The Most Important Things To Know To Be Successful in Sales 

A SaaS and product sales leader’s stories, lessons, and the habits that shape top performers 

I spent the first decade of my sales career in New York City selling financial technology to investment firms who had no patience for fluff and even less patience for unprepared reps. It was a trial by fire in the best way. You either learned to deliver value fast or you learned the hard way. Later I was brought in to help train global sales teams at companies such as Salesforce, Disney, BMW, and a long list of fast scaling SaaS startups where the stakes were high, the personalities were bold, and the revenue goals grew larger by the quarter. 

During those years I was also raising my two daughters, now 13 and 15, who unknowingly became two of my greatest teachers. Through all of it, one truth became clear. Sales is not a talent lottery. It is a learned skill. The reps who rise to the top are not the ones with the loudest voices or the most polished resumes. They are the ones who practice with intention, sharpen their phrasing, refine their timing, stay curious, and evolve with every new market shift. The tactics change. The channels change. The buyer expectations change. But the core foundations stay the same. 

This guide captures the fifteen principles that matter most, each paired with real stories from my work training sales teams and the lessons I learned raising two very determined daughters who have mastered the art of influence far earlier than I expected. These stories are meant to make you smile, make you think, and most importantly, help you grow your sales skills with confidence and clarity. 

1. Discipline creates results 

When I first broke into fintech sales in Manhattan, I learned very quickly that discipline was the great separator. My manager, a man who drank his coffee black and believed 6 a.m. counted as “running late,” used to remind me, “The mornings you don’t feel like prospecting are the mornings that make your quota.” 

He delivered that line while standing over my desk at 7:02 in the morning after catching me staring a little too long at the pastry cart outside. I nodded, grabbed the phone, and made my first call of the day while he watched with the pride of someone who had personally invented outbound dialing. As much as I joked about his intensity, he was right. In that world, the reps who excelled were not the ones with the smoothest pitch or the biggest personality. They were the ones who consistently did the small, boring, necessary things that everyone else avoided. 

Years later, when my daughters Lily and Avery were little, I had a flashback to that New York office during what I now refer to as The Great Violin Debate. We had introduced a practice chart to help them stay consistent. One evening, Lily looked at me with the seriousness of a corporate negotiator and said, “Do I really have to practice even when I don’t want to?” 

I could practically hear my old manager barking in the background. I gave her the line he gave me. “Especially then.” 

She stared at me for a moment as if deciding whether this was parenting wisdom or a personal attack. Avery, who had been watching the exchange while eating a peanut butter sandwich, chimed in helpfully, “Just get it over with so we can watch a show.” True sisterly motivation. Lily rolled her eyes dramatically but marched over to her little violin. She practiced for ten minutes, then fifteen, then twenty. Within weeks she was improving faster than anyone in her class. 

Watching her, I realized that discipline looks the same whether you are six years old and learning music or thirty-five years old and selling software to hedge fund managers who have never smiled in the history of documented time. 

In sales, your results are built from the quiet hours you invest when nobody is watching. The early morning prospecting. The call recaps. The CRM updates. The follow-ups you send even when you would rather do anything else. Discipline feels invisible day to day, but its impact compounds over time. 

The takeaway is simple. Talent grows stale without discipline. Discipline creates predictable performance. Want to separate yourself in sales? Do the work, especially on the days you do not feel like it. 

2. Mindset matters more than talent 

Years ago, Nike brought me in to coach a team of high performing reps who could sell sneakers, apparel, and cutting edge technology partnerships with the confidence of seasoned athletes. One rep in particular, Maya, stood out from the moment she opened her laptop. She was sharp, articulate, and easily one of the most naturally talented sellers I had ever met. But the minute a client pushed back, even gently, she froze. 

During one meeting with a major retail partner, the buyer said, “I’m not sure this launch timeline works for us.” Maya’s face went blank as if someone had hit a pause button. She later admitted she heard objections as personal criticism instead of collaboration. It was like watching a champion sprinter stop mid race because someone coughed in the audience. 

Over a few coaching sessions, we worked on reframing objections. I told her, “Objections are not attacks. They are invitations. They show you exactly where the buyer needs help.” She practiced responding with curiosity instead of panic. Slow nodding instead of sprinting ahead. Steady breathing instead of internal doom spirals. 

