Welcome back to The ABC of Sales! Today, we’re tackling perhaps the most critical letter in our success alphabet: H.
H is for Hard Work.
If you’ve chosen a career in sales, understand this fundamental truth: You directly determine your income. This is one of the few professions where your ambition, dedication, and sheer grit separate the top earners from the least paid. Being a top earner calls for early mornings, late nights, and constantly going above and beyond the bare minimum.
But what does "above and beyond" really look like in practice? Let me tell you about one of my first major accounts.
The Island of Broken Promises
When you join a seasoned sales team, they rarely hand you the big, easy accounts—the ones that are actively spending and have perfect relationships. Instead, you get the challenge accounts: the broken relationships, the clients who’ve gone silent, or the ones where previous executives have tried and failed.
I was handed one such account: a major regional office whose relationship with our company was completely fractured. Several seasoned executives had tried to mend things, but the client had already made a regional decision: they were moving all their future needs through an external agency.
My team members quickly discouraged me. "It's a waste of time," they warned. "Even if you do generate some interest, the agency team will handle the actual sale and implementation. You won’t get the credit or the commission."
The rejections started immediately. Emails went unanswered. Cold calls led nowhere. Trying to get a walk-in meeting was impossible. The door was not just closed; it was sealed shut.
Intelligent Persistence: Building the Case
I knew I had to go beyond simple persistence. This wasn't about sending more emails; it was about demonstrating intelligent, unconventional hard work.
For weeks, I buried myself in research. I wanted to understand their business so deeply that I could identify a subtle, critical gap their current solutions (and the agency) were missing. I started polishing a bespoke presentation, gathering concrete facts to demonstrate exactly how our product would fill that specific, urgent need.
I refused to make the client feel pushed or pestered. My goal was to add value, even if they never replied.
Then came the breakthrough. One morning, I read in the news that the client's Chief Executive Officer for the market was going to be the keynote speaker at a local tech conference the following week.
I didn't have a ticket, but I knew this was my chance. I paid for the ticket immediately. I took my research, my analysis, and my refined pitch, printed it, and had it neatly bound. This wasn't a generic sales deck; it was a highly personalized, gap-analysis brief.
The Unconventional Pitch
Dressed sharply and ready to deliver the message I’d spent weeks perfecting, I headed to the conference.
During the busy tea break session, I spotted the CEO. I approached them with respect, introduced myself, and, without launching into a full-blown presentation, simply said something along these lines:
"I deeply respect your work, and based on my research into your organization's regional strategy, I’ve identified a specific process gap that I believe our solution can solve immediately. I’ve summarized the analysis and projected value in this brief document. I know your time is scarce, so I just wanted to leave this with you."
The CEO was visibly surprised by the approach—the directness, the preparation, and the focus on value over a hard sell. They took the deck.
The following week, my phone rang. It was their organization, asking me to come in for a meeting with the executive team.
The Payoff of Preparation
The meeting went exceptionally well because opportunity truly comes to those who are prepared. I spoke their language, addressed their unique challenges, and provided a clear path to a solution. We closed the deal.
And here’s the best part: Because of the highly customized solution and the unique way the relationship was initiated, the client requested that I personally work with the agency team for the implementation. My line managers had no choice but to make an exception. I was central to the process and received the full credit for landing the biggest deal of my career up to that point.
I learned that day that true success in sales isn't just about showing up; it’s about intelligent, persistent, and often unconventional hard work. It's about demonstrating a commitment that goes far beyond the expected.
Sometimes, the conventional doors are closed to you. When that happens, you don't give up. You put in the hard work, you find the gap, and you build your own door.
Your H-Challenge:
What is one "impossible" task or unresponsive account on your list right now? Go back, dedicate two hours of focused, late-night research, and find one completely unconventional way to deliver value that your competitors haven't even thought of.
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