For Sale Josh Braun

Open Introduction

INTRODUCTION

If you’re selling something this is going to be a tough pill.

People are afraid of you.

They’re afraid you’re going to convince, manipulate and pester them into making a decision that's already been decided by you.

Traditional selling is rooted in control. It’s about controlling next steps to push people through a funnel so you can get a sale fast. 

The problem? 

Whenever people feel like they’re being controlled, they enter the Zone of Resistance (ZOR).  The ZOR is a mask that protects people from sellers with commision breath. 

Nobody likes being controlled. 

I’ll prove it to you. When was the last time you changed your mind because someone told you to?

And yet people love to buy:

More than 7,300 people have purchased my Badass B2B Growth Guide. Brown boxes are delivered to doorsteps every day. Over 75,000 companies, across every industry imaginable, in 166 countries, use Basecamp for project management.

All without anyone convincing anybody of anything

Open Adopt a Surfer’s Mind

ADOPT A SURFER’S MIND

I’m watching surfers in Bolinas, California.

Surfers don’t care if they wipe out. They don’t feel “rejected” by a wave. Wiping out is the nature of surfing.

When surfers wipe out, they paddle out, wait for a wave, and begin again.

Surfers don’t judge waves. Surfers don’t have expectations. Surfers aren’t attached to the outcome.

Some waves last longer than others. Big and small waves are part of the same experience.

Surfing just is.

It’s the same with selling.

Some conversations last a long time and turn into business. Some fizzle out.

“Good” and “bad” conversations are part of the same experience.

Paddle out (identify prospects). Wait for the wave (reach out). Surf (have a conversation).

“Waves” come and go all the time.

Accept each “wave” or conversation without judgment.

Let go of expectations. Detach from the outcome.

Hang loose.

Adopt a surfer’s mind.

Open Negativity

NEGATIVITY

Can I dump garbage in your yard?

Of course not.

That would be insane.

Yet every day, people dump garbage into our minds:

“This job sucks. We don’t get enough training!”
“They shrunk my territory!”
“These leads are terrible.”
“Bob missed his numbers again. He’s not going to last, right?”

The problem?

Listen to negativity long enough, and you become negative too.

Exposure to prolonged negativity peels away neurons in the brain’s hippocampus—the part of the brain you need to think critically.

In other words, too much negativity makes you dumb.

The way out?

The next time someone dumps garbage into your brain, don’t add fuel to the fire. Extinguish the flame instead. Like this:

“This job sucks. We don’t get enough training.”
“Mmm.”

“They shrunk my territory!”
“They did.”

“Our quota keeps going up.”
“It does.”

“I’m not getting any leads from marketing.” “So what are you going to do about it?”

“There’s so m

Open No Formulas

NO FORMULAS

Let's get this out of the way right now.

There is no “formula” for being successful in sales.

By formula, I mean, “If you do X, Y, and/or Z, then you will be successful."

However, there are a few guiding principles you can adopt that will help you get better. 

Have no expectations. Your grass-fed beef is for some people, but it’s not for everyone. It’s not your job to talk vegans into being meat eaters. Find meat eaters. There are lots of them.

We’re all under construction. Don’t let a mistake ruin your day. Each day has four quarters – morning, mid-morning, afternoon, and evening. Messed up in Q1? That’s okay—kick rocks for 5 minutes. Then, begin again in Q2.

Detach from the outcome. Tune out what you don’t control. Focusing on things you don’t control is a recipe for being angry and pissed off all the time. You don’t control when or if people buy. Water flowers. Provide sunlight. Flowers don’t grow faster because it’s the end of the quarter.

**Be honest all

Open What Works

WHAT WORKS

I’m often asked:

“How do I know what works?”

The question implies that you only want to do what works.

But you don’t know what works :-)

What works isn’t a formula. You won’t find it in a book. Or on a podcast about how to unleash your potential.

Success is a process of becoming.

A few months ago, piano hand indepedence felt impossible. Today, it’s easier.  I wasn't failing. I was becoming better.

Do what you want. Do things that don’t work. Do tiny experiments. Observe. Be conscious. Be patient.

If you pay attention, “what works” unfolds naturally.

There is no receipt that suits all cases.

Open The Get

THE GET

Most salespeople are focused on the get.

Get a meeting.
Get a sale.
Get a referral.
Get a reply. 
Get around a gatekeeper.
Get to a decision maker.
Get someone to change their mind. 

It’s about the withdrawal. 
The take. 

Prospects can feel taking energy. 
So can you. 
So can everyone. 

Taking never felt good on my soul. 

What’s felt better in my soul is to have a giver mindset. 

To make a deposit. 
To detach from the outcome. 

Giving without expecting anything in return emits a completely different energy. 

How do you emit a giving energy? 

Every time I have a conversation with a prospect I secretly repeat my mantra:

“It's not my job to get what I want. My job is to illuminate a potential problem. Some people will be interested in talking further. Others won't. My role is to be humbly curious and listen without having expectations.”

Why does this matter?

When you're a taker, people enter the Zone of Resista

Open It Happens

IT HAPPENS

Marty’s been fly fishing three months a year for 50 years.

This year he took me with him.

While changing a fly, the wind kicked up, and the barbed hook got lodged in his thumb.

When he showed me, I said, “Holy sh*t, it’s stuck deep! What if you can’t get it out? What if it gets infected? Should we go to the hospital? I’m freaking out!”

Marty said in a calm voice, “It happens.”

“The nature of fly fishing is that sometimes hooks get stuck in your skin.”

It’s the same with selling.

You can do everything right, have 50 years of experience, and still lose a sale.

The nature of sales is being ghosted, people not doing what they said they’d do, increased quotas, and getting hung up on.

You will never be disturbed for long if you remember to move in harmony with the nature of the action.

“It happens.”

Open Grandma’s Toaster

GRANDMA’S TOASTER

My grandma’s toaster sucked.

Only one side worked. It only makes light toast. And it took forever.

So I bought her a new toaster.

Here’s me: “Grandma, I bought you a new toaster!” “Now, you can make two slices of toast!” “You can make dark toast!” “It’s 40X faster than your toaster.” “And it has a new touch screen display.”

Here’s grandma: “Take it back. I don't want it.”

Me: “Why?”

Grandma: “I only eat one piece of toast.” “I like light toast.” “I'm not in a rush.” “And I don't want to learn a new toaster user interface.”

The lesson? 

Benefits only matter if they matter to your grandma.

Open Say Less

SAY LESS

Say less.

Don't interrupt.

Stop interjecting when there's silence. Pause for two beats after the other person is done talking before responding.

One Mississippi. Two Mississippi.

This is the mark of a self-aware, smart, wise person.

Open Be Nice

BE NICE

Imagine if everyone was nice.

Disagree with a post?
So what.
Be nice when you comment.
Or gasp let it go and keep scrolling.

Upset that you got a cold call?
So what.
Be nice.

Feel different about politics?
So what.
Be nice.

Got cutoff while driving.
So what.
Be nice.

How much better would that be?

Be nice.

Open The Golden Rule

THE GOLDEN RULE OF SALES

If you don’t want it done to you, don’t do it; if it’s not true, don’t say it.

Integrity is at the heart of selling.

Open The Ugly Raft

THE UGLY RAFT

Jenna bought a swan raft for the pool.

I hated it.

I thought is was an eyesore.

Guess what happened when I had that thought?

I got angry at the raft.
I complained to my friends.
I told Jenna is was too big and ugly.

That’s what happens when you add fuel to negative thoughts.

The fire grows bigger.
You get even more agitated.

Forunately, I’ve been practicing mindfullness.

23 hours later I dropped back.

I became aware of my thoughts rather than becoming my thoughts.

Once I became aware of my thoughts I asked this quesiton:

“Who is this person telling me the raft is an eyesore?”

I could find them :-).

That’s because the ego is an illusion.

The raft isn’t an eyesore.
That’s a label. A story my ego made up.

The raft just is. It’s a piece of plastic floating in the pool.

Our perceptions, not external events, disturb us.

Whenever I’m able observe my thoughts I turn down the volume. I feel calm and peaceful.

Open Enjoy Playing the Point

ENJOY PLAYING THE POINT

What I like about watching Carlos Alcaraz play at Wimbledon is this:

Even when he loses a crazy long rally, it looks like he enjoyed every moment of it.

He’s like a kid who just discovered the game, brimming with enthusiasm and joy.

You can feel the childlike energy radiate from him.
He’s playing for the sheer love of the sport rather than the outcome.

He’s keeping it simple. Taking care of what he can control.

Imagine if you approached selling this way.

Enjoy every “point” whether you win or lose.

Seeing each interaction as a chance to enjoy the process rather than just focusing on the result.

Open Go Slow

GO SLOW

Things I don’t want to do:

Get up at 5 am.
Spend 5 minutes in 50-degree water.
Hustle 50+ hours a week.
Time block my calendar to squeeze every second of productivity out of my day.
Drink green juice.
75 hard.

Speaking of hard, here’s how I do hard stuff.

A little at a time.
I iterate.
I take what I did and try to make it a little better as I go.

For example, I’ve been working on the book you’re reading for 6 months.

Each chapter is a page or so.

I write a chapter a day. Sometimes more. Sometimes less.

If I miss a day, that’s okay.
I begin again the next day.
I’m enjoying the process of writing it.

Making progress is satisfying.
I prefer doing (writing) to achieving (finishing).
That’s why I keep adding chapters.
This book will never be done :-)

Go slow.
Don’t rush.
Be kind to yourself.

Open An Open Letter to Salespeople

AN OPEN LETTER TO SALESPEOPLE

Relax.

Just relax.

It’s not your job to talk people into buying.

You don’t control when or if people buy, so it’s madness to obsess over it.

All that matters is that you show up and do the work to the best of your ability.
That’s all you can do.
There’s peace and tranquility in that.

We tend to think about sales as just results.
But closing isn’t the only point of selling.
It’s also about opening.

Opening you up to the wonderful people you meet.
Opening you up to new skills.
Opening you up to different perspectives.

All of that makes you a more interesting person, no matter what the results are.

Nobody has it all figured out.

I think it’s helpful to view sales as a series of tiny experiments.
We can’t predict the outcomes.
Whatever the results, we learn something that informs future experiments.

If you approach sales with a mindset of experimenting and detaching from the results, the work becomes easie

Open Obstacle or Opportunity

OBSTACLE OR OPPORTUNITY

I told Kristen, my piano teacher, that I was running into an obstacle playing a passage from Moonlight Sonata.

It’s a stretch.

Here’s Kristen:

“If you think it’s an obstacle, it’s an obstacle. If you think it’s an opportunity, it’s an opportunity.”

That really hit me.

When you view obstacles as opportunities, your mind shifts.

You have fun figuring out the problem.
You experiment.
You slow down.
You’re more patient.
You’re kind to yourself.
You make progress.

I need to work on taming my mind.

Do you?

Open Train Your Brain

TRAIN YOUR BRAIN

Does this sound familiar?

While a prospect is talking.

You’re thinking about what you want to say next.

It’s not your fault.

That’s what happens when your listening muscle is weak.

You’ve probably never worked out your listening muscle.

How do you strengthen your listening muscle?

Here’s what I do.

I meditate daily for 10 minutes.

Here’s why and how it helps me become a better listener.

For the uninitiated, meditating isn’t about clearing your head.

You can’t clear your head.

Thoughts come and go all the time.

You can’t control your thoughts.

During meditation, when you become aware of a thought (“I have to pick up eggs”), you simply pull your attention back to your breath, a word (mantra), or even an object like an apple on a table.

