The best sales quotes can help you get out of a rut, motivate yourself or your team, and push you to try harder and improve your sales skills.

That’s why we’ve collected 250 sales quotes from great salespeople, leaders, entrepreneurs, philosophers, writers, and more.

Warning: Binging on these sales motivation quotes could have a serious effect on your life, business, and finances. Side effects include but are not limited to: more sales, better attitude, business growth, personal growth, and less bullshit. These sales quotes may also act as a gateway to other business knowledge such as blogs, podcasts, or books.

Please read responsibly.

The Best Sales Quotes to Get Your Sales Team Motivated Every Day

Want to use motivational sales quotes to get your team ready to crush their day? Use these in your team’s sales huddle to set the tone for a great day.

1. “Today is always the most productive day of your week.” –Mark Hunter

Remind your sales team that the hard work they do today is worth far more than the work they plan to do for the future. Sales productivity is all about setting realistic activity goals and consistently showing up to take the actions that lead to more closed sales at the end of the day, week, month, and quarter.

2. “Confidence applied properly surpasses genius. There's nothing like confidence.” –Mike Tyson

Not who you’d expect a killer sales quote from, huh? Well, Mike Tyson sure knows a thing or two about confidence and consistency. Just like Mike, if you train hard to develop the right sales skills and put in the effort each day, your confidence as a salesperson will soar.

3. "Some soldiers want to fight. They are the crazy ones. Other soldiers don't want to fight but go and fight regardless. They are the courageous ones. And I like the fact that you need to be afraid to have courage". –George St. Pierre

Your team needs courage to overcome their fears and get back into the ‘battle’ every day.

🎧 Watch my thoughts on this quote.

4. "You either suffer the pain of discipline or the pain of regret." –Jim Rohn

Discipline is critical for a successful sales team. Use this quote to remind your sales reps that today’s effort will mitigate any regret they may face down the road.

🎧 See what else I have to say about this quote.

5. "Courage is not having the strength to go on; it is going on when you don't have the strength." –Teddy Roosevelt

When your team is feeling low or trying to dig their way out of a slump, this is a great quote to help them keep a more positive mindset.

🎧 Hear my thoughts about this sales quote.

6. "You may not realize it when it happens, but a kick in the teeth may be the best thing in the world for you. –Walt Disney

Losing a deal you thought was in the bag sucks. But sometimes, it's a blessing in disguise. It can make you thirsty for your next customer and keep you motivated to close the next deal in your pipeline.

🎧 Listen to this to see what I mean.

7. "Only that day dawns to which we are awake." –Henry David Thoreau

Every day is a new day for sales reps. Use this quote to calm your mind and map out what goals you'll achieve in your sales day—today.

🎧 I talk more about how this sales quote is helpful here.

8. "There is no such thing as failure. There are only results." –Tony Robbins

You'll never remember every deal that's fallen through, but you will remember the big ones you've closed. At the end of the day, it's the results that matter.

🎧 Check out what I think about focusing on results, not losses.

9. "Hard training, easy fight!"

This sales quote means the more prepared you are, the easier it is to win over a customer when it's time to sign a contract. Putting in the time and effort to sharpen your prospecting and outreach skills as well as your closing pitches will pay off when you're in the fight to close a deal.

🎧 I talk more about this here.

10. "The secret to getting ahead is getting started."

Picking up the phone to cold call another prospect is hard. Sending out emails to potential customers is grueling. Following up on every lead takes a lot of effort. But as this sales quote says, the secret to pushing forward is getting started.

🎧 Here's how I use this sales quote to get ahead.

11. "When you undervalue what you do, the world will undervalue who you are." –Oprah Winfrey

Many times, people’s perception of us can be influenced by how we see ourselves. Know your place and your value as a salesperson, and you’ll earn respect.

12. "Feedback is the breakfast of champions."

Constructive feedback is your secret sauce to being a better sales rep—drink it up every chance you get. Accepting feedback is the quickest way to grow, and just like this quote says, it can help you become a champion.

🎧 Here are more of my thoughts on this.

13. "I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times." –Bruce Lee

Time spent perfecting your sales craft will help you beat out your competitors. Practice sales calls, email techniques, and demo pitches regularly to impress prospects. I usually focus on improving one skill at a time in 30-day blocks to be the best⁠—I talk about this more here 🎧

14. "If you can't do great things, do small things in a great way." –Napoleon Hill

You won't close a huge contract every day. And some weeks, there may not be any leads in your pipeline at all. But if you keep working on the small things, like reaching out to prospects and working on your sales game, it'll pay off.

🎧 I talk here about how I use this quote.

15. “Taking initiative pays off. It is hard to visualize someone as a leader if she is always waiting to be told what to do.” –Sheryl Sandberg

This inspiring sales quote from the former Facebook top exec reminds us all to take the initiative to be a leader. You can only ever be great at what you do if you believe in your abilities. Use this quote to remind yourself to go out and crush it every day.

16. "Closed mouths don't get fed."

This sales quote is all about asking questions and making suggestions. Instead of being passive in your sales role, take action and work towards your goals.

🎧 Here's what I mean!

17. "People often say that motivation doesn't last. Well, neither does bathing—that's why we recommend it daily." –Zig Ziglar

Running out of steam in the sales room is normal, especially if deals haven't been swinging your way. This quote reminds us that winning is a choice, not a given. Wake up every day and remind yourself why you love what you do and psych yourself up to be your best.

🎧Listen to my advice on how to do it.

18. "Lead me, follow me, or get out of my way." –George Patton

A lesson in taking charge. This sales quote is about believing in your abilities and motivating not just yourself—but those around you.

🎧 Here's what I have to say about that.

19. "The best teachers are those who show you where to look, but don't tell you what to see." –Alexandra K. Trenfor

A sales quote for all the leaders out there. Sometimes, the best way for your team to learn is to point them in the right direction instead of doing the work for them. I also use this strategy when selling to prospects because it helps them realize our product is the one for them.

🎧 Find out how I use this quote from Alexandra K. Trenfor

20. “Don’t watch the clock; do what it does. Keep going.” –Sam Levenson

A reminder to make every second in the sales room count. We've all got the same hours in a day—make them count.

21. "Motivation will almost always beat mere talent." –Norman Ralph Augustine

There's a reason why every startup founder wants to be the next Steve Jobs or Elon Musk—they are the definition of success. Use this motivation to strive for better and crush your goals.  

🎧 Listen to how I use this quote.

22. "If you're busy all the time—you're really just lazy."

