Managing a Sales Team During Times of Uncertainty

managing a sales team

Managing a sales team comes with its challenges. In any given week, management is faced with a barrage of new and difficult problems that often need to be solved in the moment. 

With layoffs sweeping the economy in the first half of 2023, these problems can seem heightened right now. 

But what goes around comes around and there is always reason to be optimistic.

While everyone around you is entering into panic mode, this is the best opportunity to remain calm and assured in the work you are doing. Times of uncertainty can bring out the best in people, allowing sales teams to reset, strategize, and forge ahead with confidence.  

In this blog, we’ll share 27 top tips from the best sales leaders on how to manage a sales team during times of uncertainty.

John Barrows

sales team management

John Barrows is a sales trainer and founder of JBarrows LLC where he provides customized sales training and consulting services for clients like Salesforce, Google, Meta, LinkedIn, and many others. 

John is also a published author, whose work can be seen in Inc. Magazine, Huffington Post, Forbes, and HBR & Fortune. His main goal is to improve the overall education and quality of sales by sharing ideas and techniques that work.

John’s Top Sales Tip:

“Turn your sales org into a lab and treat everything like an experiment. Allow your reps to try out new approaches and all the new free tech like ChatGPT to find ways of creating efficiencies throughout the sales process and improving results. This will also keep the reps engaged, learning, and evolving which will increase retention and job satisfaction.”

Find out more about John in the Sales Hall of Fame! 

Website | LinkedIn | Podcast | Twitter | YouTube

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Colleen Stanley

how to lead a sales team

Colleen Stanley is the president of SalesLeadership, a sales development firm specializing in the integration of emotional intelligence, sales, and sales leadership skills. She is the author of three books, Emotional Intelligence for Sales Success, Emotional Intelligence for Sales Leadership, and Growing Great Sales Teams

Colleen has received many awards for her work in sales development and thought leadership. Salesforce named her as one of the most influential sales figures in the 21st century and she has been recognized as one of the Top 30 Global Sales Gurus.

Colleen’s Top Sales Tip:

“Effective sales leaders lead sales teams through uncertainty by implementing dealing with the emotion of fear. Uncertainty fuels fear, and fear fuels paralysis and inaction. Remind your sellers that thoughts create emotions. Change your thoughts to change your emotional state from negative to positive. Think about what you can control rather than thinking about what’s out of your control.”

Steve Benson

managing a sales team

Steven Benson is the Founder and CEO of Badger Maps, the #1 route planner for field salespeople. After receiving his MBA from Stanford, Steve’s career has been in field sales with companies like IBM, Autonomy, and Google – becoming Google Enterprise’s Top Performing Salesperson in the World in 2009. 

In 2012 Steve founded Badger Maps to help field salespeople be more successful. He has been selected as one of the Top 40 Most Inspiring Leaders in Sales Lead Management.

Steve’s Top Sales Tip:

“One way you can make a successful change in response to economic headwinds is to make a change to your compensation plan. Imagine you are experiencing margin compression, which is a common obstacle that sales teams need to overcome in a down economy. If the cost of producing your main product increases, you will inevitably be left with tightening margins. What you can do is change to compensating your reps on profit margin instead of on revenue.

The reason this is an action that can be so effective to combat compressing margins is that it aligns the sales rep's incentives with the business's needs. To see how this works, imagine a company that has profit margins that are 10% and their rep gives a 5% discount. It will take two deals to match the profit of one deal where the customer paid full price. If the sales rep’s comp plan is aligned with revenue, that 5% discount only costs the sales rep 5% of their commission. But if the comp plan is aligned with profit, that 5% discount costs them half of their commission.

If you align the comp plan with the profit line, your sales team will be incentivized to defend the profit margins better. In this case, even though the increased cost was on the production side, the sales team successfully defended the margin through reduction in discounting by establishing the product value better compared to alternatives, bringing up the product price earlier in the sales cycle, and negotiation training to build the sales team’s confidence as the deals near close and discounts historically were granted.

In general, compensation plans should be designed to align with your business. This doesn’t necessarily mean you should change how much your reps are paid, but changing the plan to reward your most profitable reps is a great way to keep your team motivated and aligned with the needs of the business in a down economy.”

Check out Steve Benson’s LinkedIn Learning course on building and managing a high-performing sales team!

