Helped 60+ B2B SaaS scaleups increase their sales | @Netigate +185% outbound meetings and @Ebbot +83% in closerate | SaaS Sales Leader Report 2024 dropping soon | ADHD Advocate

Omsätter ditt tech eller scaleup 10-70 miljoner ARR?

Då tappar du 10-30 miljoner i värdering om ditt säljteam inte kan:

1. Bygga Cost of Inaction cases med kunden
2. Facilitera komplex tech-försäljning
3. Skala enhetligt (inte hero-dependent)

Det jag pratar om är ditt Sales Operating System.

Det ska kunna ta dig från 10M till 150M+ ARR utan att 5x:a säljteamet.

Är du inte 100% säker att ditt SOS kan göra det?

Då kan du ta hjälp av mig.

Innan du läste det här har jag:

✅ Hjälpt 65+ tech & scaleups bygga sina säljprocesser
✅ Har personligen sålt för över 100 miljoner
✅ Ökat winrate med 50%+ flera gånger

Bolag jag jobbat med: Stratsys, Trapets, Compilelt, Wint, Visma, Position Green, Intro, Screens, HeyTilda, Adviscent med flera.

En scaleup-VD sa efteråt:

"Det är första gången den ekonomiska köparen och business usern pushar igenom det tillsammans utan några riktigt invändningar."

---

VD eller grundare på tech/scaleup 10-70M ARR?

Vill skala säljorganisationen utan att anställa fler?

DM:a mig "COI"

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Sök inte:
🚫 Ett mirakel
🚫 Ny finansiering
🚫 Att ekonomin ska vända

Ta kontroll över din försäljning idag.
Eller låt bli. Ditt val.


Theo Zätterström 🎉

Imorgon 07:00 lanserar jag min nya podd.

18 sätt jag ifrågasatt mig själv 😂


 1. Har jag rätt personer? 
    
 2. Vill dessa personer ens prata med mig?
    
 3. Varför har jag väntat såhär länge?
    
 4. Har jag väntat FÖR länge nu?
    
 5. Är det här en shiny object? 
    
 6. Borde jag fokusera på annat istället?
    
 7. Tycker jag ens att det här är kul? (Jo. Det gör jag.)
    
 8. Men ska jag fortsätta ändå?
    
 9. Hur många måste jag intervjua innan jag kan lansera?
    
10. Är det här tillräckligt?
    
11. Fan, nu har jag intervjuat för många.
    
12. Nu MÅSTE jag lansera snart.
    
13. Kommer folk bli arga för att jag har sponsorer?
    
14. Shit, har jag intervjuat för många så vissa avsnitt kommer dö?
    
15. Vad kommer gästerna tycka om jag skriver det här om dom?
    
16. Vad kommer de tycka om hur jag skriver om dem på LinkedIn?
    
17. Kommer dom skriva att jag ska ta ned avsnittet?
    
18. Fuck, jag måste ju ha bilder också.


Alla doubts. 
Alla frågor. 

Allt som kan gå fel.

Men imorgon 07:00 lanserar jag ändå.

Och är så jävla pepp!
Det får gå som det går 😂

Hjälper tech-VD:ar & grundare skala från 10M→70M ARR utan att 5x:a säljteamet | 65+ bolag, 150M+ i ARR | Sales Operating Systems”

För 6 månader sen såg över 20 000 människor min post om hur otroligt dåligt jag hade sålt ↓


Det var jävligt jobbigt att skriva den posten. 

Att stå mitt i skiten och berätta om det öppet när hela mitt företag går ut på att hjälpa andra öka sitt sälj. 

Jag fick sälja aktier och ta från mitt sparkapital för att hålla mig flytande privat. 

Men jag tror stenhårt att dela både upp och nedgångar. 
I posten skrev jag även vad jag skulle göra:

• Fokusera på det jag kan kontrollera
• Träna, prospektera, boka, utföra
• Jobba med mitt mindset

Och jävlar vad jag har gjort det.
 
Men viktigast av allt: 
Jag jobbade om mitt erbjudande.