Lack of time… or lack of motivation? If you're burned out, overwhelmed, or uninspired in your job, you'll struggle to get shit done. This turns into laziness and impacts everything from your quota to your clients. Look at your schedule and ask yourself if you're productive or just moving tasks around to feel busy. What's the answer?

🎧 Here's how I get shit done.

23. "History will be kind to me for I intend to write it." –Winston Churchill

Don't let others tell your story. It's only you who can control what will be written about you. What would it take for you to write your own history? What do you need to do today to take control of your goals?

🎧 Listen more about how to use this badass quote for motivation.

24. "Chasing perfection is like chasing the wind, it's highly futile."

No outreach email is perfect. No sales pitch will win over every prospect. The sooner you get comfortable with imperfect sales, the quicker you can stop chasing perfection and start talking to your next customer.

🎧 Here's how to get comfortable with imperfect selling.

25. "You don't rise to the occasion, you sink to the level of your training."

Do you remember your first day selling? Don't cringe. We've all been there. But if you don't keep pushing to improve your craft, you'll end up right back where you started. Use this quote to remind yourself of how far you've come.

🎧 How to rise to every sales occasion.

26. "It is possible to commit no mistakes and still lose. That is not weakness. That is life." –Jean Luc Picard

Sometimes you win, and sometimes you lose—that's the reality of sales. If you make the right moves and work on your execution, you can walk out of the office today knowing you did your best, even when situations are outside your control.

🎧 Listen to how I want you to use this quote.

27. “Sales are contingent upon the attitude of the salesman, not the attitude of the prospect.” –William Clement Stone

This sales quote reminds us to put in the work and keep our eyes on the prize with a prospect because the deal isn't closed until they've signed on the dotted line. Always put your prospect's needs and goals first. After all, the deal is about them… not you.

28. "The hours ordinary people waste, extraordinary people leverage." –Robin Sharma

The most successful people in the world get the most out of their time, whether it's waking up early to start their day or optimizing their calendar to squeeze in more. In fact, I want you to open up your calendar right now and check out all of the empty space on it… what are you going to do to fill that space with tasks to crush your day?

🎧 Here's how to use this quote.

29. "Knowledge isn't power, applied knowledge is ..." –Paul Chek

You can read 1000 sales books and still sell like your first day on the job. As this sales quote highlights, knowledge is only powerful if you use it. Put your knowledge and skills into practice today.

🎧 Listen here to learn how.

30. "Repetition is the key to mastery."

What part of your sales process do you want to master, and what are you doing to get there? Basketball great Kobe Bryant didn't become great overnight. He famously made 1000 shots every day for months to perfect his shooting style. Use this quote to focus on a certain part of your selling game (it can be small!) and put in the work to master it.

🎧 More on how to turn repetition into mastery.

31. "Example isn't another way to teach, it is the only way to teach." –Albert Einstein

Every sales rep has their strengths and weaknesses. Use this to your team's advantage and learn from each other. If you have a strength, lend it to a colleague with the same weakness. And if you are struggling with a certain part of your sales game, reach out to a teammate and ask them to teach you their ways.

🎧 Learn more about how to put this sales quote into action here.

Sales Quotes to Help with Better Sales Prospecting

Prospecting, qualification, and discovery can be some of the most difficult pieces of the sales process. To help you build a better prospecting strategy and the right mindset to do it right, here are some top quotes from sales experts.

32. “Selling is really about having conversations with people and helping improve their company or their life.” –Lori Richardson

This quote brings us back to the basics of selling: focusing on your prospects' needs. The most effective way to sell will always be to help prospects reach their goals instead of focusing on your quota.

33. “Be personal. Be relevant. Be specific.” –Seth Godin

You will never go wrong in a sales pitch if you make your prospect feel like the only person in the room. This quote reminds us to ditch the generics and tailor every call and email to the prospect's needs and goals.

34. "It's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see." –Henry David Thoreau

Although this quote isn't obviously tied to sales motivation, if we dig a little deeper, it speaks to the environment sales reps work in every day. Take a step back and look at the opportunities and prospects in your pipeline. What do you see, and how can you change your outlook to make it more positive?

🎧 More about this sales quote here.

35. "It's a great question to ask yourself how to impact a billion people over the next decade. But an even better one to ask yourself how to impact the life of one person within the next hour."

We all like to look at the big picture, but we should also focus on each prospect we talk to. This sales quote reminds us to do just that. Even when you're selling a product and building a company, your prospects will help you get there. Don't forget them.
🎧 Listen to what I have to say about this here.

36. “Every email is an opportunity to test a different benefit or angle.” –Heather R Morgan

I love this sales quote because it's a reminder that every time you go prospecting, it's a chance to learn. Keep track of what works, eliminate what doesn't, and continue to sharpen your prospecting and outreach efforts.

37. “You don’t need a big close, as many sales reps believe. You risk losing your customers when you save all the good stuff for the end. Keep the customer actively involved throughout the presentation, and watch your results improve.” –Harvey MacKay

Yet another sales quote reminding us to focus on our customers instead of our quotas. Bring the prospect on board from your first meeting and connect your product to their end goals. Because you don't know if the meeting will be your only chance to get them on board.

38. “Before LinkedIn and other social networks, in the sales world, ABC stood for Always Be Closing. Now it means Always Be Connecting.” –Jill Rowley

Sales has changed. Prospects now want a relationship as well as great products and customer service. Focus on building that relationship—not the close.

39. "Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work." –Thomas Edison

It's no secret that deals are hard to close, especially those with complex prospects or larger contracts. But what if you looked at these deals as an opportunity instead of an impossible hill to climb? This quote reminds us that sometimes the hardest deals bring the most satisfaction.

🎧 Listen to my thoughts on doing the hard work.

40. "Don't sell the stage, sell the act!"

Don't focus a pitch on your product's features and cost. Instead, pivot the conversation so your prospect focuses on their end goal and what their life will look like once they buy your product.

🎧 How to use this quote to boost your sales.

41. "You will get all you want in life, if you help enough other people get what they want." –Zig Ziglar

Every deal you close should make you and your prospect happy. I call them win-win situations. Your customer is excited to work with you and you can go back to the office with another signed deal. Think about how to turn your next deal into a situation where everyone wins.

🎧 Listen to how you can get prospects what they want.

42. "Emails that never get sent close no deals."

I love this quote because it reminds us that the basic tools in our prospecting kit get results. Send that cold email that's been sitting in your drafts today. What's the worst that can happen?

🎧 My thoughts on the power of email.

43. “You earn the right to tell your story, when you start with theirs.” –Matt Heinz

Ahhh, prospecting 101: putting the customer first, not your product. This quote highlights the importance of weaving your customer's story and goals into your pitch to keep the focus on them. Personalize everything during the prospecting phase to build a relationship faster and speed up the selling process.

