I tell my AE this all the time—sales isn’t about convincing; it’s about sorting.
Early on, she was chasing everything. More calls, more demos, more pipeline.
Grinding until she closed.
But after this mindset shift, she hit $10M ARR in Year 1.
The real game-changer?
❌ If they don’t have a real problem to solve, move on.
❌ If they aren’t serious about budget & timeline, don’t waste time.
❌ If you aren’t talking to a decision-maker, influence the conversation and push for a call with one.
I’ve seen her—and so many AEs in my current and past companies—grind through deals that were never real to begin with.
Checking in on leads that just want free consulting. Wasting time on people who’ll never buy.
But the second AEs get ruthless about qualification, everything changes:
✅ Fewer calls, but higher close rates
✅ Less wasted time, but bigger deals
✅ More confidence because we’re talking to the right people
Funny enough, our pipeline didn’t shrink—it just got more real.
And revenue? That skyrocketed.
This is what I tell my team:
AEs don’t lose deals—they waste time on the wrong ones.
👉 What’s the one mindset shift that changed the way YOU sell?
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