How to Get on the “Nice” List for Sales in 2025
Kyle Mealy
Paradigm Breaker | Leveling Up Marketing and Sales Simultaneously | Building High Growth, Predictable & Profitable Revenue Engines for Small B2B Businesses with Fractional Chief Revenue Officers
Ah, the holidays! A time for cookies, carols, and…if you’re not careful, getting a one-way ticket to the Sales Naughty list! Do you know if you’re headed to Santa’s marketing and sales naughty list? Or… the more important question, do you know HOW to get onto the “Nice” List?
Here's the Big 3:
While those might inherently feel obvious, the line between "naughty" and "nice" seems clear and obvious - but isn't so simple. What is so frustrating, and what drove me to write this article, was the trap. A trap that too many small business owners fall into.
The trap?
Sometimes, those sneaky, annoying, and downright naughty sales tricks (err tactics) work.? But like we explain to our friends - just because it worked doesn’t mean it’s a good idea.
So I’ve put together some simple steps to help you avoid the naughty list, get back on the Sales nice list, and grow your Revenue.
The Sales “Naughty” List
The quickest way to get on the Sales Naughty list is to think in terms of trying to find Sales Strategies and clever Sales Tricks (err tactics).?
Because, spoiler alert: nobody wants to feel like they’ve been sold. They want to feel understood. And if that’s not in your playbook, well…
The 3 Things to Focus On To Get on Get the Sales "Nice" List
?? Know Your Customer
You might be thinking "okay, duh!" But I’m not talking about the traditional marketing definition of “Psychographics” and “Demographics.” I'm going a bit deeper and a lot more nuanced.
I’m not talking about the traditional sales issues of "overcoming objections or “talking about pain points.”
I’m talking about knowing your customer.? Like Marketing + Sales = Revenue is much more than “aligned marketing and sales teams.”
Do you know how that business makes its money and what drives their economic engine??
If your customer sells a super high ticket product and they only need to sell 7 or 8 projects a year, that’s going to affect how they think about cash flow dramatically.? Monthly recurring revenue products that take time to show value might be a dangerous proposition.
Do you know what your customers and the industry “gurus” consider “healthy” for their business?
How do these industry experts evaluate your product or service as good or bad?
Let's take an example: There’s a guru for HVAC businesses and another for law firms. If you’re not aligned with how they influence businesses in your target industry, you might struggle even to get a foot in the door. Let alone sell your product!
-The HVAC Business Gurus might say that all "The Best IT firms should charge approximately _______ for their product," and if you walk in with an entirely different model, you might be making your work harder than it needs to be.
-If you're targeting companies that run on EOS?? you better understand accountability chart, rocks, and scorecards.
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?? Action: Track influencers/coaches targeting the same space you are. What's their opinion on "good" for your service?
Do you understand how the industry, as a whole, perceives your product or service??
If you want to make it onto the "Sales Nice List," you need to know what matters to both your customers and their industry influencers.
-I love Marketing Agencies. But often times they try to reject best practices as it relates to sales because Marketing traditionally doesn't play nice with sales. So if you're coming in to sell sales to a
?? Be Curious! Seek first to understand before being understood.
Somewhere along the line, you’ve had success, great customers, and a great product. Obviously, because you’re in business.? When was the last time you were curious about why your customer was buying from you? What drives them?
Markets shift, Industries shift, and what was true 1 year ago may not be true now.?
Ask anyone in the refinance space; life isn’t fun when interest rates go up, up, up. They have to think different about sales all the time!
?? Action: Look at your current and ideal customers with 100% fresh eyes. What are they actually saying?? What are they posting about?
??? Pricing
“Raising Prices” isn’t always the answer. It’s a good answer, but it’s just not that simple.? Let me explain.
The Nice List for Raising Prices
You’re undervaluing yourself as an entrepreneur/business owner.
That does happen, and it’s from a fearful place where we keep our prices too low. When we trade security for sanity, that’s a perfect case for raising prices.
Protecting margin.?
Costs increase for everything almost all the time. And we need to protect our margin. Without margin - there’s no business (and yes - I mean that to non-profits as well!). So, if you’re not aware of the cost of delivery increases, the market will rudely stuff it in your face and by then it might be too late.
Moral High Ground.
Sometimes, we sit on high moral ground that even when everyone else was raising prices, we didn’t! Well, if you haven’t raised prices during this inflationary period - don’t worry the world has done it TO YOU.? You won’t be a hero to your customers if you’re out of business because you can’t afford to deliver the product anymore.
So STOP IT!
The bottom line
At the end of the day, sales aren’t about pulling sneaky tricks (err, tactics!) or trying to outsmart your customers. (Spoiler: they can see right through that.) It’s about actually knowing your customers, delivering real value, and maybe even making them feel like working with you was their brilliant idea all along.
So, stay curious—like, toddler-level curious. Dive into their world, ask questions, and listen more than you talk. And when it comes to pricing, remember: there’s a fine line between being a hero and going out of business because you refused to adjust. Inflation isn’t waiting for you to catch up.
Avoid the Naughty List by keeping it real, staying curious, and playing the long game. Because at the end of the day, your customers don’t want to be “sold.” They want someone who gets them. And that someone? Should definitely be you.