Sometimes I’m lost in thought for 5 minutes before I become aware and pull my attention back to my breath.

That’s the practice. With each “rep” (being lost in thought and pulling your attention back), your mi

Open Keep it Casual

KEEP IT CASUAL

Casual vs. formal cold email.

Formal:

“I recently had a conversation with a Sales Development Representative (SDR) located in North Carolina, who has demonstrated notable success in securing 18 meetings per month through the strategic use of cold email outreach targeting finance leaders. Considering that your sales efforts are directed towards Chief Financial Officers (CFOs), I believe you might find this methodology particularly relevant and advantageous for your own initiatives. This approach could potentially enhance your engagement with CFOs and improve your overall meeting conversion rates.”

Casual:

“Had a phone call with an SDR out of NC who’s booking 18 meetings a month via cold email with finance leaders. Since you sell to CFOs, I thought you might be interested.”

Why does this matter?

Casual language feels more personal and conversational, making it easier for people to relate to your message.

Formal writing comes across as stiff and impersonal.

Open Falling on the Sword

FALLING ON THE SWORD

A prospect disappeared after expressing interest.

So Kyle (the seller) took responsibility and sent this email:

“Chris, I wanted to apologize. It seems like I did a poor job discussing the initial requirements from the start on this one (temp rating, environment, distance, etc.). That’s on me. Do you no longer need this inventory?”

A few minutes later, Chris (the prospect) responded:

“Hey Kyle, this is on me also. I wasn’t considering that not all industrial temperature ranges are equal and that these could require a higher max. Apologies for this not moving along faster. Doug {Last name redacted} is ready to reach out to you for a final quote to then get the order moving. Please give me one more day to confirm with {Redacted} if they need 95 or if 85 is okay – but I am anticipating that they will say 95 since these are going in a sealed enclosure deployed outdoors. Will be in touch as soon as I have confirmation. Chris.”

Why Does Falling on the Sword Work?

Open Right Now

RIGHT NOW

Right now

focus more on what you can control and less on what you don’t control.

salespeople love control. we try to make sales happen in a predictable way, on our timeline.

but sales (and life) is uncertain. there is very little that is in your full control. 

you don’t control how people respond to you message. you don’t control when or if people buy. 

convincing people to do what you want them to do is a receipt for being disappointed and unhappy. 

the way out? 

Detach. 

how?

practice observing your thoughts without judgement.

For example, here’s a thought I observed while I was riding my bike:“Oh that’s interesting how Josh is worried about getting hit by a car while riding his bike.”

when you observe your thoughts you’re not lost in your thoughts.you’ll notice that thoughts are like waves, they come and go. 

you’ll notice that you don’t control your thoughts. you only control how you respond to them. 

Let it go right now. There’s nothing to fix right

Open Say Something Nice

SAY SOMETHING NICE

Someone tagged me in a post saying they unfollowed me.

The reason?

I post too frequently.

Here’s what I found interesting.

Why tag me loudly?

Why not unfollow me quietly?

Kind actions lead to positive energy and a compassionate heart.

I don’t think we practice being kind enough.

The golden rule?

When you think of something nice to say to someone, tell them.

I’ll start.

I’m drawn to everything Jen Allen posts. She informs, entertains, and makes me smile. That’s just about the best selling you can do.

Consider giving her a follow.

Okay, it’s your turn to practice kindness.

Who can you say something nice to?
People don’t get enough compliments :-)

Open Don’t Follow up, Follow Through

DON’T FOLLOW UP, FOLLOW THROUGH

Discovery call ends.

Prospect: “Thanks. Have a great day.”
Seller: “You too.”

The next day . . . (Crickets)
1 week later . . . (Crickets)
3 weeks later . . . (Crickets)

Seller: “Josh, I had a discovery call three weeks ago and I haven’t heard back. How do I follow up without being pushy?”

Me: “Don’t follow up. Follow through.

Seller: “What do you mean?”

Me: “When did they say they were going to make a decision?”

Seller: “Um, I didn’t ask.”

Me: “Remember to ask when the prospect plans to make a decision. Here’s how I ask: “Your sales kickoff is on September 25th. If I’m not overstepping, when are you looking to make a decision on who to bring in?” 

Then I can follow through on that date with grace. “Seems like you chose another speaker which is not a problem at all. I know you have a lot of choices, so thanks for considering me.” 

Seller: “That makes sense. But what if I didn’t do that?”

Me: “Send an ema

Open You’re Not Failing

YOU’RE NOT FAILING

When you surf, you don’t “fail” because you wipe out.

You’re improving. You’re trying to get better.

Wiping out is the nature of surfing.

You can do everything right and still wipe out.

It’s the same with sales.

You didn’t fail because you didn’t get a sale or make quota (aka a guess).

You can do everything right and still lose a sale and miss quota.

The shift?

Failing -> Trying Mistakes -> Lessons Regret -> Experience

Be kind to yourself.

Hang loose.

And above all, have fun.

Open Not Too Sweet

NOT TOO SWEET

I don’t like lemonade.
My objection?
It’s too sweet.
Brooklyn Best is reading my mind.
“Not too sweet.”
Sold.
I loved it.
Not too sweet. Not too tart. Just right.

The lesson?

Proactively bringing up objections defuses them.

Open Forgive Yourself

FORGIVE YOURSELF

Here’s the worst mistake I made as a salesperson.

I lost two six-figure deals on the same day.

I was selling for Jellyvision, a digital agency in Chicago.

Best Buy and Circuit City (competitors) verbally committed to move forward.

I mistakenly copied Best Buy and Circuit City on the same email.

Within minutes of sending the email, both companies backed out.

Ouch.

I was shaking as I walked into my boss’s office to explain what happened.

I’ll never forget what she said to me.

“Forgive yourself.”

“You can’t become better when you believe you’re bad.”

Those encouraging words made me believe in myself rather than beating myself up for months.

I exceeded quota for the next 9 years.

The takeaway?

Mistakes happen. Don’t be so hard on yourself. Accept them. Learn from them. Forgive yourself.

Open Cringeworthy Sales Advice

CRINGEWORTHY SALES ADVICE

This sales advice that makes me cringe.

A prospect says:
“I need time to think about it.”

How do you respond?

Alex recommends saying this:

“It doesn’t take time to make a decision. It takes information. And I’m the only source of information you have to make the decision (Pssst, no, you’re not. There’s this thing called the Internet). So what are your main concerns?”

Alex continues:

“This is my favorite way to overcome sales objections because it forces people to make a decision today.”

My take?

Traditional selling is rooted in exercising control over people.

The seller comes from the position that they’re the keeper of information.

The seller knows what’s best.

It’s about persuading a buyer to decide what the seller has already decided.

Sellers use techniques to force decisions today so prospects stay on the straight line and buy.

Prospects don’t want to feel forced into making a decision today. Neither do you. Nobody does.

When

Open Stories vs. Facts

STORIES VS. FACTS

Do you know the difference between stories and facts?

Open Napa Valley

NAPA VALLEY

I hired Bob, a bike tour guide in Napa Valley.

He was in a bad mood.

He rushed through the vineyards and complained about the heat.

I was angry.

I wanted to leave him a bad review.

During lunch, Bob told me he recently lost his son to cancer. His name was Josh. He was 23.

I felt like an a-hole.

My anger was replaced with empathy.

When we view people’s actions through our lens, we think the worst.

A person is not defined by how they behave on Friday.

Everyone is going through something.

There are always multiple lenses to view things from.

The shift? “Why is this happening?” -> “What's happening?”

When your default is to understand you’re kinder. 

The golden rule? 

Always give people the benefit of the doubt.

Open Yes Thank You

YES THANK YOU

I had a prospect disappear after telling me they wanted me to appear for a workshop.

When this happens, thinking hijacks my mind:

“Why did this happen?”
“What did I do wrong?”
“What could I have done differently?”
“How can I turn this around?”

When you expect a sale that doesn’t happen, you suffer.

Here’s the truth:

You can do everything right and not get the sale.
That’s because you don’t have full control over if or when people buy.

Prospects disappearing is the nature of sales,
just like flight delays are the nature of flying.

Pushing up against reality is a recipe for being unhappy and frustrated.

What’s the way out?

Detach.

To detach, I send this one-sentence email:
“Have you gone a different direction for the workshop?”

If I don’t get a response, I say to myself, “Yes, thank you.”
Now I can focus on people who are motivated to speak with me.

Prospect rude to you when cold calling?
“Yes, thank you. Now I kn

Open What Do You Know About X?

WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT X?

I’m at Fleet Feet in Delay, a locally owned running store.

I asked Kyle, the owner, to see the Garmin 945, a triathlon watch.

Here’s Kyle: “What do you know about the 945?”

With one elegant open-ended question, Kyle draws out everything from “I own the Forerunner 630 and the 935” to “Not much. This is my first Garmin.”

In other words, how knowledgeable I am about the product.

Here’s me: “I’ve read DC Rainmaker’s review, saw a few tutorials, and own the 935.”

Kyle: “What else do you want to know?”

Me: “I want to hear the volume of the audio through my headphones when running to see if the signal breaks up.”

Kyle: “Looks like you brought your AirPods. Let’s sync this demo 945 watch to your Spotify and headphones so you can give it a listen.”

Sold.

The lesson?

You sell to an informed buyer differently than to an uninformed buyer.

The Garmin 945 has lots of benefits: sports apps to track performance, wrist-based heart rate, GPS, and emergency

Open Keep It Casual

KEEP IT CASUAL

Casual cold email writing kicks formal writing’s ass.

Formal writing sounds like this:

“Hello Josh - We are currently collaborating with a sales trainer who conducts 23 Sales Kickoff Meetings (SKOs) annually. He has integrated AI-driven role-play scenarios using his proprietary materials to offer sales representatives realistic practice opportunities. This innovative approach enables him to charge a recurring fee for his services. I thought you might find this interesting.”

Casual writing sounds like this:

“Josh, we’re working with a sales trainer who does 23 SKOs/year. He’s using AI to role-play scenarios (with his material) to provide reps with realistic practice opportunities, allowing him to charge a recurring fee. Since you do SKOs, thought you might be open to learning more.”

Why does this matter?

Casual language feels more personal and conversational, making it easier for people to relate to your message.

Formal writing comes across as stiff and impersonal.

Open Sales Layoffs

SALES LAYOFFS

Let’s talk about the real reason for sales layoffs.

A company gets funding.

VCs set growth goals.

VCs don’t understand sales, but they think they do.

They don’t take into account TAM and market penetration.

An Excel guru creates a forecast that shows doubling SDRs will double revenue.

The company hires 2X more SDRs.

Revenue doesn’t double even though there are twice as many SDRs.

Shocking.

Sales leaders blame SDRs.
SDRs are put on a PIP.
50% of SDRs are let go.

Sales leaders are let go.

New sales leaders are hired and pump up the board with a new forecast.

18 months later, they’re let go.

Open A Classic Sales Mistake

titleA CLASSIC SALES MISTAKE

My wife, Jenna, walked into a Volvo dealership.

The salesperson treated Jenna like she didn’t know anything about the XC40 Recharge.

Here's the exchange:

Salesperson: “Hi, what brings you in today?” Jenna: “I want to see the XC40 Recharge.”

Salesperson shifts into convincing gear:
“You’re going to love it.”
“The Recharge is pure electric.”
“Google is built in.”
“You get 226 miles of range.”

The problem?
Jenna spent the last three weeks watching videos and reading up on the XC40 Recharge.
She was further along in the buying journey. She probably knew more about the XC40 Recharge than the salesperson did.

Jenna came to the dealership to hear how loud the road noise was. 

