Sales Career Development

2017: No revenue, no social presence. 2024: $440k+ in revenue, 875K+ social media followers. 💸 How did I achieve this transformation? 🤔 It wasn’t just about random sleepless nights and hard work. Here are the key strategies that made a difference: 1. Expanding My Skill Set 💻 What I Did: → Started as a content writer and then transitioned into marketing and copywriting. Why It Worked: → Diversifying my skills opened up new opportunities and helped me stand out in a competitive market. Tip: Continuously develop new skills and find the ones that align with your goals. 2. Building a Strong Social Presence 📸 What I Did: → Created a personal brand, studied social media algorithms, produced valuable content, and leveraged trends. Why It Worked: → A strong social presence attracted more followers and clients, ensuring steady business growth. Advice: Focus on growing one platform at a time. 3. Creating Value-Added Content What I Did: → Focused on producing content that provides real value to my audience, such as how-tos, tips, and insights relevant to their interests. Why It Worked: → Value-added content builds trust and positions you as an authority in your field. Strategy: Always aim to solve problems or provide insights that your audience can benefit from. 4. Effective Networking 👏🏼 What I Did: → Connected with like-minded professionals, attended industry events, and engaged in meaningful conversations. Why It Worked: → Networking opened doors to unexpected opportunities and provided valuable referrals. Pro Tip: Share book snippets or insightful articles to start meaningful conversations and build strong connections. 5. Mastering Sales 🛒 What I Did: → Improved my sales skills, including pitching, negotiation, and closing deals. Why It Worked: → Good sales skills are essential for converting prospects into clients, and helping people naturally leads to sales. Hope this helps 😁 Question - What are the top 3 skills you think one must have to grow their business?

Last week I met with the CRO of a company that was last valued at $2.3 billion. He used my favorite words I’ve heard TO DATE to describe the biggest problem in sales today: “A couple years ago we were selling in a ‘demand-positive’ environment,” he said. He went on: “Today, we’re selling in a ‘demand-neutral’ and even ‘demand-negative environment.’ Those are COMPLETELY different skills.” I asked him what skills sellers need today. Here’s a few things he said: 1. Deliver a McKinsey-caliber POV. A point of view is a UNIQUE insight about an industry problem. A great POV can change how your buyer thinks. All in a way that favors a purchase. Most sellers don’t know how. POVs are thinly-veiled product pitches. There’s no insight. There’s no acumen. The best sellers deliver POVs that rival a McKinsey consultant. They subtly communicate: “I know your business. And I know this problem better than anyone.” Buyers walk out of those meetings better than how they walked in. 2. Uncover C-LEVEL pain and outcomes Open your CRM. Look at the notes in the ‘pain’ field in your deals. Now ask yourself: Are these the topics that C-Level execs talk about? Chances are: Your pain statements resonate with mid level managers. Not C-Level buyers. Uncover the need BEHIND the need. You'll land on the jackpot. 3. Uncover WHAT IT WOULD TAKE to capitalize on a priority. In a demand-neutral environment, you have to go “outbound.” That means buyers aren’t exploring your solution. The obvious step 1 is to uncover priorities (see above). But that’s not enough. You can uncover priorities until you’re blue in the face. But if you don’t know what it takes for your buyer to CAPITALIZE on them? You can't TIE your solution to them. The best salespeople don’t just uncover deep pain. They uncover how the buyer thinks about the causes. They offer insight on how the buyer SHOULD think about them. 4. Build consesus. Buying committees have gotten larger. Buying committees have gotten more risk averse. Buying committees are prone to “do nothing.” Yet sellers have the same multi-threading habits they did two years ago: Work with one, two, MAYBE three people. Stick with the most comfortable contact. Avoid the skeptics. The best salespeople don't just multi-thread. They do it in a way that creates consensus. 4. Confront and convert skeptics into champions. Weak sellers avoid the skeptics. They're uncomfortable. They ask hard questions. They voice hard objections. But the best sellers know that skeptics can become your best champions. Only people who CARE about solving a problem are skeptical about solutions. If you can win them over, they move mountains. Lean into the skeptics. Not away from them. P.S. Here's 39 (free) questions that sell in today's market conditions: https://go.pclub.io/list