Larry Kendall

leading a sales team

Larry’s a leader in the real estate industry with over 45 years of experience and is a founding partner of The Group Inc., one of the most successful real estate companies in the US. He is also the co-creator of the Ninja Selling System, which is used by more than 100,000 sales professionals worldwide. His book, Ninja Selling: Subtle Skills. Big Results, is an Amazon bestseller and received the Axiom Business Book Awards Gold Medal as the best new sales book for 2018.

Larry’s Top Sales Tip:

“The 3 keys to sales success in any market are Mindset, Skillset, and Actions.

Mindset

A healthy mindset starts with the proper morning routine. Start your day with gratitude, affirmations, personal notes, and a review of your client's most ready-to-buy.

Skillset

Rehearsal is the key to skill development. Invite your best people to share their skills and how they are navigating the changing market. Have a practice component as part of every meeting.

Actions

Great managers and coaches manage activities, not production. Focus on productive activities and the sales will take care of themselves.”

Kendra Lee

how to manage a sales team

Kendra Lee has built a successful career as a top salesperson by consistently exceeding sales goals. She is a prospect attraction authority, sales expert, speaker, author, and business owner who knows how to shorten time to revenue in innovative ways.  

Kendra is the founder of KLA Group, who works on the philosophy that sales is not an art; it can be learned. She’s also the author of Selling Against the Goal: How Corporate Sales Professionals Generate the Leads They Need and The Sales Magnet: How to Get More Customers Without Cold Calling.

Kendra’s Top Sales Tip:

“Times of uncertainty wreak havoc on salespeople's confidence. That means as a sales manager you need to increase the amount of coaching you are doing. Your team requires your advice and guidance as well as reinforcement that what they’re doing is right. Spend extra time on their prospecting approach to build their pipeline. Shadow them through sales calls.

Don’t stop holding reps accountable, but bear in mind that it takes many more opportunities in the pipeline and more work to close. Not all salespeople can sell in times of uncertainty; you may have to make some tough staffing decisions.”

Listen to Kendra's Outside Sales Talk podcast episode to discover how salespeople can restore their win rates by overcoming challenges!

Victor Antonio

how to manage sales team

Victor Antonio is an internationally renowned sales trainer and keynote speaker with over 20 years of experience as a top sales executive. While working as a Vice President of International Sales in a Fortune 500 $3B corporation, he was selected from over 500 sales managers to join the President’s Advisory Council for Excellence in Sales and Management. He is the author of 9 books on sales. 

Victor’s Top Sales Tip:

3 Inoculation Rules for Avoiding the ‘Recession Mind Virus’:

Rule 1: “No economy stands still; someone is always buying” is the mantra you should invoke when salespeople ‘whine’ about not being able to find/close deals. 
 

Rule 2: A recession provides two key sales opportunities: (a) serve existing clients better and, (b) oust a competitor who isn’t serving.
 
Rule 3: Recessions always squeeze out the excess in a market (i.e. companies go under or get smaller) which in turn provides more opportunities for you to grab business.

When THEY go negative, your sales go positive!  Now go sell!

Listen to Victor’s Outside Sales Talk podcast episode to learn how to master sales presentations!

Michael Hanson

managing sales teams

Michael Hanson is the CEO and Co-Founder of Growth Genie, a business management consultancy that helps B2B sales teams start conversations with their ideal prospects, generate qualified meetings, and close deals.

Previously, Michael was VP of Growth at CloudTask, where he helped scale the company from 10 to over 200 employees in just 3 years.

Michael’s Top Sales Tip:

A recession can easily lead to a victim mentality in sales. Every time you lose a deal or have a low response rate on a cold email, you can blame it on the economy. It's important to train your sales team to have an abundance mindset. In our business of sales enablement consulting, when companies are cutting 10% of their staff including lots of salespeople, it's easy to say "It's impossible to sell to these companies" but instead we are asking "How are you empowering the sales team you have currently?" and that's led to enterprise deals with companies that have made cuts. The biggest obstacle your sales team will face is themselves and their own doubts.”

Rob Jolles

how to lead sales team

Rob Jolles is a sought-after sales speaker and a pioneer of customer-centered selling and influence training. He is the author of a number of best-selling books, including How to Change Minds: The Art of Influence without Manipulation, Why People Don’t Believe You: Building Credibility from the Inside Out, and Customer Centered Selling: Sales Techniques for a New World Economy.

Rob’s Top Sales Tip:

“One of the most difficult aspects of training a sales team how to sell isn’t found in the workshop delivered; it’s found in how the company implements the training received. Sales managers need to work side-by-side with their sales teams and fully attend the training. Once the training has been delivered, those sales managers need to learn how to manage that training. In short, they need to be reminded that salespeople make decisions, not sales processes. That means not judging success or failure by how many steps are observed, but rather by the strategic decisions made using the tactics taught.”