One day during a pitch she leaned forward and calmly asked, “What part of the timeline feels off to you?” The buyer opened up. Maya guided, clarified, influenced. She left the room glowing. “I finally get it,” she said. “They aren’t stopping me. They’re showing me how to help them.” That was the moment her talent became unstoppable, because her mindset had caught up. 

Her breakthrough reminded me of teaching my older daughter, Avery, to ride a bike when she was nine. Avery approached biking with the dramatic intensity only children possess. Every fall was a Shakespearean tragedy. After the fourth tumble she announced, tears streaking down her cheeks, “I’m retiring from bicycles forever.” 

I sat next to her on the curb and said, “Falls mean you are trying things you could not do yesterday.” She sniffled, narrowed her eyes as if analyzing my logic, and then said, “So falling means I’m kind of amazing?” 

“Exactly.” 

She got back on the bike. She wobbled. She fell again. She laughed. She became fearless. 

That is mindset. It is the quiet belief that progress comes from effort, not perfection. People with the right mindset take one more step, make one more call, ask one more question. They are the ones who grow. 

Talent helps you start. Mindset decides who keeps going. 

3. Curiosity builds trust 

When I worked with the sales teams at Salesforce, we had a simple mantra that turned into a running joke in every training session. Ask one more question. Those four words were the difference between a surface-level conversation and a meaningful one. Most SaaS reps hear the first problem a buyer mentions and immediately race toward a solution. The best sellers slow down. They lean in with genuine interest. They explore the buyer’s world instead of assuming they already know it. 

I remember sitting in on a call with a rep named Daniel who was sharp, charming, and very quick to offer answers. The buyer said, “Our workflow gets messy once projects scale.” Daniel nodded confidently and said, “Great, we can help with that.” And the conversation stalled right there. I held up a sticky note that said, “One more question.” He paused, regrouped, and asked, “What part of scaling feels the least predictable for your team right now?” 

Everything changed. The buyer exhaled as if relieved someone finally asked. “Honestly, our approvals stall because managers get overloaded, and nobody knows who owns what.” That is when the real conversation began. After the call, Daniel said, “I never would have guessed that. I thought it was just about project organization.” I told him exactly what I learned at Disney. Curiosity opens the door to the truth. Answers only matter when you know the real question. 

My daughters Lily and Avery figured this out long before any adult sales rep. One night when they were younger, I confidently announced that bedtime was eight o’clock. They sat together on the couch like two junior consultants preparing to challenge a budget allocation. Lily began with, “Why eight?” I answered. Avery followed with, “When did you decide that rule?” I answered again. Then Lily added, “If we clean up everything before eight, does that change anything?” Avery finished with, “And if we promise not to argue for the rest of the night, would that create flexibility in the schedule?” 

Thirty minutes later, both children walked away with a bedtime extension, two extra pages of a story, and something they called a “future negotiation review,” which still keeps me up at night. It was not manipulation. It was curiosity paired with surgical precision. 

That experience taught me the same lesson our Disney sales teams learned. Curiosity lowers defenses. It builds trust. It uncovers what people actually care about. When someone feels truly heard, they share the information that turns a good conversation into a great one. 

The takeaway is simple. Curiosity creates connection and reveals the truth behind the problem. Ask one more question and you often discover the insight that wins the deal. 

4. Preparation sets you apart 

One of the earliest lessons I learned in New York City SaaS and financial services sales was that preparation is the closest thing we have to a superpower. When you walk into a meeting knowing the buyer’s goals, their latest press release, their industry pressures, and maybe even the name of the CEO’s dog, you carry yourself differently. Buyers can feel it. Confidence does not come from bravado. It comes from doing your homework. 

I once coached a rep named Trevor who insisted improvisation made him sound more authentic. He claimed he operated best “in the flow,” which is usually code for “I have not opened the deck yet.” One day he walked into an enterprise pitch with a team that was so detail oriented they probably alphabetized their emails. Trevor tried to improvise his way through their questions, and the meeting derailed faster than a toddler spotting a cookie jar. 

Afterward he sank into the chair next to me and said, “Okay, maybe I need a little more prep.” I replied, “Trevor, the only thing more expensive than preparation is the lack of it.” We spent the next week preparing for his next pitch. We researched the buyer’s priorities, mapped out objections, rehearsed transitions, and even practiced how he would open the meeting. The following Monday he delivered a clean, confident presentation that made him look like he had been selling to enterprise teams his entire life. He not only closed the deal, he doubled his close rate that quarter. Preparation had become his secret weapon. 

