The Selling Well EP 80 - Kind Folks Finish First: Sales & Career Lessons Toward Success w/Sam Jacobs

Salespeople often have a bad rep; they are seen as sleazy, manipulative, and, sometimes, intense in the way they deal with others. It is time to change that misconception. Sam Jacobs, the founder and CEO of Pavilion, imparts the message through the book of the same name: Kind Folks Finish First. You don’t have to be ruthless to get ahead; kindness will get you there faster. In this episode, Sam joins us to tell us more about the book and highlights, along the way, the top sales trends we have seen this 2023. He discusses a value-first approach to sales and business, overcoming the notion of treating relationships transactionally. Sam also gives great food for thought about the way we look at our careers: should you do what you love? Why do you need side hustles? For more sales tips and insights that will lead you to success, tune in to this conversation!

[@riskglobal1]

Every opinion has a catch. A good sales leader makes the difference. He should be one of the highest-paid people in the company due to the complexity of the role, the value that is created when done right, and the risk taken in quota-holding positions. He can help fix the entire value chain with his market vision, as he will understand the implications of how the strategy "hits" the market. This is not comparable to any other chair-sitting roles in the company. Especially if it is a non-consolidated company. Why were MJ and the rest of the players the highest-paid people in the Chicago Bulls Organization? Because the players make the difference. We can't confuse selling for an established company like Microsoft where most customers come to you and sales professionals make at least 50% of their quota by following a process with small or medium businesses where sales professionals bring in the business. And where the GTM value chain is constantly tested while impacting customer relations and the sales rep has to go fix it. The stress levels are totally different when facing a customer than a peer in an internal meeting to fix problems.