SALES ADVICE: STOP TREATING EVERY DEAL LIKE YOU'RE RESCUING A KITTEN

By Thaddeus Steelcroft

The Senior Correspondent, Hard Hat Kings

Age 38. Industry veteran according to himself and one aggressively edited LinkedIn profile. Author of three unpublished books and one aggressively ignored newsletter.

Thaddeus.

The Sales Crisis Nobody Wants To Talk About

You know what I see when I walk into a construction supply yard these days?

Panic.

Absolute panic.

Salespeople running around like someone yelled:

"FREE MONEY!"

and then locked the doors.

A guy calls asking about one bucket pin, and suddenly a salesperson is creating a 19-slide PowerPoint presentation titled:

"Understanding Your Bucket Pin Journey: A Strategic Partnership Approach."

A landscaper with a borrowed pickup truck sends an email saying:

"Maybe looking at equipment later this year."

Suddenly someone is building a CRM profile, researching the owner's favorite sports teams, checking his LinkedIn connections, and sending a handwritten thank-you card.

Meanwhile, the contractor with 14 machines, 80 employees, and a purchasing budget large enough to make a dealership owner sit up straighter is standing at the counter wondering:

"Does anybody here actually sell equipment?"

Folks, we've lost our minds.

Not every opportunity is a kitten trapped in a storm drain.

Sometimes it's just a cat.

Sometimes it's a raccoon.

Sometimes it's a raccoon that has been eating your garbage for three months and you need to stop calling it a "relationship opportunity."

I learned this lesson after 42 years in sales.

Or 42 years studying sales.

Depending on whether you ask me or the people who actually employed me.

Also, I am 38.

Before anyone says:

"Thaddeus, that math doesn't really work."

Correct.

But I've always believed experience isn't about how long you've done something.

It's about how confidently you explain it to other people.

That's why I have the confidence of a 70-year-old industry legend and the employment history of a guy who has "explored several exciting opportunities."

The Myth of the "Full Pipeline"

Some corporate consultant once told me:

"Thaddeus, a full pipeline is a healthy pipeline."

I told him a full refrigerator is also nice, but you don't keep expired milk just because there's room on the shelf.

That was the moment I knew I had leadership potential.

It was also the moment he stopped inviting me to meetings.

But my point remains.

Sales teams today are terrified of missing an opportunity, so they chase everything.

Every lead.

Every inquiry.

Every person who downloads a brochure at 2:13 a.m. while sitting on the toilet.

And yes, I know because I used to track website visitors.

Not professionally.

Personally.

I had a spreadsheet.

My wife called it:

"A cry for help."

I called it:

"Market intelligence."

She doesn't understand sales.

The Problem With Treating Everyone Like A Buyer

When everybody is a priority, nobody is.

You spend six weeks nurturing a landscaping company that owns one skid steer and a dream while ignoring the excavation company that just won a $20 million highway project.

That's not sales.

That's babysitting.

And nobody became successful babysitting a grown man who says:

"We're just gathering information."

No.

You're not gathering information.

You're collecting brochures.

There's a difference.

The Art of the Lazy Close

The consultants hate this one.

Mostly because they charge $5,000 to teach you how to do the exact opposite.

The best deals often happen when you stop trying so hard.

The biggest sale I ever made happened when a customer walked into my office, pointed at a machine, and asked:

"Does that work?"

I said:

"Yes."

He said:

"I'll take it."

Beautiful.

No customer journey map.

No emotional discovery framework.

No 47-question qualification checklist.

Just a guy who needed a machine and a guy who knew where the machine was.

Now, my former employer claims I was not actually the salesperson on that deal.

They claim I was answering phones while the real salesperson was at lunch.

But that's their interpretation of history.

The important thing is:

I was there.

Nearby.

Supporting.

Spiritually closing.

Stop Dating Your Customers

One of the biggest mistakes salespeople make is treating every prospect like they're trying to marry them.

Three emails.

Follow-up email.

"Just checking in."

"Circling back."

"Wanted to make sure this didn't get buried."

Brother.

You are not following up.

You are haunting them.

If someone doesn't answer after six attempts, move on.

They're not your soulmate.

They're a person who doesn't need a machine right now.

Respect that.

My Brief Career As A Novelist

I learned this lesson during my brief career as a novelist.

I wrote a book.

Actually, I wrote the first 300 pages of a book.

Then I wrote another first chapter.

Then another.

I call it my trilogy.

Publishers called it:

"Three incomplete submissions."

One publisher wrote back:

"Please stop sending us your manuscripts."