The salesperson's mistake? He was selling everyone the same way.

When people knock on your door, they have different levels of knowledge ranging from “I don’t know much about X,” to “I’m very familiar with X.”

You need to sell based on the kno

Open Enjoy the Journey

ENJOY THE JOURNEY

My piano teacher said something profound.

Me: “I’d like to play Moonlight Sonata.”

Kristen: “Do you want to play Moonlight Sonata or do you want the experience of learning it?”

At first, I was confused.

But then it hit me.

I wanted the outcome: playing the song. 

Kristen was suggesting I enjoy the process of learning music.

Why does this matter?

In many areas of life, we focus too much on the end goal and forget to enjoy the journey. 

Fulfillment comes from the learning and figuring things out , not just the “song.”

Open Perspectives Not Facts

“Never use a permission-based cold call opener.”

“Keep cold emails to under 60 words.”

“Always use an upfront contract during a discovery call.”

To the sales guru, these feel like facts, not opinions.

The guru really believes permission-based openers put you in a one-down or subservient position and therefore don’t work.

But someone who uses permission-based openers has success.

Every time you see a post from a sales guru, remember:

“This is from their point of view, based on what they’ve experienced.”

No matter how much conviction the sales guru has, most sales advice is not objectively true.

Everyone on LinkedIn is sharing perspectives not facts.

Try things for yourself. See what works for you.

Open 911

911

I drove my first 911 in 1978. 

I was 8.

My father had just bought his first Porsche from Cherry Hill Porsche in Jersey. 

He paid cash — they counted the bills on the desk. 

It was such a significant moment in his life that he brought champagne and cheese to celebrate the occasion.

He also brought me. 

We drove home together. My dad put his hand over mine so I could feel what it was like to shift. 

At a red light, he asked if I wanted to steer. I climbed onto his lap and put two hands on the wheel. I'll never forget that moment.

It wasn't the car itself that made the moment special for me. I had no idea what a 911 was. 

It was the shared experience and the connection between father and son. 

It's good reminder. 

Happiness comes from within.

From our relationships with others.
Not from external achievements or possessions.

Open Don’t Hold Price Hostage

DON’T HOLD PRICE HOSTAGE

I asked a salesperson for the price.

I was taken back by their response: 

“Let’s hold off on that until I learn more about your situation and show you the demo. I want you to see the value first.”

The problem?

I can’t determine value without price.  Salespeople don’t determine value, buyers do. 

When you hold price hostage you destroy trust. Why? Prospects think you’re hiding something.

So if a prospect asks for the price, tell them the price, even if it’s a range. 

Like this:

Prospect: “What’s the price?”
Salesperson: “There are a few variables but typically companies invest between X and Y. Can you see yourself falling in that range?”

Then shut the front door. 

If your prospect doesn’t bring up the price bring it up early. Like this:

“I don't want to do you a disservice by wasting your time doing a demo, only for us to realize that although you like what you see we’re not fit because we’re too expensive. So based on what you told me

Open Saying no

SAYING NO

There have been so many times when I said “yes” when I wanted to say “no.”

I felt obligated to agree to avoid conflict or displeasing others.

I wanted to gain approval and be liked by others.

The problem?

Agreeing to too many requests made me feel like I was being spread too thin.

By saying “yes” to things that don’t align with my interests, I missed opportunities that were more fulfilling.

It was time to stop that.

How?

By realizing that learning to say “no” is a skill that can be developed and mastered.

You don’t have to feel guilty about saying “no.”

You don’t need to apologize.

It’s about being firm but kind.

For example, yesterday someone wanted to schedule a 30-minute pre-podcast meeting.

Here’s how I said “no”: “You’re probably going to think I’m being difficult, but I don’t do pre-podcast meetings.”

Someone else asked to pay 50% of my fee after my talk rather than up front.

Here’s how I responded:
“No, that doesn’t work for me.”

S

Open Show

SHOW

If I wanted my dream SDR job, I wouldn’t:

-Ask strangers for introductions. -Send cover letters and resumes.

You’re an adult. You don’t have to follow the rules.

I would send this cold email:

“Hi Tom,

I know you’re not currently hiring SDRs, but I think I can help [ACME] book more meetings with [Directors of HR.]

To show that I can add value, I built a cold email sequence and a cold call talk track.

I’ve also included a video here that provides you with my thought process.

Either way, I hope you find it useful.”

Show you can do the work.

Open Fake Nice

FAKE NICE

Fake nice seems to be very en vogue right now in cold emails.

Fake nice sounds like this:

“Josh, loved your post on X.” “Josh, your point about X was brilliant.” “Josh, I’m truly impressed by …”

Most people don’t like sellers who are fake nice.

Why?

They know you have a hidden agenda to influence a certain reaction or behavior.

Fake nice is always followed by an ask, in my case, 30 minutes of time.

Instead of being fake nice, be direct. Like this:

“Josh, caught your interview with Voss. Are you open to interviewing other best-selling authors on your podcast? I have a few in mind that might be a fit.”

This shift? Fake nice -> Direct

Open You Don’t Have to Grow Today

YOU DON’T HAVE TO GROW TODAY

There’s no need to: Fix. Change. Solve. Organize. Improve. 

You can: Be still.  Simmer down. Pause. Reflect. Observe.

My most creative ideas come when I’m still.

You don’t have to grow today.

Open Don’t Ghost Prospects

DON’T GHOST PROSPECTS

Many moons ago, I was a salesperson for a digital agency in Chicago (Jellyvision).

The first time I spoke with someone at GEICO, they said:

“We don’t work with external agencies.”

So, I contacted a few other people.

Nobody was ready.

But I stayed top of mind.

From time to time, I sent ideas and articles aimed at helping them complete more online auto quotes.

One day, Jess, a senior exec, said he was meeting with Warren Buffett and wanted to pitch him our idea. He asked for help putting the deck together. I said yes. 

You know how the story ends.

GEICO became a customer.

The lesson?

Staying top of mind is a valuable skill to learn and master.

Why? 

People buy on their timeline, not yours.

Fruit doesn’t grow faster because it’s the end of the quarter. 

Most people don’t fail at selling, they’re just not patient enough. 

Don’t ghost prospects.

QUESTION:
“How do you draw the line between staying top of mind and being annoying

Open Caring

CARING

Detaching doesn’t mean not caring.

You care about your cold emails.
You care about who you send them to.
You care about the message.

Once you send the email, you detach.

Why?

Everything else is out of your control.

You don’t fully control if your email gets opened.
You don’t control if your email gets read.
You don’t control if people respond.

There’s freedom in that.
There’s confidence in that.
There’s peace in that.

Surrender to the unknowing.

Care about what you control, not what you don’t.

Open It Just Is

IT JUST IS

If I could only give one piece of advice to salespeople, this would be it.

It’s three words.

“It just is.”

If you have a kid, see if this sounds familiar:

Parent: “Try the broccoli.”
Kid: “I don’t like broccoli.”
Parent: “But you’ve never tried broccoli.”
Kid: “I don’t like it.”

You could have the best broccoli in the world, but some kids don’t like broccoli.

Some kids hate broccoli, some don’t.

It just is.

It’s the same with selling.

You can do everything right and still:

Lose a sale.
Miss quota (aka a guess).
Get ghosted.

When you push up against reality you suffer.

Whenever you’re disappointed selling, remember to move in harmony with the nature of sales.

You can’t lose a sale you never had.

Let reality be reality.

It just is.

Open WTF is Value?

WTF IS VALUE?

The word “value” gets thrown around in sales so much.

It’s like the “I love you” of the sales world—sure, it sounds nice, but if you’re saying it to everyone, it starts to feel a little… insincere.

Imagine someone handing you a box and saying, “This is valuable!” but not telling you what’s inside.

You’d be like, “Uh, cool… but what is it? Diamonds or dog treats?”

The thing is, value is different for everyone.

What’s valuable to one person might be useless to someone else.

If you keep saying “value,” it’s kind of like saying “trust me” while winking. Nobody’s buying it.

So, what’s the way out?

Give people something genuinely useful that makes their life better. (Spoiler alert: case don’t do that.)

Here’s an example of providing real “value”:

_“Josh, since you’re new to fly fishing, I thought this video series on using the pinch technique when tying knots might be helpful. It’s useful for maintaining tension and precision so that knots form correctly without sl

Open Don’t Fight Resistance

DON’T FIGHT RESISTANCE

“I want to think it over.”

Fighting vs. joining the resistance.

Fighting the resistance sounds like this:

“I understand. What’s a good next step?” “I’ll call you this afternoon at 2:30. Fair?” “Before I go, what were you wanting to go over in your mind just so I know what questions you have when we talk in two days?”

Whenever people feel like someone is trying to convince them their guard goes up. They did their heals in even deeper.

Joining resistance sounds like this:

“Seems like you’re skeptical that a tool can solve your commission problem.”
“Sounds like the value isn’t there for you.”
“Sounds like you’re looking at a few options.”
“Feels like something’s making you uncomfortable.”
“Seems like you want to shop around.”
“Seems like you’ve got something on your mind.”
“Sounds like you have some concerns.”
“Sounds like you’re leaning towards sticking with what you have.”

Chris Voss calls this labeling.

Labeling i

Open Unlocking Truth

UNLOCKING TRUTH

A prospect says: 

“I need to discuss this with my boss.”

Resistance (what I call objections) carries one of two meanings:

It’s true. The prospect needs to have a conversation with their boss. It’s not true. The prospect wants to end the conversation and avoid hurting your feelings.  

The problem?

You can waste a lot of time chasing deals that won’t close.

So what you need is an approach to unlock more truth. 

How?

Shift from overcoming resistance to understanding it.

Understanding sounds like this:

“I need to discuss this with my boss.”

1. Validate “That’s not a problem. You want to get her input before moving forward.” (Pause.)

Can I ask you a few questions? 

1. Check pulse.  “How do you feel about it?”

2. Understand.  “You know your boss, if I’m not overstepping, how do you think she’ll feel about it?”

3. Surface potential objections  “What do you think her biggest concern will be?”

There is no script for understanding. It’s less

Open Your Price Isn’t Too High

YOUR PRICE ISN’T TOO HIGH

Your price isn’t too high, even if prospects tell you it is.

Storytime.

Several months ago, I asked two general contractors (Chris and Peter) to bid on a home renovation project.

I clicked with Chris.
He was responsive.
He listened intently when I spoke.
He never interrupted.
He pointed out pitfalls I didn’t know about.
He made recommendations that aligned with what he heard.
He showed up at 9:55 for a 10:00 meeting.

Chris was 8% more than Peter.

Both were competent, but the 8% was worth the good feelings I had about Chris, so I hired him. I didn’t negotiate.

I told Peter I hired Chris.

When he asked why, my reflex response was, “Your price was too high.”

If Peter was 25% less, I might have gone with him, but that wasn’t the case.

I didn’t want to explain why I chose Chris because he was a better listener, so price was the easy button to say no.

The lesson?

In a world of similar products and services, you are t

Open No

NO

No, I won’t give you a discount.
No, I don’t want to sign your petition.
No, I won’t have a pre-podcast meeting.
No, I won’t share your post.
No, I won’t critique your cold email.
No, I don’t want a solar roof. 
No, I won’t sign a service agreement or NDA.
No, I don’t want to subscribe to printer ink. 
No, I won't wait 60 days to be paid.

No is one of my favorite words. 
No is saying yes to boundaries and space.

What do you say no to?

Open Selling is Serving

SELLING IS SERVING

I learned a profound sales lesson from a server at a restaurant.

Most servers sell dessert by saying this:

“Would you like dessert?”