Under Q3 började det skapa traction. 
Under Q4 började det ge frukt. 

Mitt Q4 blev mitt bäst säljande kvartal i bolagets historia. 

Men det hade aldrig hänt utan smärtan under Q2. 
Ibland är det bra att det är jävligt dåligt. 

För det är då man faktiskt gör viktiga förändringar.
Sanningen är ju att: 

Smärtan är inte problemet.
Smärtan är signalen.

Den säger: "Något måste förändras."

När du lyssnar på den signalen och gör förändringen. 
Det är då magin händer.

Mitt Q2 var helvetet.
Mitt Q4 blev mitt bästa.

Det har gjort mig grymt taggad på 2026.  

Vad är du mest taggad på?

Det finns 50+ podcasts om entrepreneurship i Sverige.
 
0 om sales management för tech/SaaS/AI.
 
Så jag startade en.
 
Sales Management Room lanserar om 2 veckor.
 
Varje avsnitt:
 
• Säljchefer och VD:ar som skalat från 0 till 50M+
• Vad som faktiskt funkar (och inte funkar)
• Ingen bullshit, bara sales ops
 
Lanseras om två veckor!
 
Följ nu på Spotify så du inte missar: 

https://lnkd.in/eS2Z7jzH

På tisdag 07:00 lanserar jag Sales Management Room.

Och jag tänker inte smyga igång ↓

Jag vet att du inte vill vänta vecka för vecka.

Därför släpper jag inte bara ett avsnitt utan en hel "miniserie" med tre avsnitt på en gång.


Här är vad som landar i din feed på tisdag morgon:


1. Siffrorna med Sofia Alexus 

Hur vänder man ett bolags marginal från -17% till +15%? 

Sofia (VD på Verified, f.d. Kundo) berättar ocensurerade storyn om turnarounden, varför säljare måste äga sin pipeline och hur hon ställde om bolaget från Inbound till Outbound.



2.Verktyg (Soloavsnitt) 

Vem har mest inflytande i ditt team?

Spoiler - Det är inte alltid du som ledare eller din bästa säljare.

Jag går igenom Resultat vs. Inflytande-matrisen. Du får lära dig identifiera dina "Charismatic Underachievers" och varför din trevligaste säljare kan vara den farligaste för kulturen.



3. Mindsetet med Anders Nilsson 

Vi kräver att säljare ska prestera som elitidrottare, men vi behandlar dem sällan så. 

Anders är mental coach med OS- och VM-meriter. Vi pratar om Zmartrest och hur du bygger hållbar högprestation utan utbrändhet.


Tre perspektiv: Strategin, Ledarskapet och Prestationen.


Vill du ha en notis så fort de släpps? 

Länk till podden: https://lnkd.in/d7PjkQF3
Klicka på Följ och slå på klockan.

07:00 på tisdag - var där!

3 månader sen: 0 AI-piloter. 0 poddavsnitt.
 Idag?
 
𝗔𝗜-𝗯𝗼𝗹𝗮𝗴𝗲𝘁:
 
4 piloter igång med Design Partners.
Fokus: Bygga en produkt som de älskar.
Sikte: Lansera hårdare om 1-2 månader.
 
𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗱𝗲𝗻:
 
4 avsnitt lanserades den här veckan.
Tack för alla sms, DMs, samtal och hejarop.
Trodde aldrig feedbacken skulle vara så bra:
 
"Svinbra podd!! Kom upp på min Spotify"
 
"Grymt bra avsnitt. Gillade verkligen motivation och att aldrig säga vad man inte vill vara, bara fokusera på det man vill uppnå."
 
"Spännande podd! 🔥"
 
Det har varit mycket svett, men jävligt roligt!
 
Happy Friday!


Bygger du på något särskilt just nu? 😃

2026 är inte 2024.

Mina 5 förändringar i B2B-tech sales:


1. “Seeing is believing” har tagit över

Prospects vill ha 2-4 veckors pilot.

Inte bara demo. 
De vill TESTA själva.

