Actionable Steps to Get Better at Sales

I broke into sales with no degree, became the #1 BDR in 4 of 16 selling months, and got promoted to AE. Here’s the 90-day plan I wish I had on day one (and the one I used to outpace my ramp class). You’ll sound like you belong in interviews, you’ll hit the ground running, and you won’t hand in the same templated 90-day plan everyone else copies. Step 1: Master the product. Know features → the pains they solve → who feels those pains. Read every case study. Write your own “pain → feature → outcome” crib notes. Step 2: Shadow top performers. Ask for two things: recorded calls and their top five objections (with how they handle each). Copy the patterns, not the personality. Step 3: Learn your buyers. CEOs ≠ CFOs. Map 3 pains, 3 priorities, and 3 success metrics for each persona you’ll call. Use their language, not yours. Step 4: Define a tight ICP. Don’t boil the ocean. List the sub-verticals, headcount bands, tech stack, location, and 2–3 intent signals that correlate with deals in your CRM. Step 5: Build and verify your list. Clean emails. Direct dials. Current titles. I wasted two weeks doing 100–120 dials/day with zero meetings because my list was garbage. Verify before you call. Step 6: Call more than everyone and track everything. Log calls, pickups, conversations, meetings. Know your pickup rate, conversation→meeting rate, and call→meeting rate. Low pickup = data or dialer issue. Low conversion = opener, value prop, or objection handling issue. Pro tip: Get this done in your first week. Use the gaps between onboarding sessions. Ask for manager sign-off on your ICP before you burn time. If you want a live walkthrough check comments

Sales folks, take note! Spamming a target company's employees with your services and requests for meetings will result in your company making its way onto a buyer's blocklist. As a buyer in the localization industry, I receive dozens of emails and LinkedIn requests every single day from vendors looking to showcase translation, AI, QA services, and more. It's not humanly possible to give personal replies to every outreach. When vendors can't get through to me, they often reach out to everyone on my team... and sometimes to many others across my company. I'd love for this practice to stop. It wastes valuable company time and makes a vendor appear desperate and non-strategic. Here's what to do instead: 1. Appeal to ego! Invite a target company’s decision-maker to a panel, or start a vlog series and ask buyers to appear and discuss industry topics. It’s also a great opportunity to reposition your company as a thought leader. 2. Offer genuine insight, not just services. Share a case study, white paper, or benchmarking data that’s actually useful to the buyer’s role, and do it without a sales pitch. 3. Build a reputation before you build a pipeline. Comment thoughtfully on posts. Contribute to community conversations. If you consistently show up with value, you’re far more likely to get noticed. 4. Target smarter, not broader. Don’t shotgun your message to an entire company. Learn the org. Understand the buyer’s scope. Then send one well-researched, personalized note that shows you actually did your homework. 5. Focus on mutual value. Can you help solve a known pain point or offer perspective on something changing in the market? Frame your outreach around collaboration, not consumption. 6. Use timing to your advantage. Keep tabs on when companies are hiring for roles associated with your offerings, launching in new markets, or attending conferences. That’s when buyers are more receptive to new solutions. 7. Lead with generosity. Offer a no-strings-attached resource, intro, or suggestion that doesn’t benefit you directly. Reciprocity is a powerful trust builder. And please! Don't ever ever call me on the phone! ;)