Listen to Rob’s Outside Sales Talk podcast episode to discover the art of persuasion and influence in sales!

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Michael Tuso

managing sales reps

Michael is the CEO and Cofounder of Callypso, a company that helps account managers generate more revenue through up-selling and cross-selling. Before Callypso, Michael worked for over two years as the Director of Revenue Performance at Chili Piper. In 2019 he received the BEAST Award for Best Sales Development Leader at Tenbound’s Annual Sales Development Conference. His book, Crafting the Sale: Create a Sales Experience that Drives Revenue, Impresses Buyers, and Transform Your Career will be released later this year.

Michael’s Top Sales Tip:

“In times of uncertainty, it is paramount for leaders to coach their sales teams on the value of expansion sales. This means identifying areas of growth in your existing customer base, typically referred to as white space or potential planning, and then developing an execution plan for those opportunities. This plan involves building a pipeline from your existing customer base the same way you would in "pre-sales" and treating it as a proactive motion. 

Companies that identify and execute expansion during tough times are the ones that keep their customers, drive stickiness of their products, and emerge victorious when times are better. This not only helps with profitability but the overall sustainability of a business. White space planning is your best friend during tough items.”

Joyce Johnson

leading sales teams

Joyce is the founder of the Why Sales Network, which is dedicated to empowering the next generation of business leaders. Passionate about mentorship and student development, Joyce has published several books: Why Sales for College Students, Top 10 Sales Tips for College Grads, and No Back Doors for Me.

Joyce’s Top Sales Tip:

“Stay connected. Find virtual and in-person team-building activities that encourage open and honest communication and require teamwork. Volunteer projects can be fun and karaoke is a fan favorite!”

Listen to Joyce’s Outside Sales Talk Episode to hear all about the next generation of inclusive sales leaders!


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Jamie Shanks

sales team leader

Jamie Shanks is the CEO of Pipeline Signals, a company he founded to help companies grow their sales pipeline at scale through Relationship Signals. He has trained more than 1000 salespeople and is a Social Selling expert. He is the author of the books Social Selling Mastery: Scaling Up Your Sales and Marketing Machine for the Digital Buyer, and SPEAR Selling: The Ultimate Account-Based Sales Guide for the Modern Digital Sales Professional.

Jamie’s Top Sales Tip:

“Account Selection & Prioritization is the single most important decision your AE's will make when prospecting key accounts.

- Do you engage Account A vs. B
- Do you engage Account A today vs. tomorrow

Most sales professionals use subjective decision-making such as:
- Revenue
- Headcount
- Sexy logo

Focus your AE's on OBJECTIVE account segmentation.”

Find out more about Jamie in the Sales Hall of Fame! 

Website | LinkedIn | Twitter | Books | YouTube

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Keenan

managing sales team

Keenan is the CEO of A Sales Growth Company, a company who implement 21st-century sales methodologies to help salespeople accelerate their revenue. With 20 years of experience, Keenan is a keynote speaker, Forbes Contributor, and award-winning sales blogger. He is also the author of the popular sales book Gap Selling: Getting the Customer to Yes: How Problem-Centric Selling Increases Sales by Changing Everything You Know About Relationships, Overcoming Objections, Closing and Price

Keenan has been named one of the Top 30 Social Sellers in the World and one of the Top 50 Most Influential Sales and Marketing People by ‘Top Sales World Magazine’ every year running, since 2012.

Keenan’s Top Sales Tip:

“The key to managing a sales team during uncertainty is to not do anything different. Too often people try to get cute or become overbearing. Great sales management is just as effective in uncertain times as it is in good times. The key to great sales management is -

1) Make sure EVERYONE knows what their job is, how it's measured, and why it matters. Then get them to buy into the results. People MUST own their job. If they do not OWN their job, they will not be successful. 

2) Create processes that allow you to observe HOW someone is doing their job and how effective it is in getting the results. If they aren't getting the results, look for ways to provide support and additional coaching. Don't have a sink-or-swim culture. Let people make mistakes. 

3) Track everything and hold people accountable.”

Andrea Waltz

leading a sales team to success

Andrea Waltz is a sales speaker, virtual trainer, and co-author of Go for No! Yes is the Destination, No is How You Get There. She was named one of the 25 Sales Experts You Should Follow On Twitter by Hubspot and 25 Sales Influencers to Follow on Twitter by Salesforce and Live Hive.