ROI calculators (på hemsidan) har aldrig funkat.

Men bra Cost of Inaction cases funkar fortfarande när de skapar urgency.

Men sen vill prospects SE att din lösning faktiskt löser det problemet.

Proof > promises.


2. Färre säljare = varje hire är kritisk
Du behöver 3 säljare istället för 10 (tack AI/automation).

Förr: 1-2 av 10 failar = 10-20% miss rate.
Okej.

Nu: 1 av 3 failar = 33% miss rate. 
Katastrof.

Rekrytering tar längre.
Inte för att du kör 57 assessments.
Utan för att du har inte råd att faila.


3. LinkedIn proficiency blir viktigare
Det är inte mandatory ännu.

Men fler VD:ar söker säljare med LinkedIn-närvaro.

Job ads i UK/US börjar fråga efter det.

“Social selling” (ja, jag hatar termen också) blir en del av jobbet.


4. Ribban för “good selling” har höjts (igen)
För ALLA.

Även SMB-säljare måste sälja som enterprise sellers nu.

Säljer du 2-3K MRR deals?

Du behöver börja:

    ∙    Bygga business case
    ∙    Facilitera komplex försäljning
    ∙    Koppla till bolagets övergripande mål

“Good enough” sales funkar inte längre.
Standarden har höjts.


5. Generic pitchar är döda
“Vi hjälper företag med X” funkar inte.
Eller generiska PDFer och PPTer.

Du måste vara hyper-relevant:

    ∙    Deras specifika problem
    ∙    Deras specifika outcomes
    ∙    Kopplat till deras company goals

Och varför JUST nu!
Annars är du bara noise.


Vad ser du under 2026?

Det bästa på LinkedIn 2025 var inte något jag gjorde. 

Det gjorde Kundo ↓


När de bjöd in till Kundservicedagen gjorde Sofia och Amanda en jävligt rolig hypevideo. 

Vi snackar i avsnittet om att många bolag är en snarkfest och vad du kan göra för att liva upp det. 


Det och mycket mer släpps på tisdag ✊




ps. Sa ju fel om Amanda när jag sa tech säljaren, ska ju vara tech säljchefen ✊

Finns det något som heter överträning? 

Tydligen inte! ⬇️ 

Det är underåterhämtning.

Vilket var bara ett av väldigt många perspektiv som skiftades i mitt samtal med Anders!

Han har själv varit elitidrottare.

Men som mental coach har han varit på OS, VM och EM!

Däribland EM-guldet för U21-landslaget i fotboll.

Vi pratar om hur vi som ledare kan ta atleternas disciplin till näringslivet. 

Vilket Anders själv gör med sitt bolag Zmartrest AB!

Avsnittet släpps imorgon bitti!


Har du varit underåterhämtad någon gång?

3 miljoner impressions på LinkedIn 2025.

Men 2026 kommer jag få färre: ⬇️


Inte för att LinkedIn ändrar algoritmen.
Det spelar ingen jävla roll. 
Bara att acceptera. 


2025:

- 218 posts totalt 
- Fokus på VD & grundare
- Få videos och 15% försök till virala poster


2026: 

- Fler poster överlag
- Fler videos från min nya podd
- Kommer antagligen bli läger % ”viralt”


Med fler poster totalt går impressions per post ned.

Samtidigt som jag kommer köra mer video dyker nog impressions ned också.

Men högre relevans för min målgrupp.


Impressions är en vanity metric.
Men fortfarande kul att tracka 😃


Men företagsmässigt tycker jag inte frågan ”hur många ser det?" är rätt. 

Utan "ser rätt personer det?"

Hellre 10K impressions till rätt personer än 100K till fel.

2026 = mindre reach, mer relevans.


Är impressions overrated? 


Ps. Ändå stolt att nå 3 mil utan en engagemangspodd 🥳

Jag har hört så många säljledare säga: 

"Vi tränar på säljmöten" 😱 


Det är inte samma sak!

