D is for Discipline: The Secret Sales Superpower You're Avoiding

We’ve journeyed through the A, B, and C of what truly moves the needle in a career: Authenticity, Business Acumen, and Connection. Today, we hit the letter that separates the professionals from the amateurs, especially for those of us navigating a mid-career pivot.

D is for Discipline.

If you are currently transitioning your years of experience in Renewable Energy, Healthcare, Fintech, or Professional Services into a Sales Account Executive (AE) role, you already have the industry knowledge. But to win in the AE world at age 40+, you need the "boring" secret weapon that younger reps often overlook.

---

The Administrative "Quicksand" vs. The Sales Grind

Discipline is about doing the hard things—the tasks everyone knows should be done, but few actually finish.

Early in my career, technology hadn't smoothed out the rough edges. There were no AI note-takers or automated CRM sequences.

• Meeting recaps? Manual.

• Proposals? Developed from scratch.

• Pipeline management? Every "Who, What, and When" was keyed in by hand.

To be blunt: I hated it. I viewed it as administrative quicksand that took time away from "real" selling. Whether you're selling SaaS for Fintech or sustainability solutions for energy firms, the feeling is the same: the paperwork feels like an obstacle to the paycheck.

The Uncomfortable Truth of Mid-Career Pivots

I didn't like the tasks, but I’d been trained early that a job—no matter how tedious—must be completed. I learned the hard way that leaving things halfway done always guarantees more grief down the road.

I watched colleagues who had a more "carefree" existence. They’d disappear mid-week or skip that extra client visit. Honestly? I envied them. Their performance was okay. They weren’t stars, but they weren’t in trouble.

Meanwhile, I felt I had to run twice as hard. As a career changer, you often feel that same pressure—you have to prove your word is your bond. In Life Sciences or Professional Services, where trust is the primary currency, if you promise a client a follow-up, you get it done. I tracked everything. I did the "ugly" work.

---

The Pressure Cooker Effect

Then the shift happened. Slowly, my colleagues' performance started to dwindle, while mine began to soar. That’s when I realized the truth: Discipline is a pressure cooker.

From the outside, a pressure cooker doesn't look like much is happening. But inside, fundamental change is occurring. That boring, consistent, day-in-and-day-out discipline—the manual recaps, the meticulous CRM updates, the relentless follow-through—is building enormous, invisible pressure.

The Reality Check: My colleagues eventually got laid off. I was ready to take off.

Why Discipline Matters for the Modern AE

In high-stakes industries like Renewable Energy and Healthcare, your "Discipline" is actually your "Reliability."

• Consistency > Talent: It’s not about being the most charismatic person in the room; it’s about being the most consistent.

• Compound Interest: Small, uncomfortable daily tasks compound into an unshakable reputation.

• Community Wisdom: In the ABC of Sales, we believe that sharing these "ugly" realities helps us all bridge the gap from our previous industries to sales excellence.

---

Join the Conversation

Transitioning into an AE role in your 40s is a marathon, not a sprint. We are building a community where experience meets new opportunities.

What is the one "ugly" task you've been avoiding that you need to put under the pressure cooker today? Is it your LinkedIn outreach? Cleaning up your Fintech prospect list?

Leave a comment below and let’s hold each other accountable.