Love this. I’ve found that many people are allergic to the word “sales,” which I always find so interesting. Call it whatever you want but that’s what it is at the end of the day!!!!
You have slowly crept into my world or maybe we just see things the same way when it comes to sales. I came across this article and the headline alone “cold called” me 👀
I tell people all the time that we sell every single day, and you captured that perfectly. You’ve sold your thought process and your writing to me, and now I have no choice but to subscribe.
Understanding who you are selling to is where most salespeople stop. Too early.
They map surface motivations. Goals, fears, incentives. Useful, but incomplete.
In complex B2B sales, the person in front of you is rarely the decision.
They are a node.
Behind them sits a system. A manager with a different agenda. A peer with veto power. A budget owner who never joins the call but defines the outcome.
If you only read the individual, you misread the deal.
Real sales intelligence is systemic. It requires mapping influence, not just intent. Understanding how decisions actually get made, not how they are presented.
And more importantly, identifying whose problem carries weight.
Because “mutual benefit” is not universal. It is negotiated inside that system.
"sell to them in a way that solves their problems, reduces their anxieties, and positions your proposed outcome as a solution, not a task."- This resonated with me because its a reminder to be a problem solver for the person I'm selling too. Sounds simple but it can be easy to lose sight of especially for someone like me who never really saw themselves as a seller but after breaking down how we all are selling something it makes sense.
Loved the three steps Mallory! If you are selling to create a win-win or helping solve a problem for another person, sales can be fun! And that's what sales should be about!
I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately. I’ve always been one of those “allergic to sales” people and recently I’ve started questioning where that narrative came from and if it’s really serving me. I think something must be in the air! (It’s the economy.)
I’ve always had a love-hate with sales but definitely more the hate and I know it’s what’s holding me back from achieving my goals and dreams. Thanks for these tips and great perspective.
I was spending my morning trying to craft value propositions for my new consultancy website. I was stuck and procrastinating by scrolling Substack when I came across your post. This is exactly the motivation I needed! Thank you!
Just discovered you today, amazing!!!! I’ve always been the “I hate sales” person but I’m realizing that I actually sell pretty well and I want to learn how to do that better. Also, I actually like selling myself lol
Love this. I’ve found that many people are allergic to the word “sales,” which I always find so interesting. Call it whatever you want but that’s what it is at the end of the day!!!!
i think we’ve all had a few too many bad experiences being sold to
MORE OF THIS PLEASE. You are doing incredible.
omg thank you
+1!!!!
You have slowly crept into my world or maybe we just see things the same way when it comes to sales. I came across this article and the headline alone “cold called” me 👀
I tell people all the time that we sell every single day, and you captured that perfectly. You’ve sold your thought process and your writing to me, and now I have no choice but to subscribe.
Closer!
Understanding who you are selling to is where most salespeople stop. Too early.
They map surface motivations. Goals, fears, incentives. Useful, but incomplete.
In complex B2B sales, the person in front of you is rarely the decision.
They are a node.
Behind them sits a system. A manager with a different agenda. A peer with veto power. A budget owner who never joins the call but defines the outcome.
If you only read the individual, you misread the deal.
Real sales intelligence is systemic. It requires mapping influence, not just intent. Understanding how decisions actually get made, not how they are presented.
And more importantly, identifying whose problem carries weight.
Because “mutual benefit” is not universal. It is negotiated inside that system.
That is where deals become harder.
And where they become interesting.
J.M. Ros
Salt & Close
Might I also add: everything is marketing
"sell to them in a way that solves their problems, reduces their anxieties, and positions your proposed outcome as a solution, not a task."- This resonated with me because its a reminder to be a problem solver for the person I'm selling too. Sounds simple but it can be easy to lose sight of especially for someone like me who never really saw themselves as a seller but after breaking down how we all are selling something it makes sense.
Loved the three steps Mallory! If you are selling to create a win-win or helping solve a problem for another person, sales can be fun! And that's what sales should be about!
I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately. I’ve always been one of those “allergic to sales” people and recently I’ve started questioning where that narrative came from and if it’s really serving me. I think something must be in the air! (It’s the economy.)
haha spoiler - the economy is in the air
I’ve always had a love-hate with sales but definitely more the hate and I know it’s what’s holding me back from achieving my goals and dreams. Thanks for these tips and great perspective.
Really enjoyed this one.
The hardest part of your framework, understanding who you're selling to, is exactly what I write about too, and it's where most people fall short.
You can template the packaging, you can define the goal.
But the psychology of the second party? That takes real curiosity and deliberate prep.
The sellers who invest in that step, even just 10 minutes before a call, consistently outperform the ones who improvises it.
I really like your perspective on this and it’s so true, we don’t realize we are always selling but we really are!
Really enjoyed this!
I was spending my morning trying to craft value propositions for my new consultancy website. I was stuck and procrastinating by scrolling Substack when I came across your post. This is exactly the motivation I needed! Thank you!
My mom always told me that everyone was in sales. No matter what you’re doing, you’re selling something 👏🏻👏🏻
mom's always right
Truth!!
loved this piece and particularly the breakdown of examples to implement this methodology
Just discovered you today, amazing!!!! I’ve always been the “I hate sales” person but I’m realizing that I actually sell pretty well and I want to learn how to do that better. Also, I actually like selling myself lol
yay welcome to my lil internet world