Säljmöten = Tävling

Siffrorna säger tydligt hur viktigt säljträning är. 
När jag intervjuade 70 SaaS säljledare:

66% gjorde säljträning färre än 2 gg/månaden.
34% gjorde det 2 ggr/månaden eller mer. 

Av de 66% tog bara 20% sitt target. 
Av de 34% tog 67% sitt target. 

Vill du att ditt bolag ska ta era säljtargets?
Då är säljträning en viktig del. 

Eller hur tänker du?

ps. Från mitt Soloavsnitt publicerades exakt nu!

Preboarding av din nya säljare börjar inte dag 1. 

Den börjar när:


Din nya säljare har skrivit på kontraktet. 


Väntar du med preboarding till startdatumet så förlänger du rampup-tiden med månader. 

Det är sjukt dyrt. 


𝗛𝗮̈𝗿 𝗮̈𝗿 𝘁𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝘁𝘁 𝗴𝗼̈𝗿𝗮 𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗮𝗻 𝗱𝗮𝗴 𝟭: 


1. 𝗚𝗲 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗔𝗜 𝗡𝗼𝘁𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗿𝘀

Låt personen titta genom kundmöten. 

Se till att skicka specifika länkar till: förstamöten, gruppmöten, demos, case-möten med mera. 

Ett antal för varje stage som är bra.

Be säljare ta notes med frågor och feedback. 
Sen tar ni allt det på en session under rampup. 

(När jag börja på Karma lyssnade jag på 60+ st).


2. 𝗙𝗶𝘅𝗮 𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗲𝗻

Logins, hårdvara, CRM-access. 
Allt fixat INNAN dag 1.

Så de inte spenderar första veckan på IT-support. 🤡

Bonus: Köp ett laptop-stativ för 240 kr.
Professionell video setup = professionell säljare.


3. 𝗕𝗼𝗸𝗮 𝗮𝘃 𝘀𝗮̈𝗹𝗷𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘀 𝗸𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗮𝗻 𝗻𝘂

Där tillkommer:

• Onboarding möten med personer från organisationen
• Säljträningar och coachingmöten med dig
• Dagsstrukturen för säljarna

Här kan jag raljera, men beroende på senioritetsnivå hos säljaren. 

Dagsstrukturen handlar om när säljaren ska:

• Prospektera
• Ringa kalla samtal
• Planera att ha sina säljmöten

Kan kännas löjligt, men det har ökat rampuptakten sjukt mycket för mig, mina säljteam och mina kunders säljteam. 


Preboarding är skillnaden mellan 3 månaders rampup och 6 månaders.


Vilket betyder ca. 300 000 kr i skillnad per säljare.
🤯🤯🤯

Det största misstaget jag ser säljteam göra när de bygger sitt cost of inaction case ⬇️

Sättet de ställer frågor om prospektets siffror.


För att räkna på ett COI-case behövs oftast 3-9 frågor besvaras.

Exempel rekryteringsverktyg:

• Antal rekryterare
• Kostnad extern rekrytering
• Minuter på sourcing/rekryterare


Exempel prospekteringsverktyg:

• Antal säljare
• Minuter på prospektering
• Genomsnittsförsäljning per säljare


Misstaget är dubbelt:


1. Auktoritet
   
Det krävs pondus att gå in på de här frågorna.
Prospektet exponerar sina svagheter.

Utan förtroende kommer de aldrig svara ärligt.

Att våga dyka in i frågorna som en jämlik är kritiskt.


2. Anchoring
   
Hur säljaren ankrar sina siffror.
Ta rekryteringsexemplet:

Säljare: "Vad lägger ni per rekrytering hos extern part, 200 000 kr?"

Om prospektet lägger 175 000 kr försvinner smärtan.
De känner sig under snittet.


Men säljaren som ankrar strategiskt:

Säljare: "Vad lägger ni per rekrytering hos extern part, 150 000 kr?"

Plötsligt känner prospektet att de betalar FÖR mycket.

Missnöjet skapas.
Samma produkt.
Samma kund.

Olika anchors.
Stor skillnad i resultat.

Har du använt anchoring?

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

No alternative text description for this image

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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