I always say, “No thanks.”

But that’s not what Jennifer at the Tin Muffin in Boca Raton said.

Here’s Jennifer:

Jennifer: “Are you afraid of desert?”
Me: “No.”

Jennifer: “We have many desserts, but there’s one that stands out. It’s our homemade banana cake. I have two kids and two cats, and this cake is my favorite thing in life. It’s life-altering, and I don’t like bananas. I think we have a few slices left, but I’m not sure.”

I said yes.

What does this have to with sales?

Selling is a transfer of confidence. People can feel when you’re passionate about what you sell. 

I told Jennifer that she was one of the best salespeople I’ve ever met. Jennifer said, “I’m not a salesperson; I just like serving great food.”

Like I said, a profound sales lesson.
Selling is serving.

Open The Waiting Tax

THE WAITING TAX

You’ve been there.

Your prospect tells you they have a problem you solve.

But they don’t buy.

Why?

Storytime.

My shower head drips every 2 minutes.

It’s a problem, but it’s not that intense.
It’s no big deal.
I can make progress.
I’m getting the job done.

If you tell me it costs $650 to fix it, I wouldn’t buy.

Why?

I have limited resources.
So do you.
So does everyone.

There are other problems that are higher on my priority list.

But that’s not what happened.

I called Nick, a plumber.

Here’s Nick:<BR?

“The cartridge which controls water flow is worn out. I can replace it for $650. Okay, here’s what you’re up against. The persistent leak can cause water damage, leading to mold, grout damage, and mildew growth. If that happens, you’re looking at around $1600, which includes the inspection and cleaning mold from tiles and grout. It’s up to you.”

A few minutes later, I gave Nick my credit card.

Why?

Nick

Open Cold Calling Doesn’t Suck

COLD CALLING DOESN’T SUCK

Cold calling doesn’t suck.

When you say something sucks, you charge yourself with negative energy which makes you feel negative.

Say and think cold calling sucks, and you will dread cold calling.

There’s a popular neuroscience phrase that describes this: “neurons that fire together, wire together.”

Same thoughts.
Same feelings.

Cold calling just is.

The nature of cold calling is:
People who are open to talking with you.
Getting a referral.
Booking a meeting.
Dialing with no answers.
Wrong numbers.
Rude people.
Resistance.
Rejection.
People who agree to a meeting and don’t show.

Charge your energy to be positive.

How?

1. Instead of focusing on the outcome, be curious about what you might learn from the process.

2. Focus only on what you control. Ask a question about a potential problem and then let what happens happen without expecting anything to happen. “Josh, I know your LinkedIn posts drive

Open Asking for Feedback

ASKING FOR FEEDBACK

I'm shocked by how few salespeople do this.

The cost? $0.00.

It’s asking prospects who ghosted you for feedback.

Here's how to ask for feedback:

1. Create a list of prospects who have ghosted you (people who expressed interest but didn't show for a meeting).

2. Send this email:

"Hi Beth, It looks like you’ve decided not to proceed with the cold call workshop. Perhaps I dropped the ball somewhere along the way.

Here’s my ask (and I know it’s an ask because you don't owe me a response.)

Would you be open to providing feedback so I can serve you better should a need arise in the future? Was it my terms? Price? Did you find someone else who was taller?

Either way, I know there are lots of people competing for your time and resources, so thanks for taking the time to look at my workshop.”

Why this works:

When you let go of the sale, prospects lower their guard and tell you the truth because they don't feel pressured.

Open Approaching Prospects at Conferences

APPROACHING PROSPECTS AT CONFERENCES

It’s inevitable.

Sooner or later, you’ll be at a conference or networking event.

And that means you’ll need to approach prospects.

How do you strike up conversations with prospects without it feeling awkward?

Pop quiz:

Imagine a cocktail party.

Whose approach feels less awkward?

Matt or Mandy?

Here’s Matt: “Hi, I’m Matt. How about those Olympics? I can’t believe how fast humans can run 100 meters. Did you see Gabby Thomas? Crazy, right?”

Here’s Mandy: “Hi, I’m Mandy. I’d like to have a conversation with you, but I’m not sure how to start because I don’t know anything about you.”

You know the answer.

You don’t have to be confident and suave when approaching prospects at networking events.

The more you acknowledge the awkwardness, the less awkward the conversation is.

Open Tame the Mind

TAME THE MIND

I’m white water rafting.

The river is rough.

I’m navigating the raft, focusing on not tipping over.

My heart is racing.

Afterwards, I observed the same river.

My perspective shifted.

The river isn’t rough.

The river is constantly changing.

There are calm parts.
Calmer parts.
Rough parts.
Rougher parts.

When you’re thinking about navigating the river, your mind races.

The thinking mind can’t relax.

When you observe the river, you turn the volume down. You calm down.

Why am I talking about this?

In sales, we’re attached to things.
The sale.
The meeting.
President’s Club.
The top of the leaderboard.
Cold email response rates.
Hitting quota.

Things, trips or metrics aren’t the problem.

It’s attaching our happiness to the thing that causes suffering.

You get upset if you don’t have the thing that others have or that you want.

The way out?

Detach from the outcome.

How?

Here’s a simple

Open The Art of Noticing

THE ART OF NOTICING

There is a war for your attention.

Advertising.
Cold emails.
Cold calls.
Slack.
Chat.
LinkedIn.
TikTok.

All of it hogs your attention. Distracts you.

If you’re like me, you don’t even realize your attention is being hijacked because social media is so addicting.

Why does this matter?

As William James said, “Our life experience will equal what we have paid attention to, whether by choice or default.”

How you spend you days is how you spend your life.

How can you steal your attention back?

Here’s what I did today.

I spent 20 minutes noticing what I see, smell, taste and feel as I walked the beach.

Finding interest in the everyday reprograms your brain to pay attention.

Taking a break from screens to notice your environment helps reboot your brain.

I can’t think of a better way to spend 20 minutes.

Open I’m Bored

I’m Bored

I’m at a spectacular Airbnb in Bolinas, CA.

I’m bored.

So I asked the owner, Nancy, for recommendations of things to do.

I was expecting hikes, restaurants, farmers’ markets, events, activities.

Here’s Nancy:

“There is a bench outside by the edge of the fence on the ocean side by the big cypress. It’s nice to just sit there and watch the surfers and the birds.”

It’s a good reminder.

Boredom can be uncomfortable.

We want to do something to avoid the feeling of doing nothing.

Whenever I see people waiting in line at Starbucks, they’re scrolling on their phones.

It’s easier now than ever to avoid being bored. Infinitely scrolling on social media. Endless hours of entertainment on Netflix & Spotify.

When we rely on tech to avoid feeling bored, we undermine our sense of self as the authors of our own lives.

If you can’t put down your phone, you don’t have a phone, the phone has you.

Nancy taught me:

You don’t need to constantly seek activities to occupy

Open What Do You Do?

WHAT DO YOU DO?

Chances are someone has asked, “What do you do?”

Here’s the run.

You’ve probably never be taught how to explain what you do in a way that invites people to care and motivates them to want to learn more.

Why does this matter?

When prospects are confused, they don’t buy.

Confusing people sounds like this:

Prospect: “What do you do?” Salesperson: “Calendly is a business communication platform used for teams to schedule, prepare, and follow up on external meetings.”

Treat buzzwords (business communication platform) like a hot stove. Don’t touch them.  Everyone uses buzzwords so they don’t mean anything. 

Clarity sounds like this:

Prospect: “What do you do?” Salesperson: “With Calendly, you paste a link into your email and schedule meetings without going back and forth to find the perfect time.”

See the framework?

With A, you do B, and C happens without D.

Example for Grammarly: “With Grammarly, you type your text, and it automatically corrects spelli

Open No Leading Questions

NO LEADING QUESTIONS

Do you ask leading questions?

“Can you imagine the advantages of [using our product/service] in your day-to-day operations?”

“Do you see the value in implementing [solution] to streamline your operations?”

“Is breathing air a priority for you?”

“If I told you something interesting, would you be interested?”

The problem? 

The moment prospects feel they’re being led to a desired answer trust erodes.

Why?  People can smell your commission breath.  They know they’re being led into a yes trap.

The way out? 

Ask a neutral question related to a potential problem with the current solution.
It’s a potential problem, because it’s only a problem if it matters to the prospect.

For example, imagine you’re selling an iPod in 2001.
The prospect tells you they’re using a Diamon Rio.
The problem? The Rio only holds 30 minutes of music.
Not a big deal if you have less than 30 minutes of music.
But a hassle if you do and want to switch it

Open Good Cold Email Copy is Found

GOOD COLD EMAIL COPY IS FOUND

Good cold email copy isn’t written.

It’s found.

I stole words from this testimonial for the Knot Needle to write the cold email below.

__

Subject: Casper

Hey Josh,

Looks like you’re heading to Casper in a few weeks.

How are you ensuring you don’t spend 10+ minutes rigging a simple double drop nymph setup?

Over 3,000 beginner fly fishers use our tool to tie Orvis + Triple Surgeon knots in seconds. Just grab the tag end and sew your knots.

Think this might come in handy?

Either way, if you have the time, check out Pathfinder Reservoir. It’s a great honey hole for big trout and walleye.

__

Why does this matter?

When you join the conversation already taking place in your prospect’s mind, they subconciously think, “You get me, what do you have?”

The idea is to be specific or crispy. When your copy is crispy you’re more believable.

Your custom

Open Raging Bulls

RAGING BULLS 

A friend of mine found a blender blade in her acai bowl today.

Fortunately, she wasn't injured.

When she notified the owner, he said, "Sorry about that. Here's a coupon for a free bowl."

She was pissed. She charged at the owner like a raging bull: ”This could have split my tongue wide open!”

Jean-Louis Gassée, who used to run Apple France, describes this situation as the choice of the two tokens.

When you deal with an upset person, you can choose to take a token that subconsciously says, "It's not a big deal," or the token that says, "It's the end of the world." Whichever token you pick, they'll choose the other.

If the owner chose the "it's the end of the world" token, he might have said something like this:

"OMG! I'm so sorry. Are you okay? I'm so embarrassed. Here's a punch card for 25 bowls. I know this doesn't make up for the trauma this caused you. I'm going to shut down the store until every blender passes an inspection test. I'm also going to bring this to th

Open Rude People

RUDE PEOPLE

When you cold call…

Some people will be rude to you.

What you say won’t change that.

They just don’t like cold calls.

And there’s absolutely nothing you can say to change that.

So don’t try to convince rude people to talk with you by begging for 30 seconds.

Once you’ve done your best and they’re rude, don’t do more.

It’s just the nature of sales and your job is to accept it just as it is.

Call someone else.  Most people aren’t rude.

Let reality be reality.

Open Elephants

ELEPHANTS

My neighbor Sam asked if I wanted to grab lunch.

I didn’t want to go.

But I also didn’t want to hurt Sam’s feelings.

So, I told a white lie:“I can’t. I’m working on a big presentation.”

What does this have to do with sales?

Prospects (aka humans) often try to avoid uncomfortable situations or conflicts, especially in social settings.

By telling a white lie, prospects sidestep the discomfort of potentially disappointing you or having an awkward conversation about their true feelings.

The solution?Call out the elephant in the room. Like this:

Sam: “I’m getting the feeling that you don’t like going out for lunch.”

Sales examples:

“I’m getting the feeling this might not be the right fit for you.”

“It seems like there might be some hesitation about moving forward.”

“Won’t there be internal pushback from your CFO?”

“It seems like this might not be a priority for you.”

“It feels like you might be concerned about implementation.”

