Two powerful strategies to enhance discovery calls…

1) Bring strong opinions, loosely held.

Coined by Kyle Asay , this advice is invaluable.

Without a well-researched perspective before the first call, you will rarely connect with the person on the other end.

Every

An underestimated powerful word when it comes to selling:

“Typically”

Typically helps you frame next steps.

Typically sets expectations without overpromising.

Typically demonstrates expertise and credibility.

Let me walk you through a few examples:

1. Frame next steps
↳

You want to reach the top? Let’s be fair: top performers weren't always top performers.

They had to learn how to be excellent.

Almost every future top performer cut their teeth by following a process, playbook, or script.

Some of them were put on PIPs or even fired.

The fastest way to 'closed won' isn't more pressure, but less.

I used to think pushing hard was key to closing deals. Then I discovered a counterintuitive approach: stepping back can get prospects to lean in for the close.

This is ‘unselling’: Think like a consultant, not a

Since it's mother's day today I will:

1. Cook
2. Walk the dog
3. Do the laundry
4. Let my wife sleep in
5. Make coffee for my mom

Jk. I do 4 out of 5 all the time.

Happy to have my mother visiting from Sweden though! ☀️❤️

Learn the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist.

Career growth can unintentionally impact your leadership qualities. Here’s how to counteract this:

The NeuroLeadership Institute identifies three key leadership behaviors to embrace as you advance:

1. Being future-focused
↳ The higher up the ladder you climb, the farther out

Remember that sometimes not getting what you want is a wonderful stroke of luck.

I wish I had known this trick for responding to objections during my cold calls back when I was an AE...

“Actually, that’s why I called…”

Here’s what it sounds like:

1) We already have X

Actually, that’s why I called… A [similar company] switched from X to us, and I figured

Water boils as it shifts from 99 to 100 degrees Celsius.

Each degree up to 100 is crucial, though it's the final one that brings the boil.

Your progress mirrors this process.

Feeling stuck despite hard work? You're likely still in the 0-99 degree phase.

It often takes

As a leader nothing is more exciting than seeing the people you've invested in take off.

Here's a personal rule that transformed my disappointments into action as an AE:

Back when I was an AE, whenever I lost a deal, I'd immediately spend at least an hour cold calling.

The idea? Having faced the worst rejection, cold calls felt like nothing, and always had the

“If a thing is not worth doing at all, it's not worth doing well.”

This principle, often attributed to Charlie Munger regarding the Berkshire Hathaway investment strategy, reminds us to focus only on what truly matters.

Peter Drucker, a pioneer in management thinking, put it

Is Sales Leader Deficit Disorder silently killing your sales? Here's how to overcome it:

You've probably heard about Sales Deficit Disorder and how it can drive clients crazy.

It’s when buyers have the feeling that:
1. You don’t understand my business
2. You don’t listen

But

Almost anything in life can be learned faster.

Most people learn passively. They wait for insights to come to them.

But you can speed things up by actively searching for useful ideas.

One strategy is to ask the top people what they do.

Make their best practices your baseline.

8 months into my sabbatical, I'm peeling back the layers on leadership:

As a father, husband, and professional, I've found that stepping back has offered a new perspective on what it means to lead.

Here are 5 core leadership qualities that my sabbatical has reinforced:

1.