Spending 20 minutes crafting ONE impactful email beats blasting out 1,000 automated emails every time. Tech sales isn't about brute force anymore—it's about insight. Here's why buyers have changed and 7 tips to help you thrive: I’ve managed 100s of reps, sales teams and managers. In the early days, success came to those who could out-work the competition. Successful reps didn’t “always” need deep product knowledge or a clear grasp of the competitive landscape. Hard sales skills were enough. But those days are over... What sets today's top performers apart is their ability to research and understand the market. Buyers want insights. The reps who thrive are the ones who bring intense domain knowledge to the table. Here's why: 1. Buyers Are More Educated Today’s buyers know more about your product than the average rep does. They expect tailored answers to specific questions. If they sense a lack of knowledge, they’ll move on. 2. Market Is Flooded with Substitutes With so many similar products, the gap between competitive products has nearly disappeared. Relying on product superiority is outdated — sales reps need an understanding of both their product and competition to offer value. 3. Knowledgeable Sales Reps ARE the True Moat As product differentiation fades, your real edge lies in your GTM strategy and a core team of AEs who can navigate complex buying cycles. Buyers trust and buy from knowledgeable sellers. Here's how sellers must adapt: 1. Stay Updated Insist on regular marketing and competitive updates from your Product and Marketing teams. Knowledge is power, and staying ahead keeps you sharp. 2. Keep it Real Don’t rely on outdated claims about being better than competitors. Your competitors make the same claims. Buyers are smart; honesty about your strengths and weaknesses builds trust and credibility. 3. Deliver Insights Provide value with deal-specific insights at every interaction. Custom content, detailed responses to objections, and actionable advice will make you a trusted advisor. 4. Be a Hub of Knowledge Share anonymized best practices and insights gleaned from your conversations with other clients, you can position yourself as THE go-to expert. 5. Create Aha Moments Your buyer is likely well-informed and eager to move forward. Don't waste their time. Cut to the chase. Spark that "aha" moment and watch the deal accelerate. Make them successful at their jobs. They'll reward you. 6. Don’t Disappear After the Sale Keep sharing best practices and stay engaged after the sale. Building long-term relationships leads to repeat business and referrals. 7. Stay in Your Domain Stick with your niche when switching jobs. Choose to work for multiple companies in the same space. Over time, deep knowledge and connections in your field will provide an unfair advantage. The days of the pushy seller are over. Buyers are more demanding than ever. They want answers, not more meetings. The question is, will you evolve?

If I had to start my sales career from scratch today, here’s the exact roadmap I would follow: Phase 1: Starting Out Forget chasing titles. I’d focus on chasing skills. ✅ Study buyer psychology, not just product sheets. ✅ Learn how to run effective discovery calls. ✅ Understand how to ask better questions. ✅ Find a mentor or leader who teaches why behind the what. ✅ Practice, Practice, Practice Most people in sales waste their first 2 years chasing quota instead of building foundational habits that pay for a lifetime. Phase 2: Growth Mode Once I knew how to sell, I’d shift gears. ✅ Master objection handling without sounding desperate. ✅ Learn more about the nuances of each phase of the sales cycle  ✅ Learn the art of storytelling, because facts tell, but stories sell. ✅ Build my personal brand on LinkedIn. Share my learnings, mistakes, and client wins. ✅ Practice. Practice. Practice. The top 1% of salespeople aren’t better closers. They’re better relationship builders. And they position themselves as the guide, not the hero. Phase 3: Bet on Yourself The final phase? Take your skills and build something of your own. ✅ Start consulting or coaching revenue teams. ✅ Teach others how to Earn The Right™ to ask questions, and which ones actually move deals forward. ✅ Create workshops, courses, or products around your method. ✅ Practice. Practice. Practice. The ceiling in sales isn’t a quota. It’s how big you’re willing to bet on yourself. I've lived this roadmap. And if you're just getting started or feeling stuck, pick a phase. Start there. The best time to level up was yesterday. The next best time is now.