Lily and Avery, discovered this truth during one of their elementary school science fairs. They built a model volcano, which already put them at an advantage because volcanoes are universally considered the Beyoncé of science projects. But they did not stop there. They practiced their explanation every night for a week. They quizzed each other. They rehearsed timing. They even practiced what to say if the baking soda erupted prematurely. 

When the judges approached, the girls delivered a presentation with the confidence of keynote speakers. One judge whispered to another, “These two are prepared.” I stood in the back pretending not to beam like a lighthouse. 

Preparation always shows. In science fairs. In enterprise deals. In every single high stakes conversation. 

The takeaway is simple. Preparation gives you an advantage talent alone cannot match. When you prepare deeply, you walk into every room already ahead. 

5. Consistent follow-up wins deals 

Early in my SaaS career in Manhattan, I landed a meeting with a hedge fund manager known for being as warm as a January morning in Times Square. He listened politely during the demo, nodded at exactly zero moments, and ended the call by saying, “We’ll be in touch.” In New York sales language, that phrase sits somewhere between “maybe someday” and “please go away forever.” 

Most reps would have let it die there. But I followed up. Once. Then again. Each time I kept it simple and valuable. A short article relevant to his stated pain point. A summary of how a similar firm had solved the same challenge. A quick note to clarify an earlier question he had asked. Weeks passed with no reply. My colleagues joked that I was emailing a ghost. 

Then one morning he called, completely out of the blue, and said, “You were the only rep who followed up without being annoying. Let’s move forward.” I nearly dropped my coffee. That contract ended up being one of the biggest of my early career. 

What shocked me most was how low the bar actually was. Not brilliance. Not charm. Not a pitch worthy of Broadway. Just steady, respectful follow-up that showed I had not forgotten him. 

The truth is most salespeople quit after one or two attempts. They assume silence means rejection. Top performers do not take silence personally. They follow up with value, clarity, and a calm rhythm that signals professionalism instead of desperation. 

Lily and Avery practice this strategy with alarming skill. One Saturday morning, I casually mentioned that we might bake cookies later. I forgot about it by lunchtime. They did not. At 2 p.m., Lily handed me a printed recipe and said, “Dad, just so you don’t forget, we found the chocolate chip version you like.” At 3 p.m., Avery appeared with the mixing bowls arranged in a neat little formation like they were preparing for a televised baking competition. At 4 p.m., I was standing in the kitchen measuring flour and wondering how two small humans had outmaneuvered me so thoroughly. 

They had followed up with clarity, value, and impeccable timing. Cookies were inevitable. 

That is the magic of consistent follow-up. It keeps conversations warm. It shows commitment. It proves reliability. And in sales, reliability is rare enough to feel like a competitive advantage. 

The takeaway is straightforward. Deals are won by the sellers who stay present. Follow up calmly. Follow up with purpose. Follow up with value. People say yes to the professionals who do not disappear. 

6. Clear communication beats clever communication 

When I was helping train sales teams at Google, one of our biggest initiatives was stripping away jargon. SaaS reps love fancy language. They think words like “robust architecture” and “scalable cross-functional alignment” make them sound impressive. What buyers actually hear is static. Buyers do not want complexity. They want clarity they can repeat to their boss in one sentence without breaking a sweat. 

One afternoon I watched a rep deliver a pitch full of technical brilliance but zero plain English. The buyer sat politely, nodding with the same expression you give someone who hands you directions in a language you do not speak. After the call, the buyer sent us a note that said, “Smart team. No idea what you just said.” That was the day we made clarity our religion. 

My daughters Lily and Avery proved this principle long before any enterprise client. When they were younger, they desperately wanted a puppy. I was firmly against it. I listed my objections like a responsible adult. Training time. Chewing on furniture. Hair everywhere. They listened patiently. 

Then Lily walked over, placed her hand on my arm, and said with the seriousness of a tiny executive, “Dad, a dog will make everyone happy. Isn’t that enough?” Avery nodded beside her with the expression of a seasoned closer waiting for the signature. 

It was the cleanest value proposition I had ever heard. It bypassed logic entirely and went straight for the heart. With that one sentence, she accomplished what no complex argument ever could. I bought the dog. 