44. "If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough." –Albert Einstein

How many times have you seen a product or service online that didn't communicate what it actually did? Don't make the same mistake. Keep it simple when you're talking about your product to customers. Don't get technical or focus on features, but know your product well enough that you can tie it to every customer's goals during a pitch.

🎧 More on this game-changing technique here.

45. "Most salespeople throw darts in the dark, hoping something will hit."

This quote reminds me of those ridiculous outreach messages that land in my LinkedIn inbox every morning. They are usually generic outbound pitches that are sent to 100 other people. The biggest problem is the sales rep is just throwing stuff at the wall, hoping one of their messages will stick. Change it up and personalize your prospecting. It takes more time but it's worth it in the long run.

🎧 Listen to my thoughts on what most salespeople get wrong.

46. "Clarity is power."

Understanding your product and how it actually helps customers is a secret weapon in the sales room. You can then use this knowledge to create clarity in your sales goals. Before every call, email or meeting, remind yourself exactly what you want to achieve and how it'll help your prospect.

🎧 My advice on achieving clarity here.

47. “Buyers don’t believe anything you have to say to them about your product or service until they first believe in you.” –Deb Calvert

If your prospect doesn't trust you—you have nothing. Building relationships early and aggressively in the deal will create trust between the two of you. Once you have that, all of the discussions around pricing, features, and contracts can be made in good faith and with a level of respect.

Sales Quotes About Closing Deals

Ready to start closing deals? Here are some of the best sales quotes to get you in the right mindset for more productive conversations that lead to higher conversion rates and better deals.

48. "Don't play to play. Play to win!"

Ask yourself this: are you stepping into the office today and watching the clock, or are you there to sell and win? Don't just do the minimum. You need to be hungry to close every deal in your pipeline.

🎧 My thoughts on crushing it in the sales room.

49. "Your job in sales is to create moments of truth!"

Closing almost every deal in a pipeline requires a prospect to trust you. But deals can progress even when you haven't earned their trust yet. This sales quote is all about making space to create moments of truth with your prospect—pick one part of the deal your potential customer still isn't sure about and turn it into an opportunity to build trust.

🎧 More on this quote from me.

50. "You need to be willing to lose if you're truly committed to win."

No sales rep on earth closes every single deal in their pipeline. It's just not possible. But it is part of the game. I want you to put this quote on a post-it. Why? So the next time someone ghosts you or a deal falls through, you're reminded to get back up and start working to win over your next prospect.

🎧 How to use this quote to win.

51. “You don’t close a sale; you open a relationship if you want to build a long-term, successful enterprise.” –Patricia Fripp

Your work doesn't end when a prospect signs a contract. In fact, this is the moment where the deal takes a turn into a long-term relationship. Successful companies nurture every prospect after they turn into a customer and constantly try to improve their experience. Use this quote to remind you that when a prospect becomes a customer, your work really begins. Provide better support or upsells and cross-sells to help the customer accomplish their goals.

52. "The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph." –Thomas Paine

You won't remember every deal you ever close. But the ones you poured blood, sweat, and tears into? The prospects that took extra time and effort to win over? They are so much sweeter and push you to stay motivated. The next time you're in the middle of an impossible deal, think about the feeling you'll get when closing day comes.

🎧 Listen more on winning hard-fought deals here.

53. "You can't turn a no to a yes without a maybe in between." –Francis Underwood

When you're in the salesroom, in the weeds, it's hard to remember that customers aren't won overnight. It's normal for them to have doubts, and you need to work for their trust. Ask every prospect what their doubts or concerns are and do whatever it takes to eliminate them. Then, you can turn maybes into more closed sales.

🎧 I talk more about this here.

54. “Customers don’t care at all whether you close the deal or not. They care about improving their business.” –Aaron Ross

Prospects don't care about your quarterly targets or sales strategies. Their only concern is their goals and needs. Remember this every time you jump on a prospecting call or walk into a pitch because the quickest way to screw up the deal is to make it about you—not them.

55. "You can't sell others if you aren't sold yourself first."

If you don't believe in your product, how do you expect your prospects to? This sales quote reminds us to take a moment to step back and look at the product like a customer. What do you love about it? And when you first started selling it… what made you excited to do it? Carry these thoughts into your next prospecting call.

🎧 More about how to use this quote to crush it here.

56. “Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.” –Thomas Edison

Have you ever heard of Edison's electric pen? What about his attempt at creating talking pictures? Probably not. These are just some of his failed inventions. Even behind his greatest creation—the lightbulb—Edison failed over 1000 times before he succeeded. The lesson here is to keep trying, even when failure seems inevitable.

57. "Nothing happens until a sale is made."

This quote is a throwback to the old saying: don't count your chickens before they hatch. Nothing, and I mean nothing, is certain in a sale until a prospect has signed a contract. Think about everyone who will be impacted by the sale, from your boss and colleagues to your family and partner. This puts the deal into perspective, and how much you stand to win (or lose) by closing it.

🎧 Listen to what I think about this quote.

58. “Never confuse activity with accomplishment.” –Lori Richardson

It's easy to fill your time doing stuff that makes you feel busy but at the end of the day…what does it matter if you don't achieve much? Use this quote as inspiration to make every slot and task on your calendar count. Don't just get busy today—stay focused on accomplishments.

59. “It’s no longer about interrupting, pitching, and closing. It is about listening, diagnosing, and prescribing.” –Mark Roberge

The sales game has changed dramatically over the past 50 years. No more Mad Men-style deals where customers are sold to. This sales quote reminds us to bring the prospect's story and goals to the center of every sales deal and make it about them—not our product.

60. "Most people aim… aim… aim…"

Aiming for perfection can kill your chances of success. Focusing on tasks and work that don't help you reach your goals will do the same. Successful sales reps aim for specific wins, whether it's making a move in a stagnant pipeline deal or pushing a difficult prospect to come back to you with a yes or no answer. Aim, shoot and (hopefully) score.

🎧 Listen to why I love this sales quote.

61. "Coffee is for closers."

Every deal you close should end with a reward. Whether you're a coffee lover (like me) or you want to celebrate with a special purchase, attach a reward to a goal to help motivate you. When you finally close that complex deal, the reward will be just a little bit sweeter.

🎧 Here's how to use this strategy to celebrate wins.

62. "People are starving for decisiveness. If you give it to them, you will rule the world."

Pipelines are called that for a reason. Prospects either travel down them until the end or leak out the side. But sometimes, prospects get stuck in a holding pattern trying to decide whether or not your solution is the right one for them. As this quote says, you need to step in and push the hard close and prove your product is a good fit.