Sales are simple when you understand this secret: The moment you start selling, you've lost. I used to be terrified of sales calls. Now my team and I close without ever feeling like we're "selling." Using a proven system I call “Pitch OS”. I've taught this exact system to founders who went from struggling to book calls to closing 30-50% of their prospects. Here's the 6-step sales system: 1. Lead With Curiosity Most salespeople start by talking about themselves. Big mistake. Instead, ask open-ended questions: • "What are you looking to achieve?" • "Tell me about your current situation" • "What made you book this call today?" Then shut up and listen. 2. Clarify Their Challenges You can’t help your prospect if you don’t truly understand their situation. Some great follow-up questions I use: • "Tell me more about that" • "Why is that important to you?" • "What impact does that have on your life?” Care about what they say here. The key is to dig deeper: • "How long has this been an issue?" • "What happens if this doesn't get solved?" Their answers become your roadmap. 3. Co-Create Their Ideal Outcome Once you understand their challenges, help them paint a picture of what success looks like: • "What's the ultimate goal here?" • "What would this allow you to do?" This creates a vision they're emotionally invested in. 4. Contrast Cost of Inaction vs. Investment Most people aren't afraid of the cost of your solution. They're afraid of making a change. Ask them: "If nothing changes, where will you be in 6 months?" Help them see what inaction will cost them. 5. Present Your Solution As The Bridge After successfully going through steps 1-4, I transition into the bridge: "Based on what you've shared, I think I can help because of my experience in [solving their problem]. Here's how we'd get you to [their ideal outcome]." I structure my solution around 3-4 clear pillars that directly address their challenges: "The first thing we'll do is build out what I call [Pillar 1], which will solve [Challenge 1 they mentioned]." Then, I’d go through each one in detail, following the same format. 6. No Manipulation I never use: • Fake scarcity ("only 2 spots left!") • False urgency ("price doubles tomorrow!") Instead, I'm radically honest about what my solution can & cannot do. Sales don't have to feel gross. Remember: Trust is built before the call, not during it. That's why my Content GPS makes sales effortless: • Monthly workshops with immense value • Weekly newsletter building a true relationship • Daily content on social media solving real problems By the time someone books a call, they're pre-sold on your expertise. __ Enjoy this? ♻️ Repost it to your network and follow Matt Gray for more. Want to learn how to build a sustainable founder-led brand that grows even when you’re not around? Join my free live Workshop on August 21st (4 days away) to steal my homework: https://lnkd.in/eXgiGXxS

Hey Salespeople: According to Gong data, you’re 130% more likely to close deals when you have access to the Economic Buyer. The problem? You’re stuck with a mid level champion in 90% of deals. 5 steps to gain access to the Economic Buyer: 1. Introduce the Evaluation Framework When the time is right: Teach your champion what a successful evaluation looks like. Sales is an act of leadership. When you spell out what the path looks like? You position yourself as a leader. Here’s the key: Show when, why, and how the ‘CXO’ should be involved. 90% of champions default to “including their boss” at the end. If that happens? You're running two sales cycles. Not just one. Establish the expectation for earlier involvement at the get-go. 2. Set a Double Upfront Agreement As you wrap up your first call: Set the expectations of the second call: “The next call will still be just you and me… “The purpose of that call, at the end, will be to decide if we expand the conversation to others…” Again, you’re setting the expectation. The next call’s point is to decide whether it makes sense to expand the footprint. You do this a full call in advance of that moment. Because now you set the expectation. If they push back immediately? You can have that conversation now. Instead of waiting until it’s too late. 3. Establish value first, qualify second. Rule of thumb: Don’t: • Ask buying process questions • Request access to power • Qualify the buyer … until you’ve first established value. Does your champion even want what you’re selling? Until that happens: You have no business pushing for access. Value first. Process second. 4. Negotiate the sequences of steps Ok. Now you’re at the end of that second call. You’ve established value. It’s time to include the Economic Buyer... Per your evaluation framework. Most of the time, it’s still not that easy. You don’t get a hard no. But you get a little pushback. Your next move? “Ok. Well let’s talk about the full series of steps you and your company would need to take to evaluate this, then we can talk about the right sequence.” Then get them to lay it all out. Once they do? Negotiate the SEQUENCE of those steps. Pull access to the Economic Buyer as far forward as they’ll allow. 5.  Draw the line If you’re STILL getting resistance? Something is wrong. You either didn’t sell value. Or you have a fake champion. Or your champion just doesn't see you as credible. In either case, you’ve got to make a choice: Disqualify? Find a new champion? Or continue on knowing you may waste your time? The choice is yours. But now you can make that choice – eyes wide open. Ok. That’s all for today. Hope this was helpful. If you liked it, feel free to tag a friend in the comments. Or share the post/video with your team in Slack.