That moment reminded me of something essential in sales. The person who explains the solution the clearest usually wins. Not the person with the longest deck or the most technical vocabulary. Buyers need clarity because clarity lowers the risk of saying yes. 

The takeaway is simple. Speak plainly. Tell buyers what your product does, why it matters, and how it solves their problem. Clear communication creates confidence. Clever communication creates confusion. Simplicity wins every time. 

7. Objections are information, not rejection 

A BMW salesperson once panicked when a buyer said the price was too high. It happened during a training session I was leading for a luxury automotive group. The buyer had been admiring a gleaming M850i as if it were a sculpture in a museum. Everything was going smoothly until the salesperson asked, “So, how are you feeling about the investment?” The buyer replied, “Honestly, the price feels a bit high,” and the salesperson froze like someone had unplugged him. 

I stepped in and calmly asked the buyer, “Which part of the investment feels hardest to manage right now?” That single question changed everything. Instead of backing away, the buyer leaned in. He explained that the monthly payment was the real concern, not the overall price. With that clarity, we restructured the financing, walked through a couple of flexible options, and he ended up driving the car home a week later with the biggest grin I have ever seen on a Saturday afternoon. 

Kids understand this dynamic instinctively. When I tell my daughters Lily and Avery that they cannot have something, they do not scream or protest. They immediately conduct an informal discovery call. If I say no to a toy, Avery asks, “Why not?” Lily follows with, “Is it the price or the timing?” They wait for the answer, adjust their approach, and somehow get me to reconsider the trip to the toy aisle. 

Objections are not rejection. They are information. They are invitations. They are chances to understand what truly matters so you can guide the conversation forward. Buyers want to be heard. When you treat objections as clues rather than criticism, doors open that you did not even know were there. 

8. Confidence without pressure inspires action 

Confidence is quiet. Pushiness is loud. Buyers know the difference within seconds. I learned this firsthand while working with a sales team at LinkedIn during a leadership training program. One rep, Marcus, was incredibly sharp but spoke with the calm presence of someone who never needed to raise his voice to make a point. He could walk into a room full of executives with the same energy he used to order a coffee. 

During a high stakes pitch for a major enterprise account, another rep delivered the deck with high volume intensity, practically willing the customer to say yes through enthusiasm alone. Marcus took the second half of the meeting. He closed his laptop, leaned forward slightly, and said, “Based on everything you shared, here is the clearest path that will help your team hit the targets you outlined.” No theatrics. No pressure. Just steady clarity. 

You could feel the room settle. The decision maker nodded slowly. The tension disappeared. It was like watching someone smooth out a wrinkled shirt with one touch. A few days later, the customer signed one of the largest contracts the team had closed that year. When I asked the buyer why they chose LinkedIn, they said, “He sounded like someone we could trust.” That is the power of quiet confidence. It creates space for buyers to say yes. 

Lily and Avery practice this principle without ever having taken a sales class. When they negotiate with each other, the calm child always wins. Avery will launch into dramatic campaigns demanding the last slice of pizza, complete with hand gestures and emotional appeals. Lily simply waits, looks her in the eyes, and says, “You know I’m getting the last slice, right?” The negotiation ends instantly. Her tone carries more weight than any argument. 

The lesson is simple. People respond to steady leadership. Buyers feel safer when you are calm, clear, and confident. When you remove pressure, you make room for the decision that matters. Confidence inspires action. Quiet confidence is often the loudest thing in the room. 

9. Follow a process but stay human 

Scripts are useful. They give you structure, direction, and a safety net when your brain decides to take a coffee break mid call. But buyers are human, and humans do not respond well to people who sound like they swallowed a teleprompter. While working with the sales leadership team at Nike, we spent a huge amount of time building frameworks that reps could rely on. The goal was simple. Give sellers a repeatable process, but leave enough room for personality so that nothing felt forced. 

One afternoon I watched a rep named Jenna deliver a pitch using the script word for word, tone for tone, breath pause for breath pause. If she had been auditioning for a role in a movie called The Script, she would have won an Oscar. But the buyer leaned back, arms crossed, and looked as engaged as someone watching paint dry. After the meeting, I asked her how she felt it went. She said, “Perfect. I hit every line.” I smiled and said, “I know. That was the problem.” 

The strongest closers used the framework but played with it. They kept the key questions, the transitions, and the flow, but they added their humor, their pace, their voice. It made them sound human. People want to buy from people who sound alive, not automated. 