She is also the founder of the publishing company Success in 100 Pages.

Andrea’s Top Sales Tip:

“In uncertain times, it can take much longer to get a decision, with sales cycles getting stretched like an overused rubber band. Leaders must help the people on their team stay positively persistent and celebrate activity as much as they do results. That means congratulating people not only for wins but for the attempts that have not yet manifested. Facing the no’s and staying persistent must be something that is recognized and rewarded.”

Listen to Andrea’s Outside Sales Talk podcast episode to learn how to overcome the fear of rejection in sales!

Mario Martinez Jr

sales team management tips

Mario Martinez Jr. is the CEO and Co-founder of Vengreso, the creators of FlyMSG. In his numerous B2B Sales and Leadership roles, he has helped companies grow their revenue by hundreds of millions of dollars annually.

In 2021, he was named to the #1 spot in the Top 10 Most Influential Business Leaders by Beyond Magazine and is also one of 20 sales influencers invited to appear in the Salesforce documentary film "The Story of Sales".

Mario’s Top Sales Tip:

“The best tip for managing a sales team during times of uncertainty is to communicate clearly and frequently. Provide updates on the state of the business and any changes in strategy or even the tactical plans. Keep in mind this can change weekly depending on the level of uncertainty. Encourage open dialogue and active listening among team members. Set clear goals and expectations, and provide support and resources to help the team achieve them. Finally, lead by example and maintain a positive attitude, even in the face of challenges.”

Christina Wong

leading sales

Christina Wong is the Vice President of Sales at Badger Maps, the #1 route planner app for field sales reps. With more than 10 years of experience, Christina is directly responsible for turning a start-up from zero into an industry-leading firm.

Christina’s Top Sales Tip:

“Be empathetic and flexible - People work better when they are heard and their needs are supported. Be flexible where you can (and focus on progress/next steps rather than "completing") and be understanding when you can't.”

Kevin "KD" Dorsey

manage a sales team

Kevin “KD” Dorsey is the SVP of sales at Bench Accounting, a company that helps small business owners automate their accounting. He has trained thousands of salespeople, has been named an InsideSales Top 10 Sales Leader, and is also the host of the Live Better. Sell Better podcast.

Kevins Top Sales Tip:

"When things get uncertain, you need to add in certainty and clarity. Make it clear HOW to get to the goal, make it clear HOW to take care of themselves, make it clear HOW you'll support them during it. It's the lack of certainty and clarity that makes these times hard, study what is working and focus on that how with the team."

Christina Brady

how to run a sales team

Christina Brady is the SVP of sales at Spekit, a digital enablement tool that helps streamline sales enablement & onboarding with in-app training. She has nearly two decades of sales experience and executive leadership in the SaaS space and has led individuals and organizations to growth & profitability through creative, scalable, and targeted strategy. 

Christinas Top Sales Tip:

On days when you can't lift yourself up, find someone else that you can support. When times are dark, you aren't buried, you're planted. Do what you can, right now, today!"

Ken Lundin

manage your sales team

Ken Lundin is the creator of the Sales Alpha Roadmap and the President of Ken Lundin and Associates, a sales consulting firm. He has extensive sales experience and brings his expertise to his consulting, coaching, and training methods. Along with his team, they have a proven track record of helping businesses adapt and grow their sales in any market. 

Kens Top Sales Tip:

“Focus your team on client needs: in times of uncertainty the pressure for performance ramps up and the urgency your team feels is expressed in ways that harm performance: they skip steps, try to move through the sales process too quickly, they focus on selling your services rather than solving client problems. Have salespeople slow down, and focus less on themselves and more on the prospect or client. It’s the key to unlocking budgets and driving urgency.”

Listen to Ken’s Outside Sales Talk podcast episode to learn how you can take control of the sales process!

Dave Kurlan

sales management team

Dave Kurlan is the founder and CEO of Objective Management Group, the leading developer of sales assessment tools. He is also the founder and CEO of Kurlan & Associates, a full-service sales, sales management consulting and training firm.

Dave is the best-selling author of “Baseline Selling: How to Become a Sales Superstar by Using What You Already Know About the Game of Baseball”.

Daves Top Sales Tip:

“Hire Salespeople - If you have the cash flow to hire salespeople, do it now. This is the first time in several years that good candidates are available and actively looking for their next home.  

Just make sure:

Don't make any mistakes in your rush to hire,
Use OMG's trusted, accurate, customizable (for the role) and predictive sales candidate assessment.