Why does this matter?

B

Open Having a Purpose is B.S.

HAVING A PURPOSE IS B.S

I spoke with Mel, a 76-year-old retired man.

I asked him what his purpose was now that he was retired.

His answer surprised me.

“Having a purpose is B.S.”

“My purpose this morning was to drink coffee and read. My purpose right now is to swim. I have no idea what my purpose will be when I’m done swimming.”

“Seeking purpose creates pressure and makes people depressed.”

“I don’t need KPIs to have a purpose.”

“Instead of chasing a purpose, I choose to be curious.”

“Try new things.

Swim.
Surf.
Paint.
Eat a snail.
Mold clay.”

“Your purpose is to be here. That’s enough.”

It’s a good reminder.

Our purpose isn’t our job.

That’s just a lie we’ve been told that keeps us working eight hours a day.

What if we pursued creativity instead?Followed our passions.
See where it takes us.
Our purpose might simply be to support that.
Work can fund creativity, but work shouldn’t define us.

The shift?

Seeking → Being

Open Finding Problems

A few years ago, I was in the mall with my wife. I didn’t need anything.

To kill time, I walked into a Fit2Run store.

10 minutes later I spent $170.

Here’s a transcript of the conversation.

Seller (notices running shoes): “Looks like you’re a runner.”
Me: “I am.”
Seller: “Training for any races?”
Me: “Yes, my first half marathon.”
Seller: “You’ve probably had a running gait test.”
Me: “What’s that?”

Moments later, I’m on a treadmill.

Seller: “See how your ankles are overpronating?”
Me: “I do. So what?”
Seller: “The problem is, if you run in sneakers that aren’t made for pronated feet, you are more prone to plantar fasciitis and runner’s knee. If you’d like, I can see if your shoes are made for pronated feet.”

A few minutes later, I spent $170 on new sneakers.

No pushing. No expectations. No assumptions.

Illuminating a potential problem and leaning back.

Open Rewire Your Brain to Listen

REWIRE YOUR BRAIN TO LISTEN

I got back from visiting Bolinas, California, a few weeks ago and was talking about my trip with a friend.

One second after I said, “I just returned from an amazing vacation in Bolinas,” my friend replied, “I’ve been there. It’s a cool place, but I prefer Sausalito because …”

This is what happens when you listen to talk.

You’re thinking about what you want to say instead of paying attention to what the other person is saying.

The problem?

When someone interjects with their own thoughts instead of listening, you feel ignored or undervalued, as if your experiences or opinions don’t matter.

People can feel when you’re listening to talk. Yes, it’s a feeling.

It’s not my friend’s fault.

His brain is on autopilot. He has a thought (Sausalito) and speaks.

He hasn’t trained his mind to listen.

How do you train your mind to pay attention?

Here’s a simple exercise:

The next time you’re at a red light that turns green, pause.

Look to the right.

Open You Don’t Sell to Dogs

YOU DON’T SELL TO DOGS

My brother Jason founded Animal Pharmaceuticals.

He sold his company in 2021 for $40m.
No employees. Boostrapped.

One of his products was Cherry Blossom Body Spray.

Here’s me: “Do dogs like smelling like cherry blossoms?”

Here’s Jason: “I’ve been selling pet products for 21 years. And I've never sold to a dog. I sell to people who have a dog.”

It's a good reminder.

You’re not selling to:
B2B.
Industries.
Companies.
Verticals.
Pet owners.
People.
Dogs.

You’re selling to people who have a dog.

Know your buyer.

Open Light the Wick

LIGHT THE WICK 

I used to be 52 pounds heavier.

A friend bought me a few sessions with his personal trainer, Krys.

Here’s what Krys told me on day 1:

“Walk around the block one time then FaceTime me when you’re done.”

I did.

Here's Krys:

"Awesome job Josh! You just lit the wick!"

One block turned into two blocks.
Two into four.
Four into a Fitbit and five thousand steps.
Then ten thousand steps.

Ten thousand steps to a spin class.
Spinning into cycling outside.
Then swimming.
And running.

Then I finished a 70.3-mile Ironman in Mont Tremblont.

Here’s what I learned.

Success doesn't take superhuman steps like doing 100 burpees. Or ripping 100 dials a day.

One cold call, then two. One block, then two.

3% of each paycheck into a boring index fund.

Things that appear so tiny they almost feel insignificant.
Simple daily habits repeated consistently add up over time.

You can create whatever success you want. But you have t

Open Poke the Bear

POKE THE BEAR

I wanted to buy an expensive road bike.

A Pinarello Dogma F12 in Vanician blue.

It was $12,000 without pedals.

I called three bike shops asking if they had the bike in my size.

Two shops said they had the bike in stock.

When I called the third shop, Racer’s Edge in Boca Raton, and asked if they had the bike in my size, John, the owner, said this:

“We don’t sell bikes that way.”

Me: “What do you mean?”

John: “The problem with the Pinarello Dogma F12 is that you ride it for 30-40 miles and discover you’re not comfortable and it can’t be adjusted to fit you. So you end up selling it it at a 40% loss.

”The correct position keeps your body aligned on the bike, helping to prevent injuries while making you comfortable and relaxed.”

“That’s why we do a 2-hour bike fitting first before recommending a bike.”

“We have more fitting experience than any other shop in the area with over 10,000 fit

Open Flaunt Your Flaws

FLAUNT YOUR FLAWS

If you want someone to buy your product, you need to present it in the best light possible, right?

Not so fast.

Storytime.

Richard is a top-producing real estate agent in Chicago.

I met him while looking for an apartment to rent.

Here’s the first thing Rich said when he showed me an apartment on Chestnut and Rush:

“This apartment doesn’t have central A/C, which some people find noisy, especially when they’re sleeping. If you’d like, I can turn it on so you can see for yourself. If you’re okay with it, and are looking to get into the Gold Coast for under $3k per month, this unit would be on my short list.”

Bringing up the negatives makes the positives more credible.

When you tell someone, “Here are the positives and here are the negatives,” you build more trust than saying, “Here’s why this apartment is right for you.”

Why does this matter?

In a world of similar apartments, trust is why people choose you.

No trust, no transaction.

Flaunt your flaws.

Open The Best Cold Call I Ever Recieved

THE BEST COLD CALL I EVER RECEIVED

The best cold call I had ever received.

It was from Kendra Warlow formerly at Gravy Solutions.

Here’s a transcript of the conversation.

Me: “Hello.”

Kendra: “Josh, it’s Kendra with Gravy. I didn’t expect you to pick up. I’m going through the Starbucks drive-through right now.”

Me: “What are you getting?”

Kendra: “A Caramel Frappuccino. I make it taste like a Twix bar with add-ons.”

Me: “Ha! What can I do for you?”

Kendra: “I know you have a few courses. Are you using internal resources or an outsourced recovery team to recover failed payments?

Me: “I use Stripe for that.”

Kendra: “It sounds like you’re frequently running a failed payment report in Stripe.”

Me: (Secretly thinks, “Hmm, I’m not sure.) “Actually, I’m not doing that.”

Kendra: “That’s pretty common (normalizing reduces pressure). If you’d like, I can send you instructions on how to run the failed payment report in Stripe so you can see if this is even an issue.”

Me:

Open Detach

DETACH

Marty’s been fly fishing three months a year for 52 years.

He took me with him to the Rainbow River in Utah.

It was my first time fly fishing.

Marty gets a strike and sets the hook.

After 13 minutes, the fish jumps in the air, thrashes around, and shakes the hook.

Here’s me: “I can’t believe it got away! After all that effort, 21 minutes for nothing! This is so frustrating!”

Marty said in a calm voice: “That’s fishing.”

Then he begins casting again.

Marty wasn’t attached to the outcome. There’s power in that. There’s confidence in that.

He tunes out what he doesn’t control (landing a fish). He tunes in to what he does control (casting, flies, location).

It’s the same with sales.

If you get an angry fish that says, “How the ‘f’ did you get this number?!?” you can lean back, detach, and say in a calm voice:

“We use a product called ZoomInfo, which has a list of people’s phone numbers. There are two numbers listed for you, a direct line and a cell. Seems lik

Open You’re Not for Everyone

YOU’RE NOT FOR EVERYONE

Popular sales advice I disagree with:

“No is not yet.”

Imagine this scenario:

You sell grass-fed beef.
You call a prospect.
You pitch.
The prospect says, “No thanks, I’m a vegan.”
What do you say?

I posted this scenario on LinkedIn.
421 salespeople weighed in.

87% of salespeople treated “No thanks, I’m a vegan” as an objection rather than a truth.

When you treat truths like objections, you say things like this:

“I understand how you feel. Many vegans felt the same way. But what they found is that our beef was grass-fed, so they gave it a try.”

Intent matters.

When your intent is that no means not yet, you behave in ways that feel pushy because you assume you’re a fit for everyone.

The way out?

Let go of assumptions, like this: “Cool. Sounds like we’re not a fit.”

I

Open Upselling

UPSELLING

Pop quiz.

Which tactic is the fastest path to revenue?

A) Reaching out to people you don’t know.
B) Selling additional products or services to customer.

You know the answer. B.

Your customers know and trust you. Strangers don’t.

How do you sell people additional products or services without sounding pushy?

Storytime.

I bought a bike from Racer’s Edge in Boca Raton.

Here’s the post-sale conversation with John, the owner.

“What type of bike lights are you using?”
“Ravemans.”
“Those are popular lights. 2,000 lumens. How do you like them?”
“They’re great.”
“Do you use a mirror to see cars approaching from behind?”
Me: “No. I turn my head around and look.”
John: “You’ve probably heard of the Garmin Varia.”
Me: “What’s that?”
John: “With the Varia, you can see cars approaching from behind without moving your head.”
Me: “How does it work?”

Curiosity piqued.
A few minutes later, I spent $803

Illuminating

Open The $32 Sandwich

*THE $32 SANDWICH *

I gladly paid $32 for this corned beef sandwich at Katz's Delicatessen in NY.

Stacked high, perfectly seasoned, melt-in-your-mouth meat.

They've been making it since 1888.
Best I've ever had.

The lesson?

Price is the last refuge when buyers don't perceive your product as being meaningfully different.

Open Do It Afraid

DO IT AFRAID

In 2017, Alex Honnold stunned the world when he became the first person to climb El Capitan, a 3,000-foot ascent in Yosemite National Park.

Without ropes.

How did he overcome the fear?

Here’s Honnold:

“I practiced the moves over and over again. I worked through the fear until it wasn’t scary anymore.”

It’s the same thing with cold calling.

You do it afraid.

You practice over and over again until it’s not that scary anymore.

Fear is part of training your mind.

Do it afraid.

Open Be Crispy

BE CRISPY

Your prospect’s inbox is crowded.

Your prospects are receiving an avalanche emails every day that sound the same.

If a prospect doesn’t read your message and think, “Hell yeah, that’s what I need,” they think “No” and move on.

How do you get your prospects to think, “Hell yeah?”

Don’t be vague.
Be specific or “crispy.”

Vague:
“Ever wish you had B2B leads?”
Prospect: “No.”

Still vague:
“Ever wish you had B2B SaaS leads?”
Prospect: “No.”

Crispy:
“Ever wish you had validated email addresses and direct phone numbers for Directors of Business with at least 15 SDRs who are in the market for cold calling training?”

Prospect: “Hell yeah!”

When you’re crispy people are likely to relate to your message.

Why?

As legendary copywriter Robert Collier say, you’re joining the conversation already taking place in their mind,

Do your cold emails make prospects say “Hell yeah” or “No”?