Stop asking for the No.1 sales tip. Steal systems that already work instead. Lack of information is never the reason why most people never improve at sales. Actual problem is that they only consume advice all day. But, top performers don't. → They collect principles. → Turn them into habits. → Then turn those habits into systems. Here's a framework I've borrowed from almost every great salesperson I've studied. 1. Build a pre-call checklist. - Don't trust your memory. - Before every call, answer the same questions: What problem are they trying to solve? What's changed in their business recently? What's one assumption I want to test? - Preparation beats improvisation. 2. Create an objection library. - Every objection you've heard before should have a documented response. - Instead of reinventing your answer every time, improve it after every call. - Your future self shouldn't have to solve the same problem twice. 3. Review your wins and losses differently. - Most reps only review lost deals. - Review your wins too. - Ask: "What exactly did I do that made them buy?" - Success leaves patterns too, capture them. 4. Keep a swipe file. - Whenever you hear: a great discovery question, a brilliant follow-up, an objection handler, or a closing line…save it. - The best salespeople don't rely on inspiration because they build libraries. 5. Improve one system every week. - Not one skill, one system. - Which includes: your discovery process, follow-up sequence, meeting prep and your note-taking. Small improvements compound faster than random hacks. The people in this image don't all sell the same way. But they all have something in common: They rely on repeatable systems instead of raw talent. That's what I would steal first. — Follow Noam for more AI X Sales systems.

Think about brushing and flossing. Do it sporadically, and plaque builds up. Do it daily, and you prevent it. The same principle applies in sales. An action is something you do once in a while. A system is a set of actions you do consistently over time. Why does matter? When you have a system, you’re doing the right things over and over again, not just when you feel like it. The benefit? You create momentum which stacks the odds in your favor for success It’s not just for you. It’s something you can hand off to others too. For example, if you’re a SDR, here’s a system called Winning the Day. How it works: You earn points for completing actions every day. 1. Before leaving work, list 35 people to prospect the next day. Let your present self help your future self (1 point) 2. Make cold calls for 45 minutes. (1 point) 3. Confirm meetings. (1 point) 4. Send 20 cold emails. (1 point) 5. Send 5 handwritten notes or videos to prospects. (1 point) 6. Stay positive—no gossiping or blaming. (1 point) 7. Spend 20 minutes calling closed-lost opportunities to ask for feedback. (1 point) 8. Send a one-sentence email to prospects who missed meetings: “Have you deferred looking at [your solution]?” (1 point) 9. Share 5 useful articles with prospects you haven’t spoken to in 3 months. (1 point) 10. Take a 10-minute tech-free walk. Notice what you see, hear, and feel. (1 point) Scoring: 8+ points in a day? You won the day. 40+ points in a week? You won the week. 160+ points in a month? You won the month. If you fall short, it’s okay—simply begin again. This isn’t a competition. It’s a practice. Success is built by showing up consistently. What’s your system? What’s your score today?