Rework your sales recruiting process for the current times. You need to get every aspect right from the ad you post to your onboarding.”

Find out more about Dave in the Sales Hall of Fame!

Website | LinkedIn | Twitter | YouTube

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Cian McLoughlin

how to manage sales reps

Cian McLoughlin is the founder and CEO of Trinity Perspectives, a sales training and consulting company specializing in win-loss analysis and sales transformation. He is a 20+ year veteran of the B2B sales industry, including roles in some of the world's largest software companies. Cian is also the author of the Amazon best-selling book, “Rebirth of the Salesman.

Cians Top Sales Tip:

“To sell during times of uncertainty, do these 3 things better than anyone else.
  1. Double down on your discovery (Hint: customers will teach you how to sell to them).
  2. Go deeper on customer Risk (Hint: The low-risk option is winning most right now).
  3. Become easier to buy from (Hint: Find and eradicate the invisible friction in your sales process)”

Listen to Cian’s Outside Sales Talk podcast episode to discover why you’re winning and losing in sales!

Ian Altman

manage sales team

Ian Altman is an author, strategic advisor, and keynote speaker and has decades of experience as a former CEO of technology businesses that he founded, sold, and ultimately grew to over $1 billion in value. He is the author of two books: Same Side Selling and Upside-Down Selling.

Ians Top Sales Tip:

"Would you rather make a costly mistake with a real client or a learning mistake with a colleague? Especially in times of uncertainty, top performers take time every week to practice and hone their skills. You'll discover new strategies and ensure that you always end up on the same side as your client."

Find out more about Ian in the Sales Hall of Fame! 

Website | LinkedIn | Twitter | Books | Podcast 

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Janice B Gordon

sales team lead

Janice B Gordon is ‘The Customer Growth Expert’ who specializes in keynotes that help deliver customer excellence that increases sales. She was named one of the Top 15 Innovating Sales Influencers to Follow on LinkedIn and she also hosts the popular Scale Your Sales Podcast.

Janices Top Sales Tip:

“Modern sales teams must align their revenue-generating process to understand your customers' needs and immediate priorities. Adapting to agile virtual collaborative engagement methods will foster team collaboration.

In times of uncertainty, the sales teams must keep a pulse on market dynamics, industry trends, and competitor activities. This enables them to quickly adapt their strategies and approaches, seize emerging opportunities, and stay ahead of the dynamic curve.

Encouraging open communication, knowledge sharing, cross-functional collaboration, and coaching will significantly nurture a successful sales team in challenging times.’’

Listen to Janice’s Outside Sales Talk podcast episode to discover the 5 steps it takes to become a trusted advisor!

Alice Kemper

managing sales people

Alice Kemper is a sales and leadership consultant, author, and speaker with more than 40 years of experience in the industry. She is the president of Sales Training Consultants, a company that specializes in sales and leadership training solutions as well as the founder of Sales Training Werks, a do-it-yourself sales training solution. 

Alices Top Sales Tip:

Managing sales teams during times of uncertainty, along with many companies operating with a remote workforce, requires ongoing communications with each seller. – preferably weekly. Communicate via a combination of one-on-one coaching sessions, joint call observations, and group skill boosters. Stop asking “What did you sell today?” and start coaching to remove each seller's everyday challenges and barriers that are keeping them from thriving and achieving success for themselves and the company. Continually ask, “What barriers are keeping you from moving forward and how can I help?” and use 30 minutes each week with your team to reinforce or boost a skill.

Find out more about Alice in the Sales Hall of Fame! 

Website | LinkedIn | Twitter

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Jason Forrest

sales team members

Jason is a leading authority in culture change programs and an expert at creating high-performance, high-profit, and "Best Place to Work" cultures. He’s also an award-winning author of books such as Leadership Sales Coaching, Warrior Selling, and The Mindset of a Sales Warrior, and has won 5 international Stevie Awards for his training programs.

Jasons Top Sales Tip:

“There are several key strategies a sales leader should focus on when managing a sales team during times of uncertainty:

1. Navigating uncertainty and managing risk: Sales leaders need to stay focused on their sales goals, despite the uncertainty. This involves risk management, which includes identifying potential risks and developing contingency plans. 

2. Building resilience and adaptability: It's crucial to instill resilience and adaptability in the sales team to enable them to cope with changing circumstances. This might involve training in new skills, fostering a flexible mindset, and encouraging innovative problem-solving.