Lily and Avery learned this lesson during a school cookie fundraiser that, to this day, I consider the most insightful sales experiment of my life. The school gave each child a script. It went something like, “Hello, would you like to support our school by purchasing cookies today?” Lily recited it perfectly. Avery took one look at the script, gave it a dramatic sigh, and tossed it aside like a seasoned salesperson who had seen too many corporate templates. 

We walked to a neighbor’s house. Lily used the script. The neighbor smiled politely and said they would think about it. Then Avery stepped forward and said, “Hi, we’re trying to sell cookies, and I really want to beat Lily this year. Would you like to help me win?” The neighbor laughed so hard she bought three boxes. 

By the time we finished the neighborhood, Avery had sold out. Lily sold half her box and walked beside me muttering, “She didn’t even use the script,” which, ironically, was the point. 

The takeaway is simple. Processes help you stay consistent, but authenticity helps you connect. Use the structure, but bring yourself into it. Add personality, warmth, humor, or whatever makes you sound real. Buyers want to follow someone who feels human. Process plus personality creates the magic that moves deals forward. 

10. Practice is non-negotiable 

Every year I relearn this truth in sales. The phrases that landed perfectly last year might fall flat today. The questions that opened doors last quarter might barely crack them open next quarter. Buyers evolve. Markets shift. Expectations get sharper. What worked before will always need refining. That is why the best reps practice. Not once. Not occasionally. Consistently. 

When I was coaching SaaS teams in New York, I used to run weekly role-play sessions. Some reps treated them like warm-up drills. Others said things like, “I’m much better in real conversations.” Translation: “I do not want to practice, and I hope nobody notices.” The ones who practiced intentionally, even awkwardly, became unstoppable. They built muscle memory for objections, transitions, and closing lines. Their delivery became smooth, confident, relaxed. By the time they got into real meetings, their conversations flowed like they had been rehearsing for a Broadway show but without the jazz hands. 

Lily and Avery taught me the power of repetition long before my sales teams did. Both played piano for years, which meant hours of hearing the same song until the house felt like it had a soundtrack. At first, the notes were choppy. Then they became smoother. Then one day, out of nowhere, I walked past the piano and heard a song so beautiful I stopped in my tracks. Lily looked up and said, “It finally sounds how it’s supposed to.” 

That is practice. Slow. Steady. Invisible at first. Then unmistakable. 

In sales, the reps who rehearse their questions, refine their phrasing, and role-play tough moments always outperform the ones who wing it. You cannot improvise your way into mastery. You must practice your way there. 

The takeaway is straightforward. Practice creates consistency. Consistency creates confidence. Confidence creates results. If you want predictable success in sales, practice like it matters, because it always does. 

11. Time management drives revenue 

One of the first things I teach new SaaS reps is that revenue is a direct reflection of how they spend their time. Not their intentions. Not their enthusiasm. Their actual hours. Strong performers protect their mornings like sacred territory. That early block is for prospecting, discovery calls, pipeline cleanups, and follow-ups. If you lose your morning to chaos, you spend the rest of the day trying to catch up on work that should have been done before lunch. 

During my time coaching teams in New York, I worked with a rep named Victoria who had incredible potential but spent every morning putting out fires. Slack messages. Random internal questions. Calendar invitations that had no business being there. By the time she got to revenue-producing work, the day was half gone and her energy was too. We created a simple rule. No internal distractions before noon unless the building was literally on fire. Within two weeks, her pipeline doubled. 

This principle showed up at home long before it showed up in my coaching. When my daughters Lily and Avery were younger, homework time looked like a hostage negotiation. One needed a snack. The other needed a different pencil. Then water. Then the dog was distracting them. It was a continuous parade of reasons why the homework could not possibly start yet. 

One night I finally said, “Homework first, fun after.” They looked at me like I had introduced the harshest rule in the history of parenting. But something incredible happened. Once they followed the rule, the endless delays vanished. Their grades improved. And the evenings became peaceful, which was a miracle no parenting book had ever prepared me for. 

Sales works the same way. Revenue first, noise after. If you protect your time, your time will protect your results. If you leave your schedule up to chance, chance becomes your strategy. And that is not a strategy that wins. 

The takeaway is clear. Time management is not just a productivity skill. It is a revenue skill. Guard your most valuable hours, and your numbers will show it. 