The 10 Best Actionable Takeaways I learned hosting 30 Minutes to President's Club in 2024: 1. Sara Uy - No matter what objection you get on a cold call, the first thing to respond with is "that's actually exactly why I called". I'm not interested --> "That's actually exactly why I called. If I only waited for people who were interested to call me, I probably wouldn't have a job" --- 2. Josh Braun - Presuppose your prospect has already looked into solving the problem ("You've probably already looked into automating your commissions, huh?") and suggest for them reasons why they might not have taken action ("Seems like your commission structure is too complicated to automate"). Instead of telling people why they should switch solutions, understand why they haven't switched. This reduces sales pressure and opens the door for YOU to eventually give your pitch. --- 3. Ken Amar - Test the numbers you dial from regularly to ensure your calls aren't showing up as "spam likely" --- 4. Kyle Coleman - To write cold emails that resonate with execs, layer business initiatives (Plan to IPO, Launching into new geo) with industry trends (Government compliance mandates, changes in consumer behavior) and observations (CEO interview, Job Posting). --- 5. Mark Kosoglow - The best reps have a mindset of "when I give something to my prospect I'm going to ask for something back in return". Ex. Case Study for Timeline "I'd be happy to send you over a case study. I'm not 100% sure would be most applicable. Question: are you planning on making this decision in a month or like 6 months? I want to ensure I'm sending something relevant to your situation." --- 6. Steven Bryerton: Use 1 - 10 scale questions to get your prospect's REAL reaction. "Typically at this point, you're somewhere on a scale of 1-10. A 10 would be you LOVE what I showed and wish you had this a year ago. A 1 would be I should get a new job because that was the worst demo you've ever seen. Where do you fall on that range?" --- 7. Christopher Voss: Label when someone is negotiating just for the sake of negotiating. "Seems like....you just want...a deal?" --- 8. Matt Dixon: Early in the sale, most of our effort will go to beating the status quo. Deeper in the sale, more effort should get allocated to helping the customer overcome indecision. There comes a point in the deal to stop asking the customer what they want and start RECOMMENDING what they need. --- 9. John S.: 2x/month, run a pipe squeeze w/ your reps where you ask for: deal size, close date, is the customer aware of that close date, what incentive they have to hit that close date, next step. Screenshare + take live notes. Send your notes to the entire revenue org so EVERYONE has visibility and accountability. --- 10. Kevin "KD" Dorsey: WGLL (What Good Looks Like). Want your team to perform? You need to define what good looks like, document it, demonstrate it to the team and deliberately practice it.

Struggling with sales as a consultant? Here are 7 lessons that transformed my approach: Sales isn’t just about closing deals—it’s about understanding people, building trust, and delivering real value. Here are five lessons that have helped me level up my sales game: 1. I’m not a door to door sales person: I had to reframe my sales mindset from someone who interrupts your day to someone who understands your needs and persuades you that their solution is effective as solving your problem. 2. Listen more than you talk: The first step isn’t about selling, it is about understanding people’s needs. By asking thoughtful questions and really hearing your client’s needs, you can build trust and establish whether there is a mutually beneficial opportunity. 3. Focus on Solving Problems, Not Just Selling Products: People don’t buy features—they buy solutions to their problems. Shift your mindset from “selling” to “helping,” and your conversations will become more authentic and effective. 4. You can’t price your worth if you don’t know your worth: You can’t truly appreciate the value of a four-figure product or service until you’ve invested in one yourself. This year, I joined a paid program to improve my public speaking and storytelling. Not only did I learn from the content, but I also experienced the sales process and aftercare firsthand. It gave me a new perspective on what great sales and service look like. 5. Follow Up with Value: The sale doesn’t end when the contract is signed. Consistent, value-driven follow-up builds long-term relationships and opens doors for referrals and repeat business. 6. Be disciplined: Run a sales process, such as speaking at events, following up on Linkedin, conversion to discover calls and measuring how many lead to paid work. Honouring that process for three months gives you data and insights to learn and adapt your process. 7. Embrace Rejection as a Learning Opportunity: Every “no” is a chance to learn and improve. Ask for feedback, reflect on what you could do differently, and use each experience to get better. Sales is a journey of growth—for you and your clients. Share your top sales lesson in the comments! 👇 Let's learn from each other. If you found these lessons helpful, give this post a share! 🚀 #B2BSales #SalesTips #Consulting #IndependentConsultant #SalesStrategy #SalesGrowth #CustomerSuccess