The salesperson of the future isn’t just a seller. They are a creator and a builder. When I was in sales, I’d constantly ask marketing to publish some of my content ideas as a way to reach prospects. I’d chase our sales engineers for custom demos to make interactions feel personal and relevant. They got what I was asking for, but eventually, stopped replying. Honestly, I get it - they could'nt respond to every sales request. If I were starting over in sales today, I’d do things differently. I would be a creator and I would hit “post” myself. The best salespeople I know build trust by sharing what they see: their customers’ challenges, market trends, and lessons from the field. They’re turning LinkedIn into their most powerful sales channel. According to HubSpot’s State of Sales report, salespeople now consider social media their most effective sales channel. And instead of leaning on sales engineers, I’d build what I need. With AI and no-code tools, that’s finally possible. Salespeople are designing custom demos, using synthetic data in demos, experimenting with AI agents, and creating smoother buying experiences, all on their own. The job has changed. The old boundaries are gone. The new salesperson isn’t waiting for support — they’re building it. They’re creators. Builders. Sellers. And, maybe, a little easier to work with for their friends in marketing and sales engineering.

Enterprise Sales is a different beast. You’re thinking about it all wrong. The difference between a $50K and a $500K deal is NOT fancy Negotiation skills or Disco tactics. You need to learn BUSINESS ACUMEN like a VP. I’ve worked 100s of $6-7 fig deals. Here are the 5 hardest lessons I wish I knew before going upmarket: 1. AEs Don’t Close Deals—They Rally The Troops Lone wolves don't close 7-fig deals. Enterprise AEs are like film directors—connecting champions, execs, and influencers across both companies, so the deal feels inevitable. It’s never about one hero; it's about orchestrating every player: CEO who shares the vision, VP Product who tackles tough questions, Exec Sponsor who secures buy-in. High-stakes deals demand the best your company can offer. Great AEs know how to get it. 2. Complex Sales = World Class Project Management In enterprise deals, you’re more PM than a seller. Big deals die in the details: missed tasks, unaligned stakeholders, and endless email threads. New people jump in mid-cycle, each needing context. Your job: bring order to chaos. Protect momentum, keep everyone aligned, and ensure nothing slips. Top AEs co-create timelines, organize materials in Deal Rooms and tailor every detail. 3. AEs Master Buying (not Selling) My biggest breakthroughs came not from sales training but from buying software and interviewing CXOs. That’s when I realized: If you understand how budgets, approvals, and internal priorities work, you don't need sales tactics. Empathy becomes your superpower because you know what each stakeholder needs (financially and politically) to say YES. Want to excel at enterprise? Study how companies justify ROI, CFOs think, and champions navigate approvals. 4. There’s No Sales Process—Only a Buying Process Your buyer doesn’t care if you’ve hit Stage 3 in your CRM. They care about their own maze of priorities, budgets, and internal politics. Top AEs ‘dance’ around the sales stages. They choreograph moves based on what the deal needs next—like looping in a board member to champion them behind the scenes or going after end-users to outshine a competitor who started at the top. 5. AEs Think Transformation, Not Pain Points Execs won’t write $1M checks to fix a clunky spreadsheet workflow. They need to see a solution driving company-wide impact—like a strategic pivot or entering a new market. If you’re only uncovering small headaches, expect a small deal. But connect those symptoms to a transformation—and the CFO listens. —— Enterprise sellers think and act like business leaders. Not salespeople who want to close deals. Yes, they know the fancy sales tactics. But that's not the point… When buyers see you think like them. When you work a deal like it’s their internal project. You unlock trust that deserves 6-7fig budgets. P.S. We built Aligned to help manage the complexity of Enterprise Sales. A 100% FREE Deal Room used by 40K sellers. Try it https://lnkd.in/dwX_Zizk

A supportive workplace isn't a luxury. It's the foundation of a thriving career. Everyone thinks securing a job is the ultimate goal. But I believe the workplace culture is just as important. Here's why: Early in my career, I focused solely on landing a job. I didn't consider the workplace environment. One day, I found myself in a toxic workplace. It drained me mentally and emotionally. That's when I realized the value of a supportive work culture. Now when I look for a job, I focus on the company culture. 3 things I look for: 1. Respect and Trust - Is there mutual respect among colleagues? - Do they foster a trustworthy environment? - Are ideas and concerns openly shared? 2. Opportunities for Growth - Do they offer training programs? - Are there mentorship opportunities? - Can you see a clear path for advancement? 3. Mental Well-being - Do they support mental health initiatives? - Is there a good work-life balance? - Do they provide resources for stress management? Reflect on your core values. Align your career choices with supportive environments. You're not just seeking a job; you're seeking a culture. A nurturing workplace accelerates your career and enriches your life. A toxic workplace can have the opposite effect. Choose wisely. ♻️ Repost to help others find a healthy workplace culture. 👋 I write posts like this every day at 9:30am EST. Follow me (Dr. Chris Mullen) so you don't miss the next one.

