27 years of no-bullshit sales advice for founders

Executive overview

Most salespeople fail because they follow a script, skip follow-up, and never document what buyers actually say. Sales is a process, not a personality trait. The best salespeople diagnose before they prescribe — and they keep serving the buyer after the close.

Treating every sale as a transaction kills referrals, retention, and revenue.

What most salespeople get wrong

• Over-promising to hit commission, then losing customers post-sale
• No repeatable process — improvising instead of running drills
• Using a word-for-word script instead of a talk track that adapts to the buyer
• Failing to document call notes, forcing customers to repeat themselves at onboarding
• Following up with "just checking in" — the fastest way to lose a deal
• Not asking for referrals after the sale

Getting your first customers

• Start with your existing network — ask if they know anyone who might be interested
• People either self-select or refer someone else when asked directly
• Find where your ideal buyers concentrate (associations, call centers, lunch-and-learns) and add value there first

The three stages of sales: qualify, set, enroll

• Qualify: Identify questions — broad to narrow — that filter out non-buyers fast; don't chase people who don't know they have a problem
• Set: A setter talks to the market, identifies pain, and packages a qualified lead for the closer; setters and closers should be paired in pods with a feedback loop
• Enroll: "Closing" cuts off the conversation; "enrolling" keeps it open — service the sale after it's made

The five steps of enrolling

1. Control the frame — use the doctor frame: diagnose before prescribing; giving away answers kills the sale
2. Ask direct questions — specific, expert-level questions signal credibility; vague questions signal amateurism
3. Challenge beliefs — buyers sit at extremes (overconfident or underconfident); move them into the buying zone
4. Pre-handle objections — surface budget, decision-makers, and prior attempts early, not at the offer stage
5. Make the offer — assume the sale; use this-or-that choices, never "are you ready to move forward?"

Follow-up and referrals

• If a decision isn't made on the call, BAMFAM: Book A Meeting From A Meeting — confirm the next call before hanging up
• Get a commitment to text if they can't show ("can you text me so I can fill the slot?") to eliminate no-shows
• After the buyer's first "wow" moment, ask: "Is there one or two people just like you I could help?"
• Referral asks at the right moment can increase quota by 30%