Here is the Dirty Little Secret that 'Sales Gurus' Won't Tell You About Sales

Before starting my sales career, I reached out to a few top sales reps to ask for advice. A couple of tips they shared have stuck with me over the years (shoutout to Will Lawes Jr. ):

1. Persistence beats resistance.
2. It takes an average of seven touch points to get a response from a cold prospect.

Over time, I revised that first piece of advice to: Persistence beats resistance... IF you're adding value.

Here’s the truth about long-term sales success that most “gurus” won’t tell you.

Sales is HARD. Achieving success requires consistency, persistence, patience, and resilience. There’s no shortcut, no easy button (I’ve checked). You have to be ALL IN, working on deals day by day and touch by touch.

Two Deals, Two Outcomes

Take two deals I worked on that taught me about persistence and qualified leads:

The first account initially showed interest, but they went dark off and on for nearly two years. During that time, I sent 87 value-add emails, gift cards, videos, proposals, and more. Out of all those touch points, I received only nine responses—but the last one was a signed contract, with the client thanking me for staying on top of it.

The second deal had more engagement over a year, but when we finally signed, their spending turned out to be minimal. Though they had consistent meetings and weekly calls, they just weren’t positioned to run campaigns at the scale we discussed.

One of these clients grew their spend with us over time; the other moved on.

Lessons Learned

1. Stay Persistent, Consistent, and Patient Keep nurturing qualified leads with valuable, relevant touch points. Even when they’re not responding, your emails may still be read and appreciated. Being seen as a strategic advisor, not just a vendor, keeps you top of mind.
2. Keep Filling the Pipeline with Qualified Leads In B2B sales, timing is everything, and it’s rarely predictable. Some sales that look like sure things will fall through, and others will surprise you. Never become complacent. Keep building your pipeline to avoid dependence on a single deal.
3. Focus on Qualified Prospects Only Qualified leads have both the need and the means to buy from you. Unqualified prospects are a huge drain on time and resources. Early in the process, ask the right questions to verify they’re a fit. Check in regularly to make sure priorities haven’t shifted.
4. Know When to Call It Quits Continuously gauge interest and engagement to make sure you’re investing time in the right places. When a prospect goes dark, find out if it's because they're busy or their situation has changed causing them to lose interest. Try to allocate your time based on how realistic each deal is and what revenue impact they're likely to have.

Persistence and consistency in prospecting are as essential to the health of your book of business as a balanced diet and regular exercise are to physical health. Short bursts don’t work; it must be a lifestyle choice. Results may not be immediate, but just like at the gym, you’ll see the payoff over time.

In Sales, Success is an Accumulation of Hard Work and Positive Habits

To build a career in sales, you need consistent processes like prospecting and a resilient attitude. As always, remember: Persistence beats resistance... IF you're adding value!

My upcoming book, Top Sales Producer: How To Crush Your Sales Quota, is a step-by-step guide that distills all the best practices I’ve learned to close over $250 million in services and software deals.

For a sneak peek at the first few chapters, visit my website: www.AndrewBarbuto.com/Top-Sales-Book. Also, subscribe to my YouTube channel for weekly B2B sales tips.

If you’re not helping, you’re not selling!