I’ve been in tech sales long enough to see a pattern play out over and over again. A recruiter reaches out with a tempting offer—higher OTE, bigger equity package, maybe a shiny new title. The grass looks greener, so people make the jump. But here’s what they don’t realize: That "greener grass" often turns out to be just well-marketed turf. Over the years, I’ve watched incredibly talented colleagues leave for what looked like a better opportunity—only to regret it months later. The culture wasn't what they expected, the role wasn’t as strategic as promised, or the company wasn’t executing the way they’d hoped. Many of them ended up looking back at what they left behind with a sense of remorse. Compensation matters—I get it. But in enterprise sales, success is about so much more than just a bigger number on paper. It’s about leadership that invests in you, a product you believe in, a team that has your back, and a company that actually delivers on its promises to customers. The best advice I’ve ever received? Don’t optimize for short-term money. Optimize for long-term career growth and real impact. The money will follow. If you're considering a move, ask yourself: Are you running toward something truly better, or just away from something that could be fixed? Because sometimes, the best play isn’t to switch teams—it’s to double down where you are and build something great. Would love to hear others' experiences—have you ever made a move you regretted? What did you learn? #TechSales #EnterpriseSales #CareerGrowth #LongTermSuccess

Most people fail in sales. Because nobody ever taught them the real skills. → The skills that close deals. → The skills that build trust. → The skills that put food on the table. I’ve mentored reps for years, and I see the same mistake again and again: People chase features, tricks, and hacks, but ignore the fundamentals. Here are 11 sales skills you need if you want to stop losing deals 👇 1. The Prospecting Rule of 10 You give up too early. Great reps push through 10 touches (email, call, LinkedIn, video). Persistence beats talent every time. 2. The Silent Close Ask your question. Then shut up. Silence creates pressure. Pressure forces truth. Truth closes deals. 3. The Value-First Formula Nobody cares about your product. They care about their problem. Teach them something new → you win trust. 4. The No-Fee Boundaries Discounts don’t win. They cheapen. Hold your price = hold your worth. Respect drives revenue. 5. The 30-Second Pitch Reset If they look lost, stop. Simplify. Restart. Confused minds never buy. 6. The Rule of 3 Questions Before pitching, ask 3 open-ended questions. Diagnosis before prescription. Urgency comes from discovery. 7. The Story Sell Humans buy stories, not features. Keep it short. Keep it real. Stories stick. 8. The Champion Method Find the person who will sell for you when you’re not in the room. Champions close deals. Not reps. 9. The Confidence Posture Stand tall. Speak slowly. Breathe deeply. Confidence builds credibility. Credibility builds trust. 10. The Follow-Up Framework Most reps stop too soon. 80% of deals close after 5+ touches. Fortune lives in the follow-up. 11. The Pipeline Truth Stop lying to yourself. Sandbagging kills trust. Healthy pipeline = healthy career. 👉 None of these are taught in school. 👉 All of these decide whether you win or lose. And that’s why so many sales careers stall. If you’re in sales, save this post. If you lead a team, share it with them. Because mastery of these 11 skills = the difference between an average rep and a top 1% earner.

Hey Salespeople: Do you truly understand the Challenger sales methodology (teach, tailor, take control)? It does not mean being aggressive. TEACH – Provide insights that challenge the prospect’s current thinking and help them see an unrecognized problem or opportunity. This approach positions the salesperson as a trusted advisor rather than just a vendor. Example: Instead of just pitching accounting software, show a CFO data revealing they're spending 40% more time on compliance than industry peers, costing them $200K annually in labor inefficiency. TAILOR – Customize the conversation to align with the prospect’s industry, company priorities, and individual stakeholder concerns. Example: When speaking with the IT Director, focus on integration and security features; with the CFO, emphasize ROI and cost reduction; with end-users, highlight ease of use and time savings. TAKE CONTROL – Taking control involves guiding the sales conversation confidently, addressing objections proactively, and steering the prospect towards a decision. This doesn't mean being aggressive, but rather being assertive and value-focused Example: After demonstrating value, saying "Based on what we've discussed, I recommend starting with our enterprise package at $85K annually. To hit your Q3 goals, we should begin implementation within three weeks. Does your team have the authority to move forward, or should we include someone else in our next conversation?"