🎧 More on this sales quote here.

63. “I have never worked a day in my life without selling. If I believe in something, I sell it, and I sell it hard.” –Estée Lauder

There's a reason Estée Lauder has been around for over 75 years—its founder never misses a chance to sell. If you believe in your product, it allows you to sell (hard) every day to your target consumer because you know it'll improve their lives. Just like Estée.

🎧 How to use this quote to turn your belief into sales.

64. "Losers have goals. Winners have systems." –Scott Adams (Creator of Dilbert)

Every sales rep has the same amount of time in their day. But truly successful salespeople have systems, like automated prospecting that make them stand out from the rest. Think about a goal on your to-do list and ask yourself, what systems can I put into place to make that goal a reality?

🎧 How I use this sales quote to get ahead.

65. "Expect the yes. Embrace the no. That's how you master the close!"

It's a risky strategy to think every deal in your pipeline is a sure thing. While you should always plan to win, hearing a no from a prospect isn't always a bad thing. It can help you improve your sales process and focus on other prospects who are a better fit for your product.

🎧 Listen to how you can use this quote.

66. "Do what others don't and you'll get what others won't."

Most sales reps will move on to other prospects once they close a deal and not give their new customers a second thought. You can win the game by staying in touch with new clients and building relationships. It's easier to upsell or cross-sell to them and get good referrals for other clients. Go the extra mile, keep your customers happy and win new business at the same time.

🎧 My thoughts on this inspirational quote.

67. "Trust trumps transactions."

Prospects can spot a sales rep that's only out to close a deal from a mile away. I've said before, and I'll keep saying it—prospects don't care about your sales quota. They care about their goals. Build trust first, and the transaction will follow.

🎧How to build trust with prospects.

68. "It's important to learn how to say "I don't know" with confidence." –John LaValle

Don't be a yes man. If you're new in your position or a prospect asks a question about a feature that you don't know, just admit it. The worst thing you can do in this situation is to fumble through a conversation with your prospect and lose trust. Tell them you'll get an answer from the right person on your team and get straight back to them. This will show a prospect that you're willing to go the extra mile so they get the information they need.

🎧 Listen to why admitting you don't know everything is a good thing.

69. "In business as in life, you don't get what you deserve, you get what you negotiate." –Dr. Chet Karrass

Nobody is entitled to a sale. It's all about the negotiation and how you approach the deal. Collaborate with your prospect and learn about what's important to them. Only then will you get the gold nuggets of information you need to tie your product into the deal negotiation and close the sale.

🎧 Here's my thoughts on using negotiation to help see the bigger picture.

70. "Things may come to those who wait, but only the things left by those who hustle." –Abraham Lincoln

I love this quote from Lincoln. Take it and think about a task or deal you've been procrastinating around and ask yourself, what will be left if someone makes a move before you? Will you lose out on a deal because you haven't been proactive, or will you go out and grab it before someone else does?

🎧 Why I love this quote.

71. "Never ever, ever stop following up."

This quote reminds me of one of my favorite follow-up stories of all time. When James Altucher wanted to work for a billionaire investor, he emailed him. And when he didn't hear back, he emailed him again… and again… and again. He cold-emailed the guy for a whole year. In the end, his persistence landed him a meeting, and it changed his life. The message is clear: never give up.

🎧 My thoughts on always following up with prospects.

72. "Conquer yourself and the world lies at your feet." –St. Augustine

One of the biggest obstacles in the salesroom is whether or not you believe in your abilities to sell and close deals. Ask yourself, what roadblocks are stopping you from growing or improving your sales game? Now, write it down and create a plan on how you'll overcome it.

🎧 Listen to my take on this quote.

73. "I found that if I just do the best that I can, in every moment I have, the future looks after itself." –John Kavanagh

You cannot control every situation or every deal. What you can do is put your absolute best into every interaction and activity on your calendar so even if a prospect says no or a deal falls through, you can walk away knowing you put everything into it.

🎧 More on how to do your best.

74. "Hustle Harder."

Take a look at what you did yesterday or last week. Did you crush it, or was there room for improvement? Find ways to improve your processes, work more productively and hustle harder to stamp out your competition.

🎧 My inspiration to hustle harder.

75. "I stay ready so I don't have to get ready." –Conor McGregor

McGregor hasn't won nearly 30 fights with normal preparation. Whether it's gearing up for a championship or working out at the gym, McGregor's mindset is always focused on the win. Use this sales quote to get yourself into the zone and perform at your peak.

🎧 Here's why I think this quote will help you crush it.

76. "I'm a shark. The ground is my ocean and most people don't know how to swim." –Rickson Gracie

Sharks rule the ocean. But you can do the same in your niche or industry to beat out your competitors. Find a weakness or blind spot that others are overlooking and work on it until you master it.

🎧 My thoughts on this unique sales quote.

77. "Ask for the close early, and ask often."

It's a fatal error to wait until the "perfect" moment to close a deal. Most sales reps don't want to be told no, so they wait—for days, even weeks!—for a time when they think the prospect will say yes. Don’t wait for objections. Ask for the close early and take charge. You won't believe how many prospects you can win over this way, and the extra time on your calendar can be filled with new opportunities.

🎧 My thoughts on closing early and often.

78. "The vision of a champion is bent over, drenched in sweat, at the point of exhaustion, when nobody else is looking." –Mia Hamm

Nobody will see the work you put in behind the scenes to create emails that convert or practice every sales pitch. But these moments will set you apart from other reps when you're in the middle of a negotiation. Do your best to improve every selling skill in your toolbox, even when nobody's watching.

🎧 Why putting in the (extra) work is worth it.

79. "Never take a bet if you don't know how to win it."

I still remember when a Close customer challenged me as to whether I could continue a project (recording daily motivational videos) for 30 days in a row. I asked him if he really wanted to make that bet. He did, and he lost. The reason I agreed to the bet? I knew I would win. I had the drive, plus I already had a library full of content ready to post. I didn't cheat—I just knew the bet was in the bag, so I took it.

🎧 Here's the story behind this win.

The Best Quotes About Creating Sales Success

A successful person and a great salesperson have something in common—they don’t give up. Here are more of our favorite quotes about creating sales success in your business and in your career.

80. "Losers focus on winners and winners focus on winning."

What do you need to do to win today? Forget about what everyone else is doing. Comparison is the thief of joy in a salesroom. Take a step back and focus on what you can do to turn losses into wins.

🎧 My thoughts on how to stay focused.

81. "Doubt kills more dreams than failure ever will."

