The GTM Game Plan Weekly

Insights and strategies on modern GTM excellence and talent alignment.

So today is a bit of a different twist and while this is geared and written for reps - it applies to anyone. This is NOT some analogy towards sports but you can find great inspiration in training from that parallel.

Let’s be honest - if you want to succeed in tech you need to be mentally sharp as well as continue to hone your physical skills. You just do. The markets change, things get harder and especially right now it is CROWDED.

I will try and sound cool for a moment - IYKYK and for those wondering that is “If you know you know”. Roll out of bed and just do the same thing you have always done will not work.

I have made every mistake in the book in my career as a rep, as a manager, as a leader and as an operator (more on this later as I will outline all of these). Part of these mistakes is not even knowing they are happening when they did.

In an effort to help those not fall into any of these traps I wanted to outline a few things. Recently, I came across a thread about Tim Grover, the man behind Michael Jordan’s legendary career. Grover teaches that there are three types of athletes and before you tune out - if you are in tech you are an athlete of epic proportions.

You think this s*&t is easy? Think again! It is a sport and only the strong survive regardless of your role, rep, technical, product, eng, leader, marketing, success, bdr, ceo, cfo - you name it.

It does not matter - we all must get better and we all make mistakes. Let’s try and get ahead of them and again - I have made the most in the game!

The 3 Types of Tech Professionals: Which One Are You?

1. Coolers

2. Closers

3. Cleaners

Jordan became the greatest of all time because he evolved into a Cleaner—the type of athlete who excels under any circumstances, no matter how tough things get.

This concept applies just as much to tech as it does to sports.

The 3 Types of Sales Reps (or insert ANY ROLE please)

Tech professionals, like athletes, can be broken into these three categories. Where you fall on this spectrum can determine your level of success, especially in today’s over crowded space.

1) Coolers

Coolers are your average performers. They’re consistent but only when things are going well.

Coolers follow the playbook, they make calls, they send emails, and they check all the boxes. But when the market shifts or targets get harder to hit, they crumble. Coolers wait for the perfect conditions and make excuses when those conditions aren’t met.

Can you folks in eng relate? Can folks in success or product or finance relate? We all have these personas. Who has time for average though? Who wants to be around average? B players are comfortable and help you recruit C players as they are afraid of the A players. Is that the culture you want - in any of the departments? I don’t.

2) Closers

Closers are your high-performers. They thrive under pressure and can hit their numbers when the conditions are right.

Closers deliver in crunch time, but it isn’t perfect: they need everything to be set up perfectly for them to win. If they don’t have the right leads, the right tools, the right territory, the right SE, the right events person or the right circumstances, they struggle to adapt.

The same is true in all other roles as well and look - you can’t blame people for saying I need the proper environment to thrive and if you give it to me - I will crush it. Can’t blame them.

Closers are not just reps who close. It it is the eng manger who gets one more feature in a release, it is the finance pro who helps with one more insight to see if it helps the business, it is the PM who goes on one extra sales call or listens to a few extra calls, etc.

3) Cleaners

And then there are the Cleaners.

Cleaners are the ones who will do whatever it takes to succeed, regardless of the environment. They’re relentless—whether they have the perfect tools or not, they find a way to make things work. Cleaners don’t need a playbook or ideal conditions to thrive; they create their own opportunities.

How to Become a “Cleaner” in Tech

The best pros, just like the best athletes, are Cleaners. They don’t let market shifts, rejected calls, or limited resources slow them down. Cleaners adapt, they problem-solve on the fly, and they always find a way to win.

Here’s what you can do to move from Cooler or Closer to Cleaner:

1. Own the Process: Don’t wait for someone else to set you up. Build your own playbook. Whether it’s tweaking your outbound strategy or creating your own LinkedIn content, Cleaners take control of their pipeline. If you don’t have a code coverage tool - be creative. If you are in sales ops and don’t have guidance go be creative. If you are in product and not sure go call some reps and go on some calls. You get the point here. NOW is the time to stand out. To stand out you need to OWN your own process REGARDLESS of the role.

2. Be Relentless: Coolers and Closers stop when things get tough. Cleaners keep going. Push through rejection, adapt when things don’t go according to plan, and always look for ways to improve. Product not hitting like you thought? That magical feature isn’t unlocking growth? The financial plan didn’t materialize? That content didn’t drive the right traffic? Just have to keep going, grind, pivot and keep the feet moving.

3. Stay in the Game: Cleaners don’t check out when conditions aren’t ideal. Whether your marketing team isn’t delivering enough MQLs or your product isn’t selling itself, Cleaners still find a way to drive deals. They engage their ICP and create opportunities on their own terms.

In sales, being a Cleaner isn’t just about putting in more hours or making more calls. It’s about having the mindset to adapt, create your own path, and succeed—no matter the obstacles.

As you reflect on your performance, ask yourself: Are you following the script and hoping everything goes smoothly? Or are you adapting, improvising, and winning no matter what?

What Type of Tech Professional Do You Want to Be?

If you’re ready to shift from being a Closer to a Cleaner, it’s time to start thinking differently. The best professionals don’t wait for perfect circumstances—they make their own success.

Final Tips:

If you don’t have the people you want - go get them now and in place before it is too late. If you have people with the potential - work with them. Our job as leaders is to get the best versions of our people. Help them. Give them a framework.

If you can’t run - walk. If you can’t walk - crawl but whatever you do keep on moving forward and make sure you have a team in every department that is aligned on winning, having fun, making each other better, respecting each other but also pushing each other to be the version of themselves. In the end - this is the environment the A players in all areas want to be. Make your place a destination. People will come and you will win.

Until next week,

Andrew

P.S. If you found value in this, subscribe to the newsletter and follow me on LinkedIn for more tips on how to level up your GTM game and think like a Cleaner. ??

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