Open Be Equal

BE EQUAL

Down, up, and equal positions in sales. 

Down (needy):
"Please call me back."
"Have you read the proposal?"
"What do I need to do to win your business?"

Up (arrogant):
"We're the best."
"Here's why we're a fit."
"We can 10X your sales."
"You need us."

Equal:
"I need to know more to determine if we're a fit. Can I ask you a few specifics about X?" 
"You mentioned that your SDR team is new. Would monitoring this issue for a few months before bringing on a sales trainer make sense?"
"Not sure about you, but many of the SDRs we work with tell us they only talk to 2-4 people per 50 dials. How does that compare to what you're seeing?"

Be equal.

Open Wild Horses

WILD HORSES

Think about prospects as wild horses.

You go on LinkedIn and see a horse.

You think:

“That horse fits my ideal customer profile.”
“That horse has the right title.”
“We could do a lot for this horse.”
“I want to ride this horse.”

The problem?

The horse is wild.

You want it to go this way, but the horse wants to go that way.

You want the horse to take a next step, but the horse rears up and bucks you off.

You can’t climb on a wild horse and ride it.

Why?

Because wild horses don’t like being told what to do.

First, you have to tame the horse.

To tame a horse, you can:

1.  Beat it into submission by trying to control it (the traditional sales approach).
2.  Offer the horse something nice to eat, stroke it, and gradually gain its trust.

Over time, you get the horse to lower its guard and be calmer.

The horse thinks, “You’re not going to harm me.”
“It would be nice to work with this person.”
“I want to be trained.”<b

Open Following Up

Why are some salespeople so pushy?

They’re attached to the outcome.

Here’s why:

When you’re attached to the sale, you behave in ways that feel pushy.

You say things like:
“I’m just checking in.”
“Did you read the proposal?”

Your intent affects how you behave.

There’s a popular neuroscience phrase that describes this, “Neurons that fire together wire together.”

Same intent.
Same behavior.

Here’s the truth:

Buying takes longer than you anticipate. It’s gradual, then fast at the end.

Selling requires patience.

Like fruit ripening on a tree.

Fruit doesn’t ripen faster because it’s the end of the quarter.

When people aren’t ready to switch, instead of pushing harder, provide water and sunlight so you stay top of mind.

Someone hired me last week for an SKO who has been following and sharing my posts for three years.

I’ve been following up for three years without chasing, pushing, or convincing.

When they came back, the sale closed in one day.

G

Open The War for Attention

THE WAR FOR ATTENTION

There is a war for your attention.

Advertising. Cold emails. Cold calls. Slack. Chat. LinkedIn. TikTok.

All of it hogs your attention. Distracts you.

If you’re like me, you don’t even realize your attention is being hijacked because social media is so addicting.

Why does this matter?

As William James said, “Our life experience will equal what we have paid attention to, whether by choice or default.”

How you spend your days is how you will spend your life."

How can you have more control over our attention?

Here’s what I’m doing.

I’m in Bolinas, California.

Every day for 20 minutes, I observe what I see, smell, taste, and feel as I walk the beach.

Finding interest in the everyday rewires your brain to be more deliberate about what you pay attention to.

Open Match the Hatch

MATCH THE HATCH

I learned how to flyfish.

Here’s the first thing my guide said to me:

“To attract fish, you need to use flies that mimic the bugs in the water.”

“These are nymphs.”

“Fish are more likely to bite if the fly resembles their natural prey, which right now are these guys.”

“It’s called matching the hatch.”

In sales, you have to match the hatch too.

Your prospects are more likely to “bite” when you match the conversations already happening in their heads.

How do you match the conversation aleady happening in your prospect's head?

Mine success stories for quotes about what sucked before the customer switched – AKA the “before story.”

The key is selecting words within quotes.

Extra points if you find emotionally charged words like “nightmare.”

For example, here’s a before story quote I found in the HEY customer success story:

“Been using HEY several weeks and no longer dealing with spam, long lists of “unread” messages, or sorting out annoying but import

Open 9 Things I Learned About Sales

9 THINGS I LEARNED ABOUT SALES

The first thing I sold was washing cars.

I was 14.

Here are 9 things I learned that helped me sell better.

Perhaps what I learned can help you learn to sell better too.

Open Blame or Responsibility

BLAME OR RESPONSIBILITY

Many years ago I spoke with two salespeople, who both missed quota.

When asked what happened, one said, “It wasn’t my fault; my territory change and I didn’t have as many leads.”

The other responded, “I missed because I didn’t prospect as much over the phone. I rellied too much on cold emailing instead of cold calling.”

Both faced the same situation, yet their responses differed significantly.

The first saw only blame—external factors that were out of their control.

The second took responsibility, acknowledging what they could have done differently.

It made me realize: blame and responsibility often share the same events, but it’s our perspective that defines them.

Blame looks outward, deflecting, while responsibility looks inward, seeking growth.

Pros don’t blame; they take responsibility because it empowers them to change and improve.

Blame or responsibility?
It's a choice.
Choose wisely.

Open Inbound vs. Outbound

INBOUND VS OUTBOUND

People who take the actions below are not inbound leads.

Attended a webinar.
Downloaded an ebook. 
Visited the pricing page. 
Have a marketing qualified lead score greater than X.
Got a koosh ball from your trade show booth.

Treat all of the above like outbound leads. 

Don't mention the koosh ball.  
Or the webinar.
Or the ebook they downloaded.

Inbound leads are people who:

Fill out a Contact Us form.
Request a demo. 
Call/email you.

If you're knocking on a door it's outbound.
If someone is knocking on your door it's inbound.

Open Don’t Call the Baby Ugly

DON’T CALL THE BABY UGLY

Here’s the problem with sending this message to a CRO:

“Noticed your reps have missed quota by 12%. I can help you upskill their sales skills to close the gap. Worth a conversation?”

Unintentionally Offensive: 

Suggesting the reps need upskilling without context might imply the CRO has failed to train their team. This can put them on the defensive and close off the conversation. It’s like calling someone’s baby ugly. 

Assumptions Without Understanding: 

The message assumes the quota gap is due to a skills issue, but the real cause could be lead quality, pricing, market conditions, internal processes, or misaligned quotas. 

Jumping to conclusions without understanding the root cause makes you seem presumptive.

Generic and Lacking Insight: 

CROs handle complex revenue strategies, and offering a vague solution like “upskilling” doesn’t show deep understanding of their specific challenges. 

It feels superficial and disengaging, lacking perso

Open Unlearn Writing

UNLEARN WRITING

I learned how to swim when I was young.

But when I wanted to be a better swimmer as an adult, I had to unlearn the bad habits I had acquired and replace them with more efficient skills.

I had to delve into the mechanics of swimming and practice, practice, practice.

For example, my head was raised too high, which increased resistance and drag. This slowed me down and required more energy to maintain speed.

It’s the same with writing cold emails.

You learned the basics of writing in school, but if you want to write better cold emails, you need to unlearn bad habits (writing 5 page essays) and replace them with skills like copywriting and being concise and clear.

How?

Study the underlying psychology of good cold emails. Then practice, practice, practice applying the psychology to your prospects.

Here’s an example of a good cold email you can reverse engineer:

![Screenshot 2024-07-11 at 12.41.34 PM.png](https://books.joshbraun.com/u/screenshot-2024-07-11-at-12-41

Open The Backfire Effect

THE BACKFIRE EFFECT

If you tell someone to stop drinking, they drink even more.

Why?

People don't like people told what to do.

I’ll prove it to you.

When was the last time you changed your mind because someone told you to?

It’s called the backfire effect.

Autonomy is a basic human need.

The best way to persuade is to encourage people to persuade themselves.

How?

Ask, don't tell.

Telling:
“We showed XYZ company in your industry how to give reps visibility commission calculations using our solution.”

Asking:
“Are you using spreadsheets to calculate commissions?”
“We are.”
“Not sure if you're grappling with this, but I often hear that when reps can’t see the data and calculations behind their commissions, it can be difficult to understand. If you don't mind me asking how are you dealing with disputes today?”

The takeaway?

People are more persuaded by what they hear themselves say rather than what you say.

Buyers have the answers.

Open Untitled

Open Context Matters

CONTEXT MATTERS

It’s shocking how many people send me cold emails that start like this:

“Hi Josh, I noticed you worked at Jellyvision from 2007 - 2018.”
“HI Josh, It looks like you’re the founder of Braun Training.”

That’s like saying, “Hi Josh, I noticed you breathe air.”

Saying something that’s obvious that didn’t need to be said falls flat. 

Why?

There’s no context.

What does the number of years I spent working at Jellyvision have to do with a problem or opportunity?

The first question I ask myself when I read a cold email is:
“Why are you emailing me as opposed to someone else?”

Here’s an example of a cold email with context:

“Pete - It looks like you have 9 SDRs, which suggests you’re sending cold emails.

I spoke to an SDR out of NC who’s booking 15 meetings a month (mid-market) with Directors of Benefits via cold email. No cold calling.

Since you folks sell into HR, I thought you might be open to learning how she’s doing it."

Feel the diffe

Open Sorting

SORTING

Here's how I close nearly 100% of inbound leads.

It takes guts.

I send this email before meeting with people. 

“Hi James, 

Nice meeting you, albeit virtually. I know you have your pick of sales trainers, so thanks for considering me.  

So I don’t do you a disservice and waste your time, here are a few reasons why I might not be a fit for your SKO:

-I don’t sign NDAs or service agreements.  I use a one page agreement. 
-I charge X for an hour, Y for a half day and Z for a full day. 
-Payment is required up front. 
-I’m going to ask people to make live calls and send emails to real prospects.
-I require M&M’s but no brown ones :-)

We can discuss the details of the workshop of course, but first I wanted to find out if the above conditions work for you.”

This sorts out 7 out of 10 inquires.
I close nearly 100% of prospects I meet with. 

The takeaway?,

Not a fit is a good outcome if determined early.
It’s a terrible outcome if deter

Open My 1 Page Agreement

MY 1 PAGE AGREEMENT

This is my 1 page doc I send to new clients to clarify our agreement.

I will:

Run a 3 hour workshop covering:
-Why prospects are afraid of you.
-The 5 keys to lowering resistance.
-Selecting the best fit prospects.
-Clarifying your message.
-The spoken word (cold calling)
-The written word (cold emailing)
-A 60-minute post-workshop Zoom call to provide feedback on cold emails.

Payment is required prior to (date).

Here’s what's next:

You sign this document.
You depost in full via AHC wire, credit card, or check the amount of $X.
I show up on {date} at {location}.

This workshop will not help reps get better. Just like a 3 hour workout won’t make you fit. Practice over time with coaching will.

Manager buy-in, practice, and coaching is your job . Teaching, providing feedback, and answering questions is my job.

Looking forward to helping your team start more conversations with your ideal prospects.

X___________

Open Guiding Princples

*GUIDING PRINCIPLES *

1. Prospects aren't against you; they are for themselves.

2. Failure teaches you as much as success.

3. Work where you're celebrated, not tolerated.

4. If prospects aren't interested, it means that you message isn’t interesting.

5. People don't resist change; they resist being changed.

6. It’s not your job to ask people into buying,. You don't create motivation; you align with it.

7. People don't buy because they understand you; they buy because you understand them.

8. Convincing is the lowest form of persuasion. To get and keep attention, shine a light on a meaningfully different idea related to a big expensive problem people don't know about.

9. Consistency beats intensity.

10. People are more persuaded by what they hear themselves say, not what you say.

11. Detach from the outcome. Tune out what you don't control. Tune in what you do.

12. Don't lie by omission. Be the arbiter of unbiased information. Tell the whole story, not part of the story.

Open Sales Job Ads

SALES JOB ADS

If you’re reading ads for a sales job….

