For decades, sales training revolved around one idea: master the technique and the numbers will follow.

Scripts. Objection handling. Closing strategies.

For a while, that worked. But today’s business environment has shifted faster than traditional sales models can adapt.

Buyers are more informed. Pressure is higher. Burnout is rampant. And the same playbook that once produced results now leaves even top performers running on fumes.

Should companies provide sales training for their salespeople and sales management training for their sales leaders? Should individuals be expected to have mastery in the 21 Sales Core Competencies by the time they are hired? Let’s use sports as an example and then return to sales.

Any kid can go to the sandlot with a bat, ball and glove, and figure out how to play baseball. Some will play Little League. The boys who love it, want to continue playing, and are serious about getting better, will get lessons and/or play travel ball, practice every day, and hope to play in high school, college and beyond.

Ask any early-stage founder what their sales strategy looks like, and the answer usually involves hustle: late nights, endless follow-ups, and a whole lot of “just figure it out.”

But here’s the truth: hustle can get you traction. Only habits will get you to scale.

If you’re still leading sales yourself, you’re in the right place. This phase isn’t about offloading fast. It’s about learning fast. It’s where your product, pitch, and positioning are tested in the wild.

Successful salespeople possess many skills. They exude confidence in sales pitches, harbor the motivation to seek out and drive new business, and develop the knowledge to educate others about your company’s products and services. But the most essential skill of all may be emotional intelligence.

Closing high-level sales involves emotionally connecting with customers. Creating genuine connections means understanding and harnessing your own emotions as well as your prospects’ and customers’ emotions. These skills embody emotional intelligence. We’ll explain more about emotional intelligence, why it matters in sales, and how to cultivate it in yourself or your sales team.

In manufacturing, leaders devote a significant amount of time to operational efficiency, focusing on reducing waste, enhancing processes, and maximizing output. However, one critical piece is often overlooked: sales.

You can have the most efficient operation in the world, but growth will stall without a steady stream of new business and strong customer relationships. Sales should be treated with the same discipline and focus as operations. Sales must be built on process, data, and continuous improvement.

In January 2025, McKinsey & Company found that almost all companies are investing in AI, but only 1% believe they have reached maturity in using it meaningfully. That gap between adoption and impact captures the tension at the heart of leadership today: Automation can handle many tasks, but the human skills of persuasion, trust-building and narrative still decide who wins the deal.

AI may write the first draft, summarize the report or optimize workflow. But it can’t feel the room, tell a compelling story or crack open a narrative that connects to shared values. For entrepreneurs and executives, the mission is clear: Use AI to free capacity, not hollow your role.

Not long ago, two colleagues and I found ourselves in an online meeting, cornered by three wildly overzealous sales professionals. They were selling a tool my company was evaluating, and their pitch behavior was so bizarrely unhinged, I half-expected Lorne Michaels to walk in and yell, "Cut! Great rehearsal, everyone!"

Imagine two colleagues and me, being bombarded with obvious, leading questions delivered with over-the-top enthusiasm from a group of aggressive salespeople whose sole aim was to get us to agree with them. They even demanded that we answer these leading questions out loud with an enthusiastic “Yes!”

Every founder loves a full pipeline. But what if many of those leads were never going to buy in the first place or were going to cause you more trouble than they were worth? Chasing unqualified leads is one of the most expensive mistakes businesses make. It drains your team’s time and fills your client roster with people who are a poor fit, leading to churn and frustration on both sides.

The temptation to go for volume is real, especially in the early stages when every inquiry feels like an opportunity, but failing to qualify enough can hold your business back more than you realize.

Of all the jobs that AI may replace more quickly than others, many experts have predicted that customer service might be one of the places this buzzy tech makes the deepest impact. Given the number of bots that pop up to offer help when you’re shopping online, you may well agree. But a new report from Gartner predicts something different. The experts at the analytics firm think that no Fortune 500 company will actually replace human agents completely by 2028.

If you’ve been in sales for longer than five minutes, you know the old rules don’t hold up anymore. Cold outreach is colder than ever. Buyers are savvier. And the “show up and throw up” pitch approach is just a fast track to a closed tab.

Today, the best sales teams are shifting their energy— and fast. The secret isn’t just about more calls or better scripts but about smarter prep. Let’s unpack why sales prep is becoming the ultimate competitive edge and what that actually looks like behind the scenes.

