Sales: “I’m so glad I could help.”

Selling is a service.

You are solving a real problem. You are addressing a valuable need — doing nothing or doing the wrong thing could have catastrophic consequences for your customers .

But if you are just selling to make your quota you are neither helping yourself nor are you helping your startup and executive team. There will be buyer’s remorse. There will be bonus claw-backs. There will be serious career consequences.

If you are not making your quota, then

  • Maybe your product is not the right product (a systemic problem);
  • Or the sales motion that you decided to try out is not working (a systemic problem);
  • Or your qualification process for SQLs or MQLs is not working (a systemic problem);
  • Or your talent does not match your startup’s needs (a systemic problem).

Either way: Talk about it with top management.

Don’t sell shit.

Thoughts? Opinions? Comments? Corrections?