This is a red flag:

“You can make 500k a year.”

Here’s what’s more accurate:

“One of our 125 reps made 500k last year. This year, we cut her territory in half, so she'll make no more than $200k.”

“Most reps make $115k/yr and quit after 3 months.”

Be wary of emplyers that sell you the moon and the stars.

Open No Wrestling

NO WRESTLING

Selling isn't like wrestling.

It's not your job to pin people down so you can convince them to buy.

Nobody wants to be convinced.

I'll prove it to you.

Have you ever changed your mind because someone told you to?

Do you think your prospects are different that you are?

Autonomy is a basic human need.

Selling is more akin to a smooth ballroom waltz.

You're leading without stepping on any toes.

You're asking neutral questions that shine a light on a potential problem or opportunity without leading people to a desired answer.

You're the arbiter of unbiased information.

You're enabling people to make decisions for themselves.

Some people will be open to talking and continuing the conversation.
Some people won't.
It's okay either way.
If someone want doesn't want to "dance" with you, find another partner There are so many "dance partners.”

Without a partner, there is no dance.

Here's an example of what it looks like to lead a "da

Open Thoughts on Voicemail

*THOUGHTS ON VOICEMAIL *

Here’s the voicemail I left when I sold into HR:

“Hi Lisa, My name is Josh Braun. We’ve never spoken, but we’re working with Melissa Davis, the Director of Benefits at Comcast, to reach employees who aren’t in front of a computer all day during open enrollment. Since you have deskless employees, I thought you might be open to learning more. I’ll send you an email so you can decide if it’s worth exploring.”

This is for a benefits communication product but you can easily customize it for your product or service.

I found that when I used voicemail to promote my cold email, there was an uptick in response rate.

My cold email subject line was “voicemail.”

One big caveat. 

The message matters.

You need to illuminate a meaningfully different idea related to a problem or opportunity your prospects don’t know about.

What do your prospects want but don't have?

Open 18 Sales Principles

MY SALES PRINCIPLES

Here are my 18 sales principles: 

1. Prospects aren't against you; they are for themselves.

2. Failure teaches you as much as success.

3. Work where you're celebrated, not tolerated.

4. If prospects aren't interested, it means that you message isn’t interesting.

5. People don't resist change; they resist being changed.

6. It’s not your job to talk people buying.

7. People don't buy because they understand you; they buy because you understand them.

8. Convincing is the lowest form of persuasion. To get and keep attention, shine a light on a meaningfully different idea related to a big expensive problem people don't know about.

9. Consistency beats intensity.

10. People are more persuaded by what they hear themselves say, not what you say.

11. Detach from the outcome. The less you care about making the sale the more sales you make.

12. Don't lie by omission. Be the arbiter of unbiased information. Tell the whole story, not part of the story.

Open Misconceptions

MISCONCEPTIONS

Here’s something I believed to be true until I was 42:

“You need to wait 30 minutes after eating before swimming to avoid cramps and potential drowning.”

This belief has been widely circulated, but there is no scientific evidence to support it.

Sources that debunk this myth include:

The American Red Cross: Their swimming and water safety guidelines do not include any recommendations about waiting to swim after eating.

Mayo Clinic: Experts at the Mayo Clinic have clarified that while it might feel uncomfortable to swim immediately after eating, it does not significantly increase the risk of drowning.

Why am I talking about this?

No matter what you sell, people are getting the job done when you reach out. 

Educating customers about common misconceptions related to how they’re currently getting the job done loosens their grip on the status quo.

I’ll give you an example.

Several years ago, I got an email from Adam’s Polishes that said this:

“How do you know y

Open Let People Be

LET PEOPLE BE

There are two ways to deal with a 4-year-old who doesn’t want to surf.

1. You can try to convince them to surf.

You can pick up the sword and fight. 

The problem?

When people feel like you’re trying to convince them, their guard goes up. They dig their heels in even deeper.

Autonomy is a basic human need. 

1. You can cover up your kid with a towel and go surfing. 

You can drop the sword and let them be. Which is what this father did :-)

Picking up the sword or dropping it. 

It’s a choice.

Choose wisely.

Open The Waiting

THE WAITING

I don’t think we talk enough about the waiting.

The part when prospects aren’t ready to switch yet.

The problem isn’t intense or frequent enough.

They’re comfortable with the current way.

So to the salespeople in the waiting, don’t be disheartened.

You’ve done the hard part.
Now, be patient.

One day, the current way won't cut it. They'll be ready to change.

In the meantime, stay top of mind.

Share information that makes prospects smarter about topics they care about. This book is an example.

Time doesn’t kill deals, it ripens them.

Last week, I won a deal that had been in the waiting for 17 months.

Selling is an exercise in patience.

Fruit doesn’t grow faster because it’s the end of the quarter.

Open No Overcoming Obections

NO OVERCOMING OBJECTIONS

I don’t overcome objections.

You tell me you’re in a meeting, I say: “Okay, I’ll call you back.”

You say “I need to think about it,” I say: “Okay. No rush.”

You say “Send me some information,” I say: “What information would you like?”

I detach.

Why?

When you detach, you remove pressure.

Most salespeople create pressure.

Here’s what I’ve noticed:

When I surrender control, people come back for their reasons, not mine.

If they don’t come back, that’s okay. I’m not interested in working with people I need to convince.

Selling without pushing, convincing, or begging.

The golden rule?

I sell like I want to be sold.

Open Illumination Questions

*ILLUMINATION QUESTIONS *

Can one question boost sales?

The answer is yes. 

The question? 

“Is your oil at the proper level?”

Texaco paid legendary copywriter Elmer Wheeler $5,000 in the 1930s for those seven words.  

The result? The following week Texaco found themselves under 250,000 more hoods. 

Wheeler was a master at making people scratch their head and think, “Hmm, I’m not sure. Better look into this.”

Why am I talking about this?

Asking a question makes prospects scratch their heads, compels them to find out more about what you are offering. 

I call these illumination questions. You’re shining a light on a potential problem or opportuntiy without leading people to a desired answer.

Here are some examples:

"How can you tell when it’s time to retire?"

"How do you know your sponge won’t scratch your car?"

"Are you getting the lowest mortgage interest rate?"

"How are you accessing working capital without taking on debt or pledging assets?"

“Are you overpayi

Open Unseating the Competition

UNSEATING THE COMPETITION

I pay $85/month for lawn maintenance.

I’m getting the job done.

I’m making progress.

If you knock on my door and say, “Homeowners typically tell me they have weeds, bare spots or thinning grass. Do any of those issues resonate with you?” I’d say, “I’m good, thanks.”

If you say, “Do you have a budget?” I’d say, “No, my budget is frozen.”

If you say, “Is the timing right?” I’d say, “Call me next quarter.”

But that’s not what Luis did when he knocked on my door.

Here’s what Luis said throughout several conversations:

“These branches hanging over your roof are falling into your gutters, which can lead to mold, deterioration or leaks.”

“During a storm, these limbs can fall onto your home and damage your roof.”

“See these patchy brown spots of grass? That’s caused by low pressure around the valve head.”

“Here’s a landscape design that will make your home the envy of your neighborhood.”

“Here’s a lighting plan that not only adds beauty but makes yo

Open Deposits vs Withdrawals

DEPOSITS VS WITHDRAWALS

Whenever George rings my doorbell, he wants something.

"Josh, could you help me move a dresser?"

"Josh, can I borrow your drill?"

"Josh, my computer keeps freezing, can you take a look?"

Lately, when George rings the doorbell, I pretend I'm not home.

That's because George is overdrawn.

He's made too many withdrawals.

It’s the same with cold emails.

“We do X. Would it make sense to talk?”

“Do you have 15 minutes?”

“Any thoughts?”

Withdrawal.

Withdrawal.

Withdrawal.

When you're overdrawn, prospects duck and dodge you.

Instead of making a withdrawal, make four deposits first.

A deposit is useful information that helps your prospect do their job better. (Not a case study).

Here are a few examples of deposits:

Email 1“Lisa, here's a link to a fun slideshow called, 'What Zelda can Teach You About Writing Effective Cold Emails.'"

Email 2“Lisa, I saw you’re scaling your team. Here’s a link to an SDR calculator that helps you deter

Open What Is Love?

WHAT IS LOVE?

When I got Ruby, I expected lots of cuddles.

But she’s not a cuddler.

Today, she lay on my leg.

I wanted her to stay longer, but she went to another room shortly after.

It’s a good reminder.

Others, whether dogs or people, will behave according to their own nature—not necessarily in the way we hope or expect.

The goal isn’t to control behavior but to accept others as they are.

I think that’s what love is.

Open Three Strikes

THREE STRIKES

This is going to be a tough pill to swallow, so buckle up.

I don’t care how big the opportunity is; don’t chase prospects who have three strikes. A prospect gets a strike if they cancel a meeting.

“Sorry, Josh, I need to cancel our meeting.”
Strike 1.

“Josh, can we push our meeting?”
Strike 2.

“Josh, I can’t meet today.”
Strike 3.

When a prospect gets three strikes, they’re out.

I send an email that says, “John, I might be misreading, but it seems like the timing is off for the project.”

Then I move on.

If you don’t hear back, it’s a gift. You now have more time to start conversations with people who are motivated to talk with you.

Don't play catch with people who keep all the balls.

It takes two people to make a sale.

Invest in prospects who invest in you.

Open My Sales Mantra

MY SALES MANTRA

It's not my job to talk people into buying.
My job is to illuminate potential problems.
Some people will be interested in talking further. Others won't.
Doors opening and closing is the nature of sales.
My role is to be curious and listen without having expectations.
I embrace every aspect of the experience fully.

Open The Knowledge Gap

THE KNOWLEDGE GAP

Here's what an amateur salesperson sounds like:

Prospect: “I like the sofa but I can get it cheaper elsewhere.”
Seller: “What’s your budget? I might be able to offer you a discount because it's the end of the quarter.”

Here's what a pro salesperson sounds like:

Prospect: “I like the sofa but I can get it cheaper elsewhere.”
“Can I ask you question?”
“Sure.”
“One way companies cut costs is cushion density. Densities range from 1.5 which last 2-3 years before they sag to 2.5 with coils that last 10-15 years. What’s the density of the cushions in the other sofa?”

Prospect: “Hmm I'm not sure.”

(Detach) Seller: “Does it make sense to hit the pause button so you can find out?”

Prospect: “Yes, let’s do that.”

Do you notice the difference?

Price is the last refuge when there's no meaningful difference.

The pro seller is shining a light on a gap in the prospect's knowledge.
I call this a knowledge gap.

Knowing how to illumina

Open The Ask

THE ASK

I'm often asked: “How do I follow up after a discovery call?”

You don't follow up.
You follow through.

How?

If there's alignment, ask for a micro-commitment after you've summarized the conversation. Like this:

“Would it be okay if I summarized what you told me?”
“You said X, Y, and Z.”
“Did I miss anything?”

Ask for a micro-commitment:
“Based on that, if you'd like we can schedule a demo over the next couple of weeks so you can see how this works?”
“No? Looks like I jumped the gun. Where would you like to go from here?”

Sales is like a smooth ballroom waltz. You're leading (the next step) without stepping on any toes.

Prospects decide if they want to dance with you.

Some will. Some won't.

If prospects don't commit, it's not an opportunity. It's a conversation.

Without a partner, there is no dance.
It takes two people to make a sale.

Open Call Me Back Next Quarter

CALL ME BACK NEXT QUARTER

The prospect says, “Can you call me back next quarter?”