Doubt will cripple every sales activity, from making cold calls to believing in your ability to close a deal. Take a deep breath, remember all of the wins you've already bagged and focus on the fact that, yes—you've got this.

🎧 More on how I crush doubt.

82. "Failure is an event, not a person." –Zig Ziglar

Failure doesn't define you, but it's inevitable in the sales room. But how you respond to losing a prospect or getting ghosted on a call will make (or break) you. Your sales career is bigger than any single deal, so you need to disassociate yourself from any deals you've lost and move on.

🎧 Listen to how you can start to think differently about failure.

83. "If you can't fly then run, if you can't run then walk, if you can't walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward." –Martin Luther King Jr.

Whatever happens in the salesroom, get up and try again. There will be days when you need to close more deals, or you feel like progress should be happening faster. And that's okay. What's more important is that, day in and day out, you get up, go back and give it your all.

🎧 Why I love this MLK quote.

84. "Success is nothing more than a few simple disciplines, practiced every day." –Jim Rohn

What do you persistently work on to improve every single day? Write a list and use it to focus on a core range of skills that will transform you into a great salesperson. Whether you're improving your prospecting outreach or working on your closing skills, discipline and practice will lead to success.

🎧 Listen to why I want you to put in the hard work.

85. "To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment." –Ralph Waldo Emerson

The best leaders in the world are uniquely themselves. When I think about Steve Jobs, I'm reminded of his ability to be himself when presenting the latest Apple product to a packed audience. And when I hear the name Elon Musk, I'm immediately reminded of how he stayed true to his passion for SpaceX, despite everyone else's (loud) opinions. This ability to be yourself is a great asset and helps you stay grounded when connecting with prospects.

🎧 Here's how to stay true to yourself.

86. "Winners Anticipate; Losers React." –Tony Robbins

Never step into a negotiation or meeting without thinking about every possible scenario that could go down. Anticipate what will happen next and the challenges you may face. The more prepared you are, the better you'll be able to handle them. Action is better than a reaction.

🎧 More on how anticipation can help prepare for everything.

87. "You must expect great things of yourself before you can do them." –Michael Jordan

The message in this quote is simple: you need to believe in yourself before you can achieve anything. Jump in feet first and grab an item from your to-do list that you've been avoiding. Set yourself a goal to accomplish it in half the original time. You'll be surprised at what you're capable of accomplishing, but first—you have to believe it's possible.

🎧 Listen to why self-belief is a game-changer.

88. "When you want to succeed as bad as you want to breathe, then you'll be successful." –Eric Thomas

Think about a deal in your pipeline you really want or a prospect you would love to call a customer. Capture these feelings and turn them into motivation. It'll become a powerful tool and lead you to success.

🎧 How to turn hunger into success.

89. "Fortune favors the bold."

A lot of sales reps will get lazy. They send out the same generic cold email templates or just run through the motions on a prospecting call. Don't be that person. Always try something new to stand out. Surprise a new customer with a call to say thanks, or go the extra mile with a prospect to show you're invested in their goals. Be bold and get ahead. And if you do not how to write cold emails, no probs! You can try out our cold email generator to get more responses to your outreach emails.

🎧My quick thoughts on this quote.

90. “Become the person who would attract the results you seek.” –Jim Cathcart

This sales quote is based on manifesting your goals. Only when you truly believe you can crush your quota or land that dream prospect can you turn it into reality. Write down 3 goals you want to achieve this quarter, focus on them every day and work towards crushing them.

91. "The quality of your life is determined by the quality of the questions you ask yourself."

Question yourself, your motivations, and your desires. What do you appreciate? What excites you in the salesroom? Ask questions to uncover what you want to achieve to clarify your motivations. Pick five questions to get started—you may be surprised by what you find.

🎧 Listen to why I love this quote.

92. "What you call a marathon, I call a sprint."

The quicker you can get shit done, the more time you'll have to focus on other work. But this sales quote reminds us to reflect on why certain tasks, like turning a lead into a prospect, now happen a lot quicker than in the past. Take time to step back and reflect on how much you've grown as a salesperson and why something that takes 5 minutes used to take two hours. Tell me, what parts of your sales game can you now sprint through?

🎧 My thoughts on reflecting on growth.

93. "Don’t wish for things to be easier, wish for you to be better."

This quote reminds us that you have two choices: to focus on the negatives and complexities of being a salesperson or to challenge yourself to overcome every barrier. Which road will you take?

🎧 Why you should always strive to be better.

94. "I keep having vivid dreams of success. Then it's time to sleep." –Conor McGregor

I love this quote because it focuses on living every win and basking in the success of a closed deal. Every time you sign a contract with a new customer, it's important to recognize it for what it is: a success. These moments will help you reflect down the line when you hit a roadblock or lose faith in your abilities.

🎧 Listen to my thoughts on dreaming big and celebrating every win.

95. "Success is the ability to go from failure to failure without losing your enthusiasm." –Winston Churchill

When Winston Churchill was faced with losing hundreds of thousands of troops on the shores of Dunkirk during WWII, he had one motivation: to get them home safe. This motivation helped him successfully evacuate more than 330,000 of them. The message behind Churchill's quote is simple: if you want something bad enough, keep trying until you figure out a way to get it done.

🎧 More thoughts from me on this.

96. "Consistency is king."

The most successful sales reps don't close deals every hour of the day. But they do put in the work to send out emails and call prospects every single time they step into their office. It's not always about closing. It's about showing up and putting in the work—even when it's tedious—to make connections and fill up your pipeline.

🎧 Why you need to show up and stay consistent to win.

97. "The road of Someday will lead to a town called Nowhere."

Someday is a dangerous word to have in your repertoire because it doesn't give you a clear deadline. It won't motivate you. Use this quote to remind yourself of something that you've said you'll do "someday" and break it down into manageable chunks. If you want to connect with a client "someday", why not today? How can you get there? What do you need to do today to start working towards that goal?

🎧 Here's why I think setting deadlines for goals is important.

98. "Failure will never overtake me if my determination to succeed is strong enough." – Og Mandino

I love this quote because it reinforces what every great salesperson knows: if you get back up, tomorrow is a new day. No deal can break you and if you keep showing up, eventually you'll land a prospect that makes you forget about past failures.

99. "When people give me all these great compliments, I thank them, but still go back to my room and practice." –B.B. King

B.B. King famously taught himself how to play guitar with mail-order instruction books. But even when he made it big, he still stayed humble and practiced his craft. Use this quote to stay grounded and remind yourself there's always room to improve with practice.

🎧 Listen to why you should always work on your skills.