Every sales leader I talk to at the moment is struggling with some version of the same issue. The symptoms are different, but the underlying cause is the same. - Sales cycles elongating - Deal slippage - Prospects not showing up to meetings - An uptick in ghosting - Poor forecast accuracy - A drop in deal volumes - A drop in conversion rates What's actually happening out there in Buyer land? I've been delivering win-loss reviews for B2B companies around the world since 2011 and I'm seeing buyer behaviours I've never observed before... Let me break down some of them quickly for you and share some guidance on how to use these lessons to your advantage: Trend #1: Risk has jumped up the decision tree in order of importance, to the very top of the list for many clients, even more so when it's a new vendor. Action: Go deeper on risk in your discovery conversations, recognise that risk is both organisational and personal...find ways to better manage, mitigate and share risk with your clients...Be the low risk option. Trend #2: Value for Money, Responsiveness and Cost are consistently selected as the most important decision criteria by many clients. Action: Responsiveness should be an easy one to get right, but many sellers are stretched too thin right now...do less, but do it better. Trend #3: Change in Strategic Direction is the most frequently cited reason for customers coming to market for a new solution at the moment. Action: Try to reverse engineer this reason, to understanding what caused this change in direction and what it actually means for the business. These are your keys to the kingdom, when building a rock solid business case. Trend #4: Feedback from Peers and Colleagues has emerged as the most trusted information source for almost all respondents. Action: Case studies and customer references are losing their luster...find ways to tap into the trust which prospective clients have in their own peer network, as a way to unlock deeper connections and build trust. Trend #5: Customers are demanding more detail in the proposal documents, tender responses and business cases which they are receiving. Action: Put in the work, avoid the cookie-cutter responses, find your win themes and weave them in, share the detail they need to make an informed decision. I haven't got a crystal ball, so I can't tell you if/when the pendulum will swing back the other way, from a buyer behaviour perspective. What I can tell you with a high degree of certainty is that prospective customers have raised the bar, in terms of their expectations from their vendor partners. It's our job now to to elevate the preparation, patience and professionalism of B2B sellers everywhere, to meet these changing needs and maintain our relevance to the customers we serve.

99% of enterprise sellers don't know how to sell transformation deals. I didn't either until my first mentor showed me how. Here are the 5 sales behaviors I had to change (the first one is counterintuitive): 1. Stop leading with discovery – shift to insights. Especially with executives, never start a conversation with questions. You haven't earned the right - yet. You have to 'set the table' by sharing a point of view, an insight - new information that they can quickly grasp which could move the needle in their business. That should ignite a back and forth conversation. Save detailed discovery for worker bees, not execs. 2. Stop over-relying on cold outreach. Go to greater lengths to find warm introductions. Better hit rate and you are positively pre-framed by a trusted contact. 3. Stop asking for a bunch of stuff you want in the first interaction (i.e. heavy commitments to next steps). Give, give, give first. Start finding things you can give the customer for free. Actually valuable stuff. Info, docs, intro’s to smart people, whatever (not white papers, they're never read). 4. Stop talking about the generic benefit your product offers the customer. Start articulating what your customer needs to do to beat their #1 and #2 competitor in the area where you play. Lead with expertise and specific knowledge of their business reality, not product benefits. Product talk will come soon enough. 5. Stop seeing B2B sales as a numbers game. It’s a level-of-impact-on-one-specific-customer-at-a-time game. You should have the mindset that you should win every time you can deliver massive, customer-specific value. As the lead character in Suits, Harvey Specter, says: “I don’t play the odds. I play the man.” --- EDIT: Building executive-ready PoVs just got a whole lot easier. If you’ve ever struggled to turn research into real insight— If you've ever stared at a blank screen trying to craft a narrative that lands— You're going to want to see this. We’re launching the first AI platform built to help sellers craft boardroom-level Points of View—in minutes. Join us live. See Whyzer in action. → Save your seat here https://lnkd.in/dbh-GpVQ