At the time, I thought they didn't understand my vision.

Looking back?

They understood it perfectly.

Writers call it:

"Being ahead of your time."

Publishers call it:

"Not finished."

How To Know You're Over-Prioritizing A Deal

You know you're in trouble when:

You've sent four emails in one day.

That's not persistence.

That's a restraining order with better grammar.

You've created a customized proposal for a $700 parts order.

It's a hydraulic fitting.

Not a moon landing.

You've checked a prospect's LinkedIn more than your own bank account.

You know his dog's name.

You know where he vacationed.

You know he likes smoked brisket.

But you still don't know if he has purchasing authority.

Congratulations.

You're a detective.

Not a salesperson.

You've resurrected a six-month-old dead deal.

That's not a pipeline.

That's a cemetery.

Let it rest.

The customer is gone.

And if they come back, they're probably just looking for a discount anyway.

The Problem With Activity Worship

I recently read advice from a technology executive who said companies should stop rewarding activity and start rewarding relevance.

Finally.

Someone said it.

Because I don't care if you made 200 calls today.

I care if one of those calls mattered.

You can throw 100 fishing lines into the water.

But if you're fishing in a swimming pool, congratulations:

You are extremely busy catching nothing.

I once worked with a guy who bragged about making 300 calls a week.

He put it in his email signature.

He loved telling people.

He closed two deals that year.

One was to his brother.

The other was canceled because his brother felt bad.

The Thaddeus Steelcroft Sales Philosophy

After decades of research, observation, and being asked to leave several industry conferences early, I have developed three rules.

Rule One:

Listen more than you talk.

I learned this after giving a two-hour presentation where I accidentally forgot the customer was still on the phone.

He hung up.

I didn't notice until I asked for his credit card number.

Rule Two:

A buyer who needs equipment today gets attention today.

A buyer who says:

"Maybe sometime next year."

Gets a friendly email and the same patience I give people who say they'll read my books.

Which is:

None.

And a little disappointment.

Rule Three:

Confidence matters.

This is why I have succeeded.

I believe in myself.

Others have occasionally questioned this confidence.

My publisher.

My previous employers.

A hotel manager in Nebraska who asked why I was giving a keynote speech in the breakfast area.

I explained:

"Great leaders don't need stages."

He explained:

"Great leaders usually don't have a waffle maker behind them."

But confidence matters.

You can't teach confidence.

Especially when you have no evidence to support it.

What The Smart People Are Saying

Now, I don't usually quote technology executives.

Most of them have never operated a machine heavier than a laptop.

But Yoni Tserruya, Co-Founder and CEO of Lusha, made a point I actually agree with:

"Stop asking for more activity. Leaders should stop rewarding volume and start asking whether their teams are getting more relevant over time."

Translation:

Stop counting emails.

Start counting wins.

I don't care if you sent 50 proposals.

I care if one got signed.

Quality over quantity.

It's not just for fine whiskey and marriage.

It works for sales, too.

Final Word From The Hard Hat Himself

Look, I'm not saying ignore leads.

I'm saying stop treating every person who fills out a form like they discovered the cure for equipment depreciation.

Focus.

Prioritize.

Know the difference between a real opportunity and a guy who just wants a catalog.

Tomorrow morning, open your CRM.

Look at every opportunity.

Ask yourself:

"Does this person have a need, a budget, and a timeline?"

If the answer is no?

Move on.

If the answer is yes?

Call them.

Today.

Not tomorrow.

Not after a strategy meeting.

Not after you "circle back."

Call them.

And if you need more advice, my latest book is available everywhere.

Well...

Not everywhere.

Actually nowhere.

Because it's still under review.

For six years.

But that's not rejection.

That's a very thorough editing process.

About Thaddeus Steelcroft

Thaddeus Steelcroft, 38, is a nationally recognized sales expert, according to a biography he wrote himself and posted online. He is the author of three unpublished business books, including Close Hard, Close Fast, Close Before Lunch, and has delivered motivational speeches across America to audiences ranging from 400 people to 14 people and one hotel employee who thought he was fixing the projector.

His greatest accomplishment is inspiring thousands of sales professionals.

Now, some people argue "inspiring" is a strong word. Some say they were confused. Some say they were trapped in a conference room.

Some say they are still trying to get their money back. But leadership requires courage. His seminars have been described as:

"Interesting."

"Unexpected."

"And something we should probably discuss with management."

He can be reached through email, carrier pigeon, or whichever Hampton Inn currently has his name on the conference room reservation.

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