Did you grow up wanting to be in sales?
vs wanting to be an expert in a domain
Let’s face it, no kid ever said “I want to grow up to be a salesperson’. Yet, dig beneath the surface, and you'll discover a hidden truth: exceptional leaders and entrepreneurs are quietly extraordinary salespeople. Leaders must sell visions that inspire teams; entrepreneurs sell groundbreaking ideas to investors, customers, and potential hires. Regardless of your title, you're in sales, whether you have a quota or not.
When I started as a software developer, my skills were solid but hardly world changing. It wasn’t until co-founding Macadamian, and realizing one client is great, two is better, and 10 is the bomb kind of thing. I realized then a critical truth: groundbreaking products/services/ideas don't sell themselves.
We graduate from school with a specialty that will allow us to build a successful career, so we think. In my view to be successful we need both the build (what we studied hard for) and sales muscle to be as strong as they can be.
People who successfully get their ideas or products bought have two traits
· They care deeply about the people they deal with
· They are curious, they ask lots of questions AND listen for the answers
Today's post is a gym session for the sales muscle.
When most people think of sales, they immediately conjure images of used-car dealers employing manipulative tactics. Sales is viewed as convincing someone to buy something they don't need. With that mindset, no wonder sales feels dirty.
Start from this principle – Your customer owns the problem; you own the solution. You are one of the solutions they will evaluate, they will buy the one they believes works for them.
The Trust equation - caring deeply for people
Sales isn’t about manipulating people/customers. Great sales is deeply understanding another’s problems, articulating clear solutions, and genuinely caring about their success. The Trusted Advisor introduced me to an equation that changed how I approached relationships:
Trustworthiness = (Credibility + Reliability + Intimacy) / Self-Orientation
Credibility: Can people believe your words? Say what you do
Reliability: Can people count on your actions? Do what you say
Intimacy: Are people comfortable sharing sensitive information with you?
Self-orientation: Are your actions centered on their needs or yours?
Put simply: Say what you mean, deliver what you promise, connect authentically, and always prioritize their needs.
Uncovering real needs: Sandler’s pain funnel
Effective salespeople don’t pitch; they probe to uncover needs (vs wants). By being relentlessly curious, you can uncover what truly keeps your customers awake at night:
Surface-level: "What’s your biggest headache right now?”
Exploratory: "How long has this issue been bothering you?"
Impact: "What have you tried to fix it?"
Cost: “What's this problem costing you financially?”
Feel: “How is this impacting you personally?”
Future: "What happens if you don't resolve this issue soon?"
This targeted curiosity transforms vague concerns into specific, urgent pains—guiding customers toward recognizing the true value of your solution. Screen shot the darn questions; they will help you get to the bottom of things and prioritize with your customers what needs to be done vs not.
Practice, Practice, Practice
My son's ultimate frisbee team practices ten times more than they play games. Why? Because practice shapes performance. Don’t wait to practice on customers; Rehearse conversations and objections until responses become second nature. Do this as a team role play.
Quick feedback loops: The power of “Hot Wash”
After each customer interaction, members of your team present during that interaction spend five minutes max reviewing:
What clicked? (Do more)
What flopped? (Do better)
What's next? (Reiterate or establish expectations right away)
Fast focused feedback transforms every interaction into an upgrade opportunity for everyone around the table.
The Secret Sauce: Aligning Intent and Action
Sales is not a dirty word. It’s not a monologue. It’s about being authentically helpful and curious to create clarity, connection and trust.
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