12. Ask for clarity consistently 

Deals rarely fall apart because the product was wrong. They fall apart because someone misunderstood something early on and everyone quietly drifted off course. That is why the strongest sales professionals treat clarity like oxygen. They summarize. They confirm. They double check. They say things like, “Let me recap what I heard” not because they enjoy hearing their own voice, but because it keeps the deal alive. 

I once worked with a major media and advertising company on a high dollar campaign that had been stuck in limbo for nearly two months. Tension was building. The client felt the proposal never quite matched what they needed. The internal creative team felt the client kept moving the goalposts. The account team felt like they were trapped in the world’s slowest group project. 

During a call that was dangerously close to going off the rails, one rep named Hannah finally stepped in and said, “Let me recap the goals exactly as we understand them.” She outlined each objective cleanly, without any jargon or spin. 

The client went quiet for a moment before saying, “That is not what we meant at all.” The entire room froze as if someone had unplugged the meeting. Then the client continued, “We meant something entirely different.” Suddenly everything made sense. Both teams had been working hard but heading in slightly different directions, like two boats rowing with enthusiasm toward opposite islands. 

Hannah’s recap became the turning point. Once everyone understood the real goal, the creative team adjusted, the strategy tightened, and the client felt completely aligned. The deal closed soon after. 

Lily and Avery use this tactic with the same confidence as any seasoned account executive. If I give even the slightest opening for misinterpretation, they pounce. One Saturday I told them they could watch a movie “after chores.” Avery immediately asked, “So just to be clear, if we finish chores early, we can watch the movie early too?” Lily nodded next to her, ready to record the agreement like a tiny contract administrator. 

It is nearly impossible to win these negotiations because they understand clarity better than many adults. They ask the question. They remove ambiguity. They lock the terms in their favor. 

The takeaway is simple. Never assume alignment. Never assume everyone heard the same thing. Clarity saves deals. Clarity builds trust. Clarity keeps the momentum moving. When in doubt, recap. It is one of the most powerful tools a salesperson can use. 

13. Authenticity builds long-term relationships 

In SaaS, the sellers who win over the long term are not the ones with the flashiest pitches or the most dramatic demos. They are the ones buyers trust. Trust is built through sincerity, not theatrics. You can hear authenticity in someone’s voice instantly. Buyers can feel when you care about their problem versus when you are racing toward your quota. Authenticity lasts long after clever tactics fade. 

I once coached a rep named Daniel who had all the outward traits of a top performer. Sharp. Confident. Smooth delivery. But something was off. He treated every conversation like a performance. He was always “on,” which sounds impressive until you realize buyers can feel when someone is acting. After one meeting, a prospect emailed me privately and wrote, “He is talented, but I can’t tell if he actually cares.” 

That was a wake-up moment. I sat down with Daniel and said, “Your delivery is polished, but polish is not what builds trust. People want a human, not a script with perfect hair.” He laughed, but the message landed. Over the next few weeks he softened his tone, stopped trying to be impressive, and started asking genuine questions. He shared insights instead of rehearsed lines. He spoke in a way that felt natural, not theatrical. 

A month later, that same prospect signed a major contract. Afterward he told me, “I bought from him because I finally got to hear the real person, not the persona.” That is authenticity. It is quiet. It is powerful. And it keeps business relationships strong for years. 

Lily and Avery have been reminding me of this principle since the day they learned to talk. Kids have built-in authenticity detectors. If you are not genuine, they spot it instantly. When Lily was younger, she used to ask me a question and then tilt her head slightly, studying me with the seriousness of a small detective. If my answer felt even slightly rehearsed, she would say, “That’s not the real answer. Tell me the real one.” Avery would nod beside her in full agreement, arms folded like a tiny manager overseeing the truth department. 

Buyers operate the same way. They may not tilt their heads like a six-year-old, but they can sense tone, intention, and authenticity in seconds. If you are genuine, they relax. If you are not, they retreat. 

The takeaway is simple. Authenticity is not a sales tactic. It is a foundation. Speak truthfully. Care about the buyer’s world. Listen more than you perform. When you show up honestly, buyers remember you long after the sale. 

14. Continuous learning keeps you sharp 

Sales evolves every single year. A phrase that opened doors last spring might get nothing but silence this fall. A discovery question that once revealed everything might now barely scratch the surface. Buyer expectations shift. Markets tighten or loosen. Decision cycles change shape. The top performers are the ones who adapt. They learn new tactics. They refine their phrasing. They stay curious. 