Outgoing and upbeat by nature, sales professionals are often less likely than other members of an organization to show outward signs of strain when the going gets tough. But their leaders—certainly the best ones—know well that a “happy warrior” exterior doesn’t come close to telling the whole story of what sales team members are thinking and feeling.

Their leaders would do well not to forget this, especially in uncertain times like the ones we face today—when market signals are mixed and demand is changeable, when very little is going according to plan.

As someone who has coached several sales teams over the years, I’ve seen how traditional competitive sales environments run leaders down. Perhaps one of the biggest challenges of managing this particular group of personalities is that they’re extremely competitive. This competitiveness can be both a boon for your company (e.g. the sales will keep coming) and a burden for you (e.g. you’re trying to keep high-achievers from acting aggressively or impulsively).

I’ve seen top sales performers clash over territories and go to war with each other. Their sales manager then has to move from focusing on strategic leadership to constant conflict resolution.

Contrary to what you see in pop culture, sales is all about building lasting relationships that create customers for life. Whether you’re just starting out or have been running your small business for years, the road to success can often feel like navigating an uncharted path. But here’s the good news: With the right map, you can make the journey smooth, predictable, and, most importantly, sustainable.
In this article, we’ll walk through the essential strategies every entrepreneur needs to win opportunities and build lasting, profitable customer relationships. Think of this as your sales blueprint — the guide for turning potential leads into loyal customers, while optimizing your time and efforts to focus on what truly matters.

There’s no question that B2B sales has always been an intensely competitive and high-pressure job. Competition is only intensifying, especially in the world of Saas. With the sudden rise of AI coding tools, like vibe-coding and GPT-5’s release, companies are debating the choice to build versus buy, while growing increasingly selective with what they choose to outsource. As a result, spending continues to slow, which means seller pressure is mounting.

You’ve been able to generate sales leads — prospective customers who may want to buy your products or services — and produced enough interest to draw them to your website or location. They’ve taken action to identify themselves by calling or filling out a website form. They may have even expressed precisely what they’re looking for and want to purchase. However, when you try to close the sale, they balk or ghost you altogether. What’s going on, and how can you fix it?

We’ve all experienced customer service that didn’t live up to our expectations. Unsatisfactory experiences are universal and negatively impact our lives—a bad customer experience (CX) can sour your mood or your whole day. Yet a good one can quickly turn it around. Whether it’s the friendly local barista or the head of a software company, positive experiences can spark enduring customer relationships for years to come.

That’s where human customer service comes in. Human customer service is about creating support experiences that are personalized, understanding, and efficient to build trust and loyalty with your customer base. And thanks to ever-evolving technology, support teams can leverage AI to make customer connections that are more authentically human.

Your sales funnel is broken and you’re not the only one. Most funnels lose attention fast because they're built for your process, not your buyer's journey. Too many steps, too much confusion, no real punch. What if you could fix the message and the format in one go, and unlock all the sales you dream of?

Sales funnels work when the message is sharp and the offer is hot. ChatGPT has the answers. Copy, paste and edit the square brackets in ChatGPT, and keep the same chat window open so the context carries through.

We've all heard the phrase, "underpromise and overdeliver." Unfortunately, I often see businesses that tend to "overpromise and underdeliver," failing to meet customers' expectations.

For me, it all comes down to trust. Can I rely on a company to consistently meet and exceed my expectations? As entrepreneurs, this can be a difficult question to confront. However, if you're unsure how to respond, it may be time to reflect on your practices.

Sales that turn into cash fuel your business. Without sales, a business cannot generate the funds needed to cover expenses such as payroll, rent, inventory, and marketing. Sales also fuel growth, enabling businesses to invest in new opportunities, expand offerings, and improve their infrastructure. Sales are crucial for sustaining daily operations, ensuring financial stability, and driving long-term success and competitiveness in the market.

However, while celebrating high sales volume is understandable, it’s crucial to remember that sales without profit is a dangerous red flag.

If you're a founder, freelancer or small business owner, chances are you've had at least one sales conversation go sideways — and maybe more than you'd like to admit. After presenting your offer enthusiastically, the client counters with a laundry list of demands, challenges your pricing or continues to push for more without giving an inch in return.

Sound familiar?

In our work delivering sales training for entrepreneurs and small business owners, we encounter this scenario all the time. Many founders tell us the same thing: "I didn't start my business to be in sales." And yet, selling and negotiations are critical to your business's growth and survival.