100. "You just can't beat the person who never gives up." –Babe Ruth

Picture this: you get knocked down, your pipeline is empty or you've had a streak of lost deals. What you do next will decide your path forward. As this quote highlights, if you never give up, you can never be beaten. Determination outweighs failure.

🎧 Why I love this motivational quote.

101. "Success is never owned; it is only rented—and the rent is due every day."

What do you get out of this quote? For me, it's simple. Even when you crush it and close a huge deal, when you wake up the next day, it's time to get back to work. Your success will hinge on how well you can maintain it.

🎧 How I think about success.

102. "Saints are sinners who kept on going." –Robert Louis Stevenson

No matter how hard it gets or how much you feel like you're not doing enough, the only thing stopping you from success is yourself. Every salesperson starts at the same place, but the grit to keep going will help you reach your goals.

🎧 Listen to my thoughts on staying motivated.

103. "Stay the course!"

Not every deal is the same. Some will close in a week. Others will require weeks (or months) of grinding and hard work. If you ever feel like quitting or letting a prospect go because you're tired, focus on staying the course and the reward when you close the deal.

🎧 My thoughts on staying the course, especially when times get tough.

104. "The dream is free, but the hustle is sold separately!"

Sit down and think about one of your dreams that you've been sitting on. What do you have to do to turn it into reality? What moves can you make today to get started? It can only happen with hustle and determination.

🎧 More about why I love this quote here.

105. "Good things come to those who hustle hard."

A great reminder that every win doesn't come easy. Behind it, there's the hustle, where you've worked to improve your sales pitches, improve your outreach efforts, and connect with customers. But there's always room to improve. So ask yourself, what's next on your hustle list?

🎧 Why I think hustling and perspective are connected.

106. "Inches make champions." –Vince Lombardi

Are you operating at 100%? Is it possible to crank it up to 101%?

Put in the smallest bit of extra effort to get maximum results. If you normally send 5 cold emails on a Monday, send 6. If you reach out to 20 cold prospects on LinkedIn in a day, hustle to connect with 22. Do the extra work to turn into a champion.

🎧 Listen to how small changes can pay off big.

107. "Success breeds success!"

Your confidence to close deals will increase with the more prospects you convert. Think about the sales reps around you. Are they winning? How can you help them be more successful? Surround yourself with success, and it'll eventually rub off.

🎧 My thoughts on surrounding yourself with successful people.

108. "The best revenge is massive success." –Frank Sinatra

Competitors can creep into your mind and make you doubt whether you have what it takes to make it. The best revenge is to get back at them, regardless of whether you sell your product or grow your business from scratch. Focus on what you have to do to turn your energy into success.

🎧 Here's what I think about turning other people's negative behavior into success.

109. "The universe will always test your resolve."

Sales isn't easy. Some days will suck, and others will be a success. But once you accept that the (sales) universe will always test you, it's up to you to push back and fight. Even when you get rejected, chewed up, and spat out—keep pushing.

🎧 Listen to why testing your resolve is a good thing.

110. "The most valuable lessons in your life will most likely come from the most obvious places (in hindsight)."

Not every sales lesson will come from a mentor or colleague. Some of the best lessons are from obvious sources, like your intuition, hindsight, and even your prospects. Open your mind up to learning lessons from obvious places, and you'll be a better-rounded salesperson as a result.

🎧 My thoughts on the power of learning lessons.

110. "It isn't the mountains ahead to climb that wear you out; it's the pebble in your shoe." –Muhammad Ali.

I love this quote because it reminds us that problems can stay with us for a long time if we don't sort them out immediately. Whether it's a leaky sales funnel or a stale prospecting pitch, a problem that's left will fester and cause problems down the line. This quote teaches us to fix problems early before they do too much damage.

🎧 Listen to more of my thoughts on this quote.

111. "Motion creates emotion." –Tony Robbins

Think about the moment when you woke up this morning. What was the hardest part about getting your day started? Yep—getting out of bed. But once you're up, the day is yours. This is also true for picking up the phone or sending that first email of the day. The first action will set off a chain of emotions that will drive you to keep going.

🎧 Why I love this quote.

112. "If it's going to be, it's up to me."

Everybody makes mistakes. But when was the last time you took responsibility? Turn mistakes into an opportunity. Learn from what went wrong and use it to improve your next call, email or meeting.

🎧 My thoughts on owning up to mistakes.

113. "Practice makes perfect."

Your first sales call won't be great. Hell, it may not even be good. But the more you practice cold calls and pitches, the more comfortable you'll be. Use this time to teach your brain muscle memory about what sales tactics work, and what you should cut. The more time and effort you put in, the bigger the reward.

🎧 Listen to what I have to say about practicing every day.

114. “Always do your best. What you plant now, will harvest later.” –Og Mandino

Prospecting and outreach don't always result in closing a deal right then and there. You can make a connection today, and not hear from the person for a year. But if you put in the work to nurture that prospect and earn their trust, eventually, it'll be time to reap the reward.

115. "Kill your goals. Create habits instead."

Only some activities are measurable. Goals help you create timelines for success, but in between those quarterly quotas, what are you aiming for? Focus on creating habits that will set you up for success. Incorporate small changes to your daily routine that will automatically help you reach your goals.

🎧 Here's what I think about creating habits.

116. "Fear is your road sign to growth and success."

I want you to take a look at your to-do list. Is there something on there you've been avoiding, because you're scared to fail? The only way to get over this fear and grow is to tackle it head-on.

🎧 My thoughts on the importance of tackling fear.

117. "We're not just human doings, we're human beings."

You are more than a sales robot to close deals. And that's a good thing. Lean into your human side. Connect with prospects and learn about their story, instead of sticking to a sales script about features and price points.

🎧 Listen to what I have to say about this quote

118. "The difference between fear and excitement is the way you THINK about it."

I want you to think about that nervous energy you get right before you pick up the phone to make a big prospecting call. Now, bottle it up and think about all the good shit that can come from the call if you crush it. See what we just did? We turned that fear into excitement, just with a simple change in our mindset.

🎧 Here's why controlling our mindset can pay off.

119. "I hated every minute of training, but I thought to myself, 'Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.'" –Muhammad Ali

The more you train, the more you learn. But it's not always easy, and it's definitely not always fun. However, we practice and train for a reason—to be better at what we do. If we suffer a little bit now to learn something we didn't know, it'll pay off down the line.

🎧 Listen to why I think this quote is so powerful.

120. "I'm gonna turn my mentors into my peers."

Who do you look up to and who would you love to emulate? Use this quote as a goal to stop looking at mentors as distant figures but as someone you can work alongside. Pick just one person you would love to collaborate with and make it your mission to do just that. Email them, call them, or message them on LinkedIn. Start turning your heroes into your peers today.

