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The Fundamentals That Don't Go Out Of Style.

27 articles. Newest first.

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Let's Make Average Impossible: Your Deal Isn't Stuck, It's Single-Threaded

Stalled deals are usually a multi-threading problem, not a ghosting problem. How to fix it before quarter-end.

Why I Don't Trust Sales Reps Who Never Struggled

Struggle builds the resilience great reps need. Why I hire and coach for it instead of avoiding it.

Discovery Calls Aren't Dead. You Just Made Them Boring

Discovery is a curiosity skill, not a checklist stage. How to make it feel like a conversation again.

Advice I Give to Sellers Today About AI

Stop using AI to look smart. Start using it to think better. The advice I give reps who ask where to start.

AI Won't Replace Sales, But It Will Expose the Weak

AI doesn't replace good sellers. It removes the cover that let weak ones hide. Three seller archetypes to watch for.

You're Not Underperforming, You're Overbooked

Calendar time theft is quietly killing quota attainment. How to find the hours you're actually losing.

Start Using AI Like a Pro (Even If You're Not One Yet)

Prompts, modes, tone, and templates that let any rep start scaling their AI use immediately.

Why Your Deals Stall at Quarter-End (And How to Prevent It)

The proactive forecast language and preparation that keeps deals from freezing right when you need them to close.

The Coaching I Wish Someone Gave Me in My First Sales Role

Care about the prospect, prepare before the call, and don't demo too early. Advice for new reps starting out.

The 4 Core Elements of Sales Development

No matter how much natural skill they have, SDRs must master four things: attention, dialogue, thought, and relationships.

5 Ways to Attract Top Sales Talent

Building a brand and a pipeline so you attract top sales talent instead of chasing it.

5 Things Salespeople Need to Do After Researching Prospects

Doing research is a requirement to be a successful SDR, but research alone will not put opportunities on the board.

3 Steps to Finding the Right Buyers

Keeping the buyer at the center of the sales process takes skill, especially early in the cycle.

3 Ways to Disqualify More Leads

Not every prospect is a fit. Disqualifying bad-fit leads early saves pipeline time for the ones that matter.

How Automation Is Killing Salesperson Autonomy

We put powerful tools into the hands of young sales professionals without any guidance on how to use them.

Why Your Prospects Don't Call You Back

In sales development, the only thing worse than hearing no is hearing nothing. Four reasons prospects go silent.

6 Phrases Salespeople Need to Stop Saying

Every salesperson struggles to remove overused words and phrases that quietly hurt call credibility.

Increase Sales Productivity by Asking the Right Questions

It's time to stop teaching your sales team to talk, and start teaching them to listen.

4 Reasons Sales Deals Go Dark

As everyone sprints toward the end of the quarter, many salespeople watch engaged prospects go quiet. Here's why.

Dreamforce '15: How the Internet of Things Will Transform Sales

A period piece from Dreamforce 2015 on Salesforce Lightning and Thunder, and what IoT meant for the future of sales.

Can B-to-B Sales Follow a B-to-C Cycle?

Thanks to the internet, today's B2B buyers are better informed and expect a faster cycle. Can sales keep up?

5 Ways to Push Past Call Reluctance

Environment, incentive, culture, education, and process fixes for the reps who freeze before picking up the phone.

4 Traits That Make a Successful Business Development Rep

Work ethic, coachability, ego, and ambition: what to actually screen for when hiring a BDR.

Sales 101: Top 8 Tips for Beginning Sales Professionals

I come from a sales pedigree: my father, grandfather, and great-grandfather. Eight fundamentals for reps just starting out.

Why Gatekeepers Are a Sales Rep's Best Friend

Sales reps usually view an organization's gatekeeper as the first obstacle. Treat them as an ally instead.

How to Follow Up a Cold Call with an Actionable Cold Email

In the age of always-on technology, closing a cold call often takes more than one channel. How to structure the follow-up.

The Rebirth of the Cold Call

The cold call isn't dead, the lazy version of it is. What separates the reps still winning with it today.