From the Golf Course to the Sales Floor
Funny thing is, if we talked 20 years ago, I was going to be one of the top golf instructors in the country. But life had other plans and I wouldn't change it for a second.
After burning out teaching golf, I joined my brother's startup as employee number three and that was really where I started to learn how to sell. When I look back, the approach to selling websites was similar to golf lessons. And really, similar to anything else.
To be good at sales there wasn't a magic formula. It was rooted in systems to build the foundation and skills to improve your client interactions. Things like discovering problems, educating the buyer, having difficult conversations, and being a great listener more than a talker.
15 Years. Every Type of Deal.
I spent a total of 15 years as an individual contributor where I sold into SMB, mid-market, and enterprise clients. The first half was selling into the private sector and then my last 8 years at Brightly and Granicus selling to local and state government.
As a top producer and presidents club winner on many occasions, I learned that talent only gets you so far. You have to want to get better. Understand where you're falling short, know your industry and your clients deeply, and figure out the process start to finish so you can remove friction for your buyers.
One thing that shaped how I think about sales was working closely with Customer Success, Support, Marketing, and Product throughout my career. Closing a deal is one thing. But what your customers care about after the deal, how they experience your product, your team, and your company, is what turns them into raving fans. And raving fans fuel future work, testimonials, and referrals.
Why I Coach
A few years ago I started having coffee with my friend Doug just to catch up and talk life. He would share a lot about the business he was building from the ground up and his struggles with sales, since he knew that was my background. Our conversations kept turning into mini coaching sessions. His business now has dozens of employees and millions in revenue. Watching it happen made something undeniable for me. This is what I'm supposed to be doing.
Coaching is what I've always loved. I did it in the golf industry and now, with 15 years of success in software sales, I get to bring all of that expertise, knowledge, and yes, some scar tissue, to help founders accelerate their sales faster.
For a long time I was complacent and reactive. Mountains of debt. No clear direction. The end of 2008 was as close to rock bottom as I'd ever been. So I made a commitment to change.
Since then I've learned there's no finish line on that. You just keep showing up. The ups and the downs. The hard work and the lucky breaks. It all stacks up if you let it. That's the idea behind Just Get Started. My podcast, my writing, and how I coach. You don't need it all figured out. You just need to take the next step.
If any of this resonates, I'd love to hear from you.