🎧 My thoughts on this quote.

121. "Practice like you've never won, play like you've never lost!"

Pick one part of your sales game that needs work, like closing or pitching. Now, get hungry. Forget everything you know about it and start again as if you were a beginner. But this time, winning is the only option. This small mindset shift will help you look at your weakness from a different perspective and turn it into a strength.

🎧 Listen to the rest of my thoughts here.

122. "Choose your hard."

Take a look at your calendar or to-do list. Is there something on there that you've been putting off because it's too hard? I want you to pick a single item. Rip the band-aid off and just get it done. The weight that will lift off your shoulders once you do so will surprise you.

🎧 Why choosing your hard is a great decision.

123. "We're not here to take part, we're here to take over." –Conor McGregor

BOOM! Connor McGregor comin' in hot. Did you really expect anything less from one of the world's best-known fighters? Use this quote to motivate your sales team to greater heights. You didn't hire them to befriend customers and make the occasional sale. You hired them to pour rocket fuel on your company's sales strategy. Help light the fuse with McGregor's words.

🎧 Hear more of my thoughts on lighting up your sales team

124. "The sun has not caught me in bed in fifty years." –Thomas Jefferson

Sales isn't for the faint of heart. If you want to succeed, you have to put in the work. Are you a morning person? Start your day before the sun. Night owl? Burn the midnight oil. When you work doesn't matter. Getting more work done than the competition does.

🎧 Listen to how I put this sales quote into practice.

125. "The opposite of courage used to be cowardice, today the opposite of courage is conformity." –Rickson Gracie

We all do certain things in life, not because they're the best things for us, but because we're scared of what others might say if we did something different. This is no way to live. It's no way to sell either. Remind your reps to be authentic. They'll make more sales when they are.

🎧 Here’s what I think about courage and conformity.

126. "Permission is for suckers."

If you're waiting for prospects to come to you, you're doing it wrong. Don't waste time asking for permission. Grab your sales career by the horns and make it happen. In other words, pick up the phone, send that email, book that appointment—just don't be a sucker.

🎧 See why permission is for suckers.

127. "Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time." –Thomas Edison

Some people say Thomas Edison failed 1,000 times before he invented the lightbulb. Others say it was closer to 2,000 times. And then there's this guy, who claims the actual number is 2,774 times, which is oddly specific. Either way, Mr. Edison was intimately familiar with failure. Guess what? Nobody cares. Why? Because he's the dude who invented the freakin' lightbulb, that's why! If you want to succeed in sales, keep going. Don't give up. You'll get there.

🎧 Hear more about why I never give up.

128. "A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new." –Albert Einstein

Are your sales reps scared to implement new sales techniques? Are they comfortable doing the same old, same old—even if it only produces mediocre results? Sounds like they need a dose of Einstein ASAP. Encourage your sales team to try new things and make mistakes. It's the only way to grow. Just make sure they don't make the same mistakes over and over.

🎧 Listen to my thoughts on making mistakes.

129. "Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever." –Mahatma Gandhi

Gandhi had a vision for the future of his country—and he sold that vision to millions of people, helping to reduce poverty, expand women's rights, and create religious harmony. So, while "Mahatma Gandhi" isn't the first name you think of when you think "sales expert," we can still learn a thing or two from him. Use this quote to encourage your reps to work their hardest each day, while sharpening their skill sets for future sales encounters.

🎧 See more about my thoughts on this great sales quote.

130. "Everything we want is on the other side of fear." –George Addair

What are you scared of in your sales career? Making cold calls? Giving product demos? Implementing new sales techniques? Whatever it is, force yourself to do it today. Then do it again tomorrow. Pretty soon, you won't be afraid anymore, and you'll make more sales as a result.

🎧 Hear what I have to say about overcoming fears.

131. "People don't decide their future—they decide their habits and their habits decide their future." –F.M. Alexander

Here's the truth: the best sellers in the world didn't sit down one day and decide to become great at their craft. They decided to study top sales reps, implement new strategies, and continue improving their skills. In other words, they decided to develop winning habits, and those winning habits allowed them to achieve their ideal visions of the future.

🎧 See what else I have to say about creating habits.

132. "Winning isn't everything but wanting to win is." –Vince Lombardi

Michael Jordan is widely considered the greatest basketball player of all time. The GOAT, if you will. Did you know that he didn't win his first NBA championship until his seventh season in the league? He tried and failed for years until he finally accomplished that goal. Your sales reps won't win every deal. But like Jordan, they should want to win them all. This is one of the things that separates mediocre reps from great reps. Remind your team of this fact.

🎧 Why wanting to win is so important.

133. "Do you want to live your life saying, I wish I would have—or remember when I…!?"

It's really easy to not do things. You don't want to make that sales call? Skip it. You're too tired to email that proposal? Push it off until tomorrow. Here's the problem: we usually end up regretting the things we don't do. You don't want to look back on your career and think, "Man, I wish I would have…" do you? So buckle down and get it done. You owe it to your future self.

🎧 Hear my thoughts on getting shit done.

134. "Well done is better than well said." –Benjamin Franklin

Talk is cheap, my friend. You can say you're going to cold call 50 people a day. Or send 100 cold emails. Or finally invest in quality CRM software for your sales team. None of it matters until you actually get off your ass and do something. Stop talking, start doing.

🎧 Hear my thoughts on doing instead of saying.

135. "97% of the people who quit too soon... Are employed by the 3% that never gave up."

I want you to stop and think for a moment. What are you scared of? What aspects of your sales career inconvenience you? Which part of your daily grind is flat-out hard? Have you thought about quitting these things? Here's my advice: don't. Keep going. It will be worth it in the end when you achieve your goals—whatever those goals happen to be.

🎧 My thoughts and advice on never giving up.

136. "Dream impossible dreams! And when those dreams become reality make the next ones more impossible."

I don't know where this quote came from. Probably a Disney movie or something. It has that vibe, you know? Regardless, it's a great quote. Share it with your sales team to inspire them to greatness. Nobody ever did anything awesome in life (or sales!) by playing it safe.

🎧 Hear what else I have to say about impossible dreams.

137. "Success always leaves clues."

It's time to unleash your inner Sherlock Holmes. Study your idols and try to figure out how they've achieved the success they've achieved. Then flip it around and study yourself. What steps led you to where you are today? Now, combine your findings. Take what you've learned from others, as well as what you know has worked for you in the past, and use the information to devise a new, better way forward.

🎧 More thoughts on the clues of success.