3. Developing a growth mindset and embracing change: Sales leaders should foster a growth mindset within their team, emphasizing that challenges can lead to growth and learning. Embracing change, rather than fearing it, can enable the team to adapt more readily to new situations.

4. Effective communication: Keeping the team motivated and engaged is crucial during uncertain times, and this is achieved through effective communication. Regular updates, open dialogue, and positive reinforcement can help maintain morale and drive. 

5. Leveraging technology: Technology can be a powerful tool in enabling sales success in an uncertain environment. This might involve using digital tools for communication, data analysis, customer relationship management, and AI. 

6. Master your process: Your sales team’s success is equal to how effective they are at your sales process. You must measure what they are saying and doing and then train the gap!”

Listen to Jason’s Outside Sales Talk podcast episode to discover how to develop the mindset of a sales warrior!

Aleasha Bahr

how to manage sales teams

Aleasha Bahr is a sales expert and international sales closing coach who is the founder of The Matchmaker Sales Method. She transitioned from a successful corporate career in outside sales to coaching solopreneurs and sales teams with her unique sales approach, which regularly doubles, or even triples, their results. 

Aleashas Top Sales Tip

Ask your team what trends they’re seeing preventing sales and what solutions would make sales easier. Prioritize the solutions to create based on the problem patterns the majority are seeing - and the solutions the majority agree would be helpful. Agree on an amount of time to implement and determine whether the solutions were successful or you need to revisit. Letting each member have a say in their situation communicates that they matter, they'll be more invested in actually using the solutions they helped co-create, and letting them know there's a future plan to continue improving makes them want to stay long term.

Listen to Aleasha’s Outside Sales Talk podcast episode to learn all about the secret art of subtle selling!

Jeffrey Gitomer

how to lead a team

Jeffrey Gitomer is an international sales trainer, keynote speaker, and the King of Sales. He has authored 17 best-selling books, including the popular The Little Red Book of Selling. He’s also the creator of the online Gitomer Learning Academy.

He has delivered more than 2,500 customized and personalized seminars and keynotes all over the world. 

Jeffrey’s Top Sales Tip:

“Every sales leader must be a better salesperson than all of the members of his team. You must be able to close a sale when your team member cannot. When this happens, you will gain the ultimate respect of every person on the team. If your salespeople are better at sales than you are, they will never listen to you.”

Listen to this Outside Sales Talk podcast episode with Jeffrey Gitomer to discover the winning attitude for a lifetime of sales success!

Wes Schaeffer

best way to lead a team

Wes Schaeffer is a business owner, keynote speaker, founder, author, and a doer. Known as "The Sales Whisperer®," he was rated the top sales & CRM trainer during Dell's Sales Process Transformation. Wes also helps businesses automate their sales and marketing to drive revenue.

Wes Top Sales Tip:

"To make any sale, you must make every sale. Every email you send, every voicemail you leave, every social media post you make, how you dress, greet, and conduct yourself when meeting your prospects is a sale, and each one matters...a lot. I like to say that small hinges swing big doors. Yeah, yeah, ChatGPT and AI and Machine Learning and SMS and CRM and SEO and PPC are all important, but at the end of the day, selling is personal. It's one-to-one. "But Wes, I do consultative selling in a complex B2B environment, I assure you, it is all business, my good man." (You have to bold that and pat yourself on your back as you take a puff on your pipe and read Shakespeare or the Wall Street Journal at the country club).

"Here's the 411 fer ya. I've sold 7-figure deals to Google and mid-6-figure training deals to Dell, and lots of other B2B and B2G deals, and at the end of the day, a human being with whom I formed a deep relationship authorized my P.O., another expedited it, and another received the products and training I delivered, and 16 years later, I'm still friends with those people.

"Small hinges swing big doors. Acknowledging a prospect who is a veteran is a small hinge. Sharing parenting tips and horror stories with a prospect who is a new parent is a small hinge. Congratulating a prospect on their team's big win over the weekend is a small hinge. Sending over a case study that helps my prospect win an internal project at their company is a small hinge. 

"By all means, master ChatGPT and AI and FaceTube and YouBook and SnapTok and TikTwit and pixels and retargeting and every other emerging tech that the latest influencer swears you need TODAY to survive tomorrow, but always remember there is a human being on the other end of that screen or across the conference table who has their own hopes and dreams, fears, uncertainties, and doubts, goals, and aspirations, and if you seek to serve them, you will make every sale.




"Market like you mean it. Now go sell something! 👍"

Find out more about Wes in the Sales Hall of Fame! 

Website | LinkedIn | Twitter | Books | YouTube 


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