Topic
Salesselling is a way of serving.
Selling isn't convincing someone of something they don't need. It's helping them decide. Here is everything I've written about sales, from prospecting to the follow-up after the close.
Emotions decide
Almost nobody buys on specifications. They buy for what they want to get, avoid or feel. Understanding that changes the entire conversation.
Fundamentals over tactics
Constant prospecting, better questions, real listening and follow-up. Simple things done consistently move the number more than any closing trick.
Fear of rejection
No is part of the job. Keeping the activity going without becoming pushy or shutting down is the most profitable skill a seller has.
Every article on this topic (39)
- Operational Impotence: When Your Team Knows What to Do and Still Doesn't Do It
In front of 50 salespeople, I was put on the spot. My answer that day explains why training excites but changes nothing.
- All for a Pokémon
It wasn't madness. It was meaning. Last year, I was in Playa del Carmen. I was there to give sales seminars.
- 5 Toxic Thoughts
Some people have great products, experience, and want to sell more. Yet they don't sell as much as they could. It's not always about a lack of tools.
- The Same Quesadillas
Sometimes customers don't buy from you, not because they don't want to. But because they don't remember you. Look.
- Disappearing Is Expensive
I just got back from a trip. Airports. Suitcases.
- Begging for a T-Shirt
Your customers aren't cheap. If they don't buy from you, it's your fault. You're selling the object, not its meaning.
- I Hate Piñatas
I have 4 kids. So I've been to way too many kids' parties. And there's one part I detest:
- How Awful
Mr. Beast makes me really uncomfortable. And I just understood why. It's not that he gives away money on his show.
- I Know It Was Wrong
It was 7:00 AM. We had to leave. Or they'd be late for school.
- I Was Envious
Your customer isn't stupid. They know when you only reach out because you want something. Like that opportunistic "friend" who never talks to you,
- Willy Wonka vs. the Chocolate Kings
This message is for those tired of begging to sell. Have you seen Wonka? It's about a poor, orphaned boy obsessed with chocolate.
- 29 Years Late
The problem isn't that the world changed. The problem is continuing to sell as if it hadn't. I'll tell you a true story.
- The Sole of the Shoe
Your customers don't buy how amazing your product is. They buy what that product helps them feel, achieve, or solve. And that's frustrating.
- He Bit His Apple
There's a sign you've already lost the sale. Even before you open your mouth. You know how it goes.
- Familiar Faces
There's a reason we easily buy from some people, and not from others. Once, at a barbershop, a business owner told me:
- Piled-Up Tequilas
There's a vice that destroys businesses. It almost always disguises itself as strategy. Discounts. The damn discounts.
- A Kindergarten Teacher Made Me Think
To sell, you don't need to fake it. If you think you do... you've been misled. Look.
- I didn't need those CDs. But I bought them.
In 2017 I paid hundreds of dollars for some CDs. Yes. CDs.
- The Bone Setter Told Me
Your customers don't buy your product. No, sir. Your customers buy what they believe your product will do for them.
- Knives in the Ground
This weekend I was at a kids' party. One of those with inflatables. Kids running around, soaking wet.
- Not Even Cristiano Ronaldo Can Do It Alone
Your salespeople aren't gods. They're salespeople. If you expect them to sell all by themselves, you're making a mistake.
- Ally or Nuisance
There was a time I preferred sleep to being awake. I won't tell you the whole story today. But I can tell you this:
- A Bra for Men
Some think to sell a lot, you need to invent something rare. Not true. You can sell a ton with a common product.
- Has it Grown Yet, Dad?
You do things with all the faith in the world. And they don't work. About three years ago, I planted a kiwi in the garden.
- I Can't Watch Star Wars
Sexy brands do something special. If you're not doing it, you're playing in the minor leagues. It changes everything: how much you sell and how you retain talent.
- I Don't Like David Goggins
They say a good salesperson turns any 'no' into a 'yes'. And if you can't, it's because you're not good enough. They're wrong.
- They Laughed at Me
I was on stage. In front of about 200 people. And they all laughed at me. Look.
- Gordon Ramsay, Pineapple Pizza, and Selling Without Begging
In 3 minutes, you'll understand why your company might be doing everything “right”… yet still end up competing on price. Know Gordon Ramsay?
- Get Sharp
Many are struggling to sell. It's not for the reasons they think. Once upon a time, there was a young man.
- The Syndrome of the Drunk Without Keys
There's a reason your sales are stalled. And no, it's not a lack of effort. It's because you're looking in the wrong place.
- Drink Skim Milk
Do you know why companies fail? Why they don't hit sales targets or end up with mediocre service? For a reason much simpler than we like to admit:
- Clams, Braids, and Why Selling is So Tiring
Having mediocre salespeople is your fault. Not theirs. And there's something you can do to save them.
- A 195-Meter Mistake
You can do almost everything right and still not make sales. And it feels terrible.
- Friction Sales vs Frictionless Sales: Why Selling Feels So Hard
Not all sales are equal. Some drain you and your margin; others arrive almost decided. That difference is designed before you ever talk to the customer.
- The Revenue Formula: Specialization, Reach and Channels
Selling more isn't a trick. It depends on how specialized you are, how many of the right people know it, and how easily they can buy.
- Selling vs Serving: If Selling Makes You Feel Guilty, You're Selling Wrong
Many salespeople carry guilt that isn't theirs. The fix isn't selling less: it's selling in a way that actually helps.
- How Much Does a Keynote Speaker Cost? The 7 Factors That Move the Price
There's no list price, but there are seven factors that explain why two quotes can look so different. Here they are, and what to ask for so you can compare.
- How to Sell More Without Lowering Your Prices
When a team can't explain why something is worth what it costs, the discount shows up on its own. Fix this before you touch the price.
- How to Turn Followers Into Customers
Having an audience and having customers are two different things. What's usually missing in between is a clear invitation.