How do you respond?

Most salespeople say something like this: “What will be different in the next quarter?”

This reply can be interpreted as confrontational or challenging, putting the prospect on the defensive.

Why?

It assumes you understand the prospect's situation. You’re asking someone to justify their answer.

It presumes that there must be a significant change or improvement in the prospect's circumstances for them to reconsider the conversation, which may not be the case.

The way out?

Use a mirror or label to unlock more truth. (Chris Voss)

Here are some examples:

Mirroring:“Next quarter?”Repeating the 2-3 most important words with a slight uptone as if to say tell me more.

Labeling:“Sounds like you have other priorities you're focusing on.”“That’s not a problem. Seems like you have a bunch of things to wrap up before the end of the year.”

Labeling is verbalizing the underlying e

Open Why Worry?

WHY WORRY?

I worried about getting good grades.
Not now.
All gone.
Bye-bye.

I worried about turning 50.
Not now.
All gone.
Bye-bye.

I worried about hitting quota.
Not now.
All gone.
Bye-bye.

The revelation?

There was never anything to grasp.

How heavy and dull I made my life by worrying.

Relax.

Just relax.

Recieve.

Be with what is occuring.

Do your best.

What comes comes.

Open 100% Open Rate

100% OPEN RATE

How to get a 100% open rate on your cold outreach.

And never land in spam.

Send a letter in a FedEx envelope.

The psychology?

It doesn’t cost anything to send a cold email, so prospects don’t perceive it as valuable.  The inbox is a crowded channel.

FedEx is expensive compared to email so it feels more important or exclusive.
Yes, it’s a feeling. 

I've printed my cold email and put it in a FedEx envelope.

Then I followed up with email:  “Subject line: July 14th FedEx”

Open Three Ways to Lose Your Best Salespeople

THREE WAYS TO LOSE YOUR BEST SALESPEOPLE

1. Say you're going to change X and don't do it.

2. Congratulate them on achieving quota then increase quota by 15% while reducing their territory.

3. Increase their targets to pick up the slack for people not hitting targets.

Open Why Assuming Backfires

WHY ASSUMING BACKFIRES

This story illustrates the problem with assuming in sales.

Matt and Mandy both lease apartments.

Mandy leases twice as many apartments as Matt.

Can you figure out why?

Here's Matt:

Prospect: "Does your condo have a pool?"

(Unbridled enthusiasm) Matt: "It does! It's the most beautiful and stylish pool in Boca Raton. The pool even has a 25-meter lap lane."

Prospect: "That's too bad. I have a two-year-old and don't want them near a pool." (Click.)

Here's Mandy

Prospect: "Does your condo have a pool?"

Mandy: "Sounds like a pool is important to you."

Prospect: "Actually, I have a two-year-old and don't want them near a pool."

Mandy: "That’s why I live here. I have a toddler too. Our pool has a child safety cover whenever a lifeguard isn't on duty. Additionally, there's a four-foot fence surrounding the pool with a door that can only open with a fob. If you'd like, I can show it to you."

Prospect: "That sounds safe. Can I swing by this afternoon

Open 16 Ways to Add Fuel to Conversations

16 WAYS TO ADD FUEL TO CONVERSATIONS WITH PROSPECT

16 ways to add fuel to discovery calls.

1. Be able to clearly and concisely explain to others what you do. Like this: “With Calendly, you paste a link into your email and schedule meetings without going back and forth to find the perfect time.”

2. Understand how people are currently getting the job done. “Would it be okay if I asked you some questions about how you wash your car?”

3. Ask a questions that make people think differently about their current solution. “Sometimes dirt and grit can settle to the bottom of the bucket and get trapped in your sponge, which can scratch your car. How are you making sure that doesn’t happen when you wash your car?”

4. Let your natural curious self come out when talking with prospects, not a sales robot with an agenda.

5. Seek the opinion of others. “Sounds like reps think the phone is a cactus. What’s your theory on why that is?”

6. Find ways to stay top of mind when people aren’t ready to buy. T

Open Sell Me This Pen

SELL ME THIS PEN

Thoughts on "sell me this pen."

Jordon: “Sell me this pen.”
Josh: “Do you have a pen?”
Jordon: “I have several pens.”
Josh: “Do you need a new pen?”
Jordon: “No, I have a pen exactly like this one, but sell me this pen anyway.”
Josh: “I’m afraid I can’t do that.”
Jordon: “Why not?”
Josh: “I only sell pens to people who need a pen.”

The moral of the story?

It's not your job to talk people into buying pens.

Pens have no value without a problem.

Open Crispy Copy

CRISPY COPY

What’s the difference between these two cold emails?

Email A:
“Hey Josh - We help sales training companies like yours drive leads. I wanted to learn how you handle lead generation at Braun Training and show you what we’re working on. Are you available for a brief call Thursday at 3 pm EST?”

Email B:
“Hey Josh — Looks like you run cold call workshops for tech teams with 12+ reps.

Came across Pete Jones, Director of Business Development at [Company X].

He’s in the market for cold call training. They’ve hired 7 SDRs in the last 3 months and raised a $3.2M Series B in January. Imagine they want to get reps singing the same song on the phones.

Found this intel through 6sense. I have 8 more tech sales teams in the same boat that seem to fit your ICP. Interested in going over them?”

The difference?

Message A is generic.
Message B is specific, or “crispy.”

When you’re crispy, prospects secretly think, “You get me. What do you have?”

The secret

Open Leaderboard Are an Illusion

LEADERBOARDS ARE AN ILLUSION

They trick you into thinking you're getting better.

I'll prove it to you.

Imagine this scenario.

I sold more bananas than you did in Q1. I'm above you on the leaderboard.

You sold more bananas than I did in Q2.
You're above me on the leaderboard.

Are you getting better as a banana seller?

Relative ranking can fluctuate without necessarily indicating real progress in your skills.

Leaderboards create a false impression that you're improving, simply because you rank higher or lower compared to others.

Compare your current performance with your past performance.

This self-comparison helps you focus on your own growth and development rather than how you stack up against others.

When you compare yourself to others you lose sight of yourself.

Open Swap Next for Now

SWAP NEXT FOR NOW

When I started in sales, I couldn’t wait to land my first big deal.​

And sure enough, I eventually closed Comcast. 

Celebration, high-fives.

And then, I noticed something. 

A day later, I was already thinking about the next big deal. The next win.
The next milestone. 

That initial excitement was quickly overshadowed by desire and pressure to keep going bigger.

In sales, it’s easy to chase the next target.
The next quarter’s goals.
Bigger accounts. 

I think sometimes, we need to pause.
To take stock.
And recognize the wins we’ve already achieved.

You probably have what you once hoped for. ​
That sense of gratitude can refuel you more than any quota boost.

Stay ambitious.
But don’t forget to enjoy the journey.​
Swap next for now.

Open Gain & Loss

GAIN & LOSS

This one stung.

I had a signed agreement for 65k.

Then was told they didn’t want to proceed.

I was irritated.

Here’s what went through my mind: “What did I do wrong?”“What could I have done differently?”

I felt a loss of something I thought I had gained.

My happiness was attached to the sale.
It was “my sale.”

The problem is the word “my."

It's not "my" sale.
The sale doesn't belong to me.
The sale isn't owed to me.

Clinging to positive experiences or rejecting negative ones causes turmoil.

Gain and loss in sales and in life are inevitable.

In Buddhism, it’s one of the Eight Worldly Concerns.

Gain - Got a sale (Happy.)Loss - Lost a sale (Restless.)

Gain - Booked 5 meetings in a week. (Happy.)Loss - Booked 0 meetings the following week. (Anxious.)

Gain - Got a bonus. (Happy.)Loss - Lost money doing a home renovation project. (Upset.)

Here’s the reality of sales: You can do everything right and still lose a sale.

Gain and lo

Open The Point

THE POINT

Tennis legend Roger Federer said that over the course of his career, he’s only won 54% of points.

In other words, the number 1 player in the world barely wins more than half the points.

It’s a good reminder not to dwell on every “point.”

Got hung up on?
It’s only a point.

Lost a sale?
It’s only a point.

Do your best playing each point.
When the point is in the past, it’s in the past.

Focusing on the present point without thinking about the next point or the previous point is the path to resilience and inner peace when selling.

Open Find Your Fit

FIND YOUR FIT

“Kim” wrote:

“I’ve been in sales for 22 years. I’m still an individual contributor making cold calls and sending cold emails. I’m miserable and think it shows up in my work. What’s your advice?”

If selling doesn’t feel good in your soul, you need to read this.

You can hustle harder.
Grind longer.
Detach from the outcome.

Make excuses about why things aren’t working out.

Here’s the truth.

When a job is right for you, it brings you fulfillment.

When a job is wrong for you, it brings you suffering.

What was once a fit may no longer be a fit. That’s okay. Everything changes.

Forcing a fit makes you feel split.

Find your fit.

Open Resistance is Futile

RESISTANCE IS FUTILE

Have you ever noticed that the harder you push, the more resistance you get?

“I’m in a meeting. Can’t talk.”
“Yeah, that’s okay, I just need a second or so. I just wanted to find out if you – ”
“Don’t ever call me again!”

Statements like this subconsciously communicate that you're putting your best interest first.

You’re not validating what the other person is feeling. Even if they're not in a meeting, they don't want to talk with you.

The way out?

Don't fight resistance.

Join the resistance.

Like this:“Okay, I'll call you later.”

Then call back later. The prospect is more likely to take your call because you weren't tone-deaf.

Call people who don't tell you they’re in a meeting. That's most people.

Resistance is futile.

Open Everything is Impermanent

EVERYTHING IS IMPERMANENT

no matter how good you are at sales
things won't always go 
the way you want them to go

you might lose 
a sale you were 
certain you'd win

you might lose 
the confidence you never imagined
you'd surrender

you might lose 
your smile
and feel sad

but before you know it
a new person comes along who buys
and a wiser, more confident you appears

It’s okay to feel sad
even the sky cries sometimes 
and shines the next day

everything 
is 
impermanent

Open Unbothered

*HOW TO STAY UNBOTHERED *

1. Detach from the outcome. Expect nothing. Focus on your actions, not the results.
   
2. Stay grounded. A lost deal doesn’t define you; a won deal doesn’t elevate you.
   
3. Listen aggressively. People will tell you what they need if you give them the space.
   
4. Speak with purpose. Say only what’s essential—words are tools, not filler.
   
5. Move in harmony with the nature of sales. Ghosting, rejections, wins, and territory changes are all part of the experience. Accept them as the way.
   
6. Know when to walk away. Not a fit is a terrific outcome if determined early.
   
7. Be humbly curious. Humility keeps your ego in check, reminding you there’s always more to learn. Curiosity pushes you to ask: What could I have done differently? What did I do well? What did this experience teach me about the prospect, the process, or myself?
   
8. Ask for feedback when you don’t get a sale. Learning sharpens your skills.
   
9. *Be grateful

Open Shameless Plug

SHAMELESS PLUG

If you'd like to continue learning from me, here are some products that might help.

​Tongue Tied Objection Flashcards. Objection on the front, what to say on the back. Includes how-to-say-it audio files, digital + physical flashcards, video lectures, and real cold calls.

​Poke the Bear Cold Calling. Talking with people who have very little desire to talk with you.

​The Badass B2B Growth Guide. This guide is filled to the brim with tactics that stack the odds in your favor for getting people’s attention and keeping it.

The Discovery Call Course. How to elegantly lead an initial conversation with a potential customer. The gentle art of understanding instead of convincing.