this now."
↳ Quantified pain = urgency.

The result?
- Deal moved from "exploring" to "prioritized" in one call
- Faster close because the cost of inaction was obvious
- Clear ROI story for the business case in next call

My take:
Discovery isn't about asking questions.
It's about making the prospect realize what staying still actually costs them.

Numbers create urgency. 
Stories don't close deals.

𝗣𝗦. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁'𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗴𝗼-𝘁𝗼 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆?

If you are dreading your Sundays

(I think it’s time to leave - hear me out)

When I first felt that Sunday anxiety, I thought it was normal.
- Everyone complains about Mondays.
- Work is supposed to be hard.
- I just needed to push through.

But the more I ignored that feeling, the worse it got.

I wasn't just tired on Sunday evenings.
I was miserable.

The alarm on Monday morning felt like punishment.
My commute was filled with dread.
I'd sit at my desk thinking "I can't do this anymore."

Here's what I learned the hard way:

That Sunday feeling isn't about being lazy.
It's your body telling you something is deeply wrong.

𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲'𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗜 𝗱𝗶𝗱 - 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗿:

𝟭. 𝗜 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗱 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗲𝘅𝗰𝘂𝘀𝗲𝘀.

→ "The market is tough right now."
→ "I'll stick it out for another year."
Action: Write down why you're staying. If it's just fear, that's your answer.

𝟮. 𝗜 𝗮𝘀𝗸𝗲𝗱 𝗺𝘆𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻.

→ "If I stay here for 3 more years, will I be proud of that decision?"
→ My gut said no immediately.
Action: Trust that instinct. It's rarely wrong.

𝟯. 𝗜 𝘂𝗽𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗺𝘆 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗲𝗱𝗜𝗻.

→ Not to announce I was leaving.
→ Just to remind myself I had options.
Action: Start having conversations. You don't need to quit tomorrow, but you need to explore.

𝟰. 𝗜 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗮𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 "𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲."

→ There's never a perfect moment to leave.
→ But there's definitely a wrong time to stay - and that's when you're miserable.
Action: Set a deadline. Give yourself 90 days to make a move.

𝟱. 𝗜 𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗵𝘆 𝗜 𝗴𝗼𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗮𝗹𝗲𝘀.

→ Not to dread Mondays.
→ To build something. To grow. To enjoy the work.
Action: If your current role doesn't give you that, find one that does.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁?
I left.
Found a company that energized me.
Now Sundays are just Sundays again.

𝗠𝘆 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲:
Life's too short to spend it dreading Monday.
If the Sunday feeling won't go away, neither should you.

P.S. Join 390+ sales reps and get my free newsletter right in your inbox every Sunday: https://lnkd.in/eCi4Cx-A

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