I learned this lesson early in my career in New York, working in financial tech sales. One quarter I had a closing line that worked like magic. I used it everywhere. Boardroom presentations. Zoom calls. Dinner meetings. I thought I had discovered the golden sentence that would make me immortal in sales. Then one Monday, after delivering it flawlessly, the client looked at me and said, “What does that even mean?” I realized instantly that the market had shifted and I had not shifted fast enough. 

Since then, I have rewritten my playbook every year. I study top reps. I listen to their calls. I borrow phrasing. I drop what no longer works, even if I loved it. I test new approaches in low pressure conversations. I take notes constantly. There is always another angle, another framing, another question that works better for today’s buyer than yesterday’s. 

Lily and Avery know this version of me well. They have walked in on me practicing lines in the mirror more times than I can count. One afternoon, Lily saw me rehearsing a new objection response and whispered to Avery, “He’s doing it again.” Avery replied, “He looks like he’s trying out for a play called Sales Dad.” They both burst into laughter and ran off to tell the dog, who is now convinced I talk to myself professionally. 

But they secretly understand the point. They practice too. Piano. Presentations. Even their own negotiation tactics. My personal favorite was the year they practiced asking for a raise in their allowance using three different approaches. They tested tone, timing, and structure like two tiny behavioral economists. And yes, it worked. 

The truth is simple. Continuous learning is the difference between a seller who survives and a seller who thrives. The market rewards those who evolve. The more you practice, adjust, refine, and update your approach, the sharper you become. 

The takeaway is clear. Treat learning like part of the job, not an optional hobby. Great sellers are made, not born. They grow because they keep growing. 

15. Resilience is the secret advantage 

If New York sales taught me anything, it is that resilience is the trait that separates the good from the exceptional. In that city, deals fall apart for sport. Prospects vanish mid-proposal. Budgets evaporate after months of work. Decision makers change halfway through a contract. Your best week can turn into your worst by lunchtime. The reps who win are not the ones who avoid hard moments. They are the ones who bounce back fast. 

I once worked with a rep named Sam who was talented, likable, and meticulous. But the second something went sideways, he spiraled. One rough call and he would spend the rest of the day convinced his whole pipeline was doomed. One afternoon he lost a deal he had nurtured for three months. I watched his face drop in real time, like the email had personally attacked him. I said, “Take ten minutes, then come back. We have more calls to make.” He stared at me like I had suggested he run a marathon immediately after being hit by a bus. 

Ten minutes later he returned with the determination of someone who had decided the universe was not going to win. He made five calls, booked two meetings, and told me, “I didn’t think I had it in me today. But I guess I did.” That is resilience. Not pretending everything is fine. Not ignoring disappointment. Just choosing to keep moving anyway. 

Lily and Avery live this principle more naturally than most adults. Their sports coach once told me, “They get knocked down, laugh, and jump back in.” It was true. During a soccer scrimmage, Lily tripped over her own shoelace, rolled twice, popped up, and shouted, “I’m good!” Avery once got accidentally smacked in the face with a volleyball and responded by saying, “Well, at least it didn’t hit my sister,” then went right back to serving. 

Watching them, I realized something powerful. Kids do not take setbacks personally. They treat them as part of the game. They fall. They get up. They try again. Adults, especially in sales, tend to complicate it. We analyze our setbacks. We replay them. We give them meaning they do not need. 

Sales requires a childlike resilience. Get knocked down. Laugh if you can. Breathe. Adjust. Jump back in. Your commissions come from the days you choose not to quit. 

The takeaway is simple. Resilience is a skill, not a personality trait. Build it and you become unstoppable. The seller who bounces back fastest is the seller who wins. 

Don’t Forget 

These lessons come from two decades of selling, coaching, and learning alongside some of the strongest teams in the world. None of them rely on lucky breaks or mysterious talent. They are learnable skills. They grow stronger the more you use them. If you study them, practice them, refine them, and revisit them each year, your success becomes predictable and repeatable. 

Sales is not magic. It is the steady accumulation of habits that work. The quiet discipline. The intentional questions. The clear communication. The resilience when things get tough. Master these and you are not just improving your sales results. You are building a career that gets stronger with experience, sharper with time, and more rewarding with every conversation.