138. "Winning starts with beginning." –Robert H. Schuller

Remind your sales team that they'll never win if they don't begin. Do they want to make a sale today? They're going to have to find a lead to contact, pick up the phone to make a call, and/or send a personalized email. It's the only way. Encourage your reps to get started now.

🎧 Why I always encourage people to just get started.

139. "Success happens at the exact moment you don't feel like it."

Let me be honest with you—success is less about talent and more about desire. The people who achieve it aren't necessarily the best. They're the people who wanted it most. The people who didn't feel like doing things, then did them anyway, because they knew it would benefit them. So, what do you not feel like doing right now? Go do it anyway.

🎧 How to do what you don’t feel like doing.

140. "You may be delayed but you won't be denied."

News alert: things don't always go to plan. You might not get the promotion you think you deserve. You might not close a high-profile deal like you really wanted to. It's tough when you feel like you've put in the work, but aren't enjoying any of the benefits. Don't stop what you're doing. Keep pushing forward. Success may be just around the corner.

🎧 Hear what else I think about pushing through delays.

Inspirational Sales Quotes to Create a Positive Attitude

Whether you’re setting goals, making cold calls, or prepping for negotiations, these inspirational sales quotes will reframe your mind and get you ready to close more deals.

141. "Quality performance starts with a positive attitude." –Jeffrey Gitomer

Want to crush your next cold call? Hoping to nail another proposal? Ready to deliver the best product demo of your entire life? It all starts with a bit of positive thinking. Make sure your team has the right attitude when they step on the sales floor. It will make all the difference.

142. "Be miserable. Or motivate yourself. Whatever has to be done, it's always your choice." –Wayne Dyer

You have a choice. Your sales reps have a choice. We all have a choice. We can decide, right here and now, to motivate ourselves today and work towards our goals. Or we can decide to give in to laziness. Just know that the latter option almost always leads to misery.

🎧 Hear what I think about self-motivation.

143. "Pressure is a privilege." –Billie Jean King

You've heard of Billie Jean King, right? She's one of the greatest tennis players ever, winning 39 major titles over the course of her career. According to her, pressure isn't something to be feared, but cherished. Why? Because it means the work you're doing matters. If it didn't, the pressure wouldn't exist. Remember this the next time you feel stressed in your sales career.

🎧 Hear why pressure should be valued.

144. "Fortunately or unfortunately you take yourself with you wherever you go."

Too many of us try to blame other people for our problems. We lose a sale and we think, "Man, if the script I'd been told to use was better, I would have closed that deal." We miss quota and we tell our spouses, "If marketing was better at their job, I'd make more sales." The thing is, most of the problems we encounter in life are our own fault. Once we realize and own this fact, we can work on improving ourselves so that we can achieve more.

🎧 Hear more about improving yourself.

145. "Every blessing ignored becomes a curse." –Paulo Coelho

The Alchemist, by award-winning author, Paulo Coelho, is an all-timer. The quote above is one of the best lines in the book because it reminds us to count our blessings. Most of us have it pretty good—whether we realize it or not. Once you accept this fact, your mood will improve. And when your mood improves, higher sales numbers are likely to follow.

🎧 Get more of my thoughts on this quote.

146. "A man is but the product of his thoughts: what he thinks, he becomes." – Mahatma Gandhi

The attitude of your sales reps is everything. If it's positive, they'll make more sales. If it's negative… Well, sales will probably be hard to come by. Remind your team that they are what they think. If they want to succeed in this biz, they have to visualize themselves succeeding.

🎧 Learn more about how thoughts influence your life.

147. "Better sore than sorry."

It's 5 pm, it's been a long day, and you're dead tired. What are you going to do? Here's my advice: work a little bit longer. Push a little bit harder. The added effort will propel your sales career forward. Trust me, when you look back, you'll be glad you made the sacrifice.

🎧 Why pushing forward makes a difference.

148. "There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self." –Ernest Hemingway

While it may not always seem like it, sales is a team sport. This is important for your reps to understand. Dissuade them from becoming overly competitive with each other. Instead, encourage them to be ruthlessly competitive with their former selves. Who they are today should be superior to who they were yesterday. When this happens, sales come easy.

🎧 My thoughts on competition with yourself.

149. "Work harder on yourself than you do on your job." –Jim Rohn

What can you do today to level up your skills? Maybe you buy in a killer sales course. Or practice a new sales technique. Or ask your manager for a list of ways to improve. An investment in yourself is never a waste. Always strive to be better.

🎧 Build yourself better.

150. "Ask yourself—what gives me energy?"

I'm going to give you a little homework: think about the things in your career that light you up—the tasks you can't get enough of. Now I want you to brainstorm ways to do more of those things. Do you feel pumped after a successful cold call? Make more of them. Are you over the moon when a prospect emails you back? Send more messages. The positive energy you create via these actions will help propel you forward in your sales career.

🎧 More thoughts on how energy relates to your career.

151. "Most of the shadows of this life are caused by standing in one's own sunshine." –Ralph Waldo Emerson

Are you living life in the shadows? Don't do that to yourself! Most of us have a mountain of things to be grateful for. Unfortunately, we don't always take the time to appreciate them. Let's change that today. Realize how blessed you are and let that fuel your entire work day.

🎧 Hear my thoughts on getting out of your own way.

152. "You are the truth from foot to brow. Now, what else would you like to know?" –Rumi

Woah, that's a weird one, right? We don't use words like "brow" anymore, but that doesn't take away from the truth of this quote. You can make that sale. Your sales team can hit its targets. And your company can achieve its goals. You just need to believe it.

🎧 Get my insights into how you can be your own truth.

153. "Your hands are tied in action, but your hands are not tied in imagination — and everything springs forth from the imagination. Everything."

Here's a wild idea: gather up your team at 9 am tomorrow morning. Then ask each of your reps to close their eyes and imagine themselves having the perfect sales day. They might roll their eyes and laugh out loud. But if they actually do what you ask them to, they'll probably have a killer day. Why? Because success starts in the mind.

🎧 Learn what this sales quote means to me.

154. "Don’t try to be a man of success, try to be a man of value." –Albert Einstein

You want to be successful, right? The easiest way to achieve this goal is to create value for others. Once you do that, success will follow. I guarantee it.

🎧 More ideas on creating value.

155. "The most important promises you make are the promises you make to yourself."

We're taught to never break our promises. Unfortunately, we do it all the time—maybe not to other people, but to ourselves. Remember when you promised yourself that you'd exercise more? Or lose weight? Or stop binge-watching Stranger Things? Then life happened… It's time to recommit, my friend. Think of a work-related promise today and keep it.

🎧 My thoughts on committing to yourself.

156. "Change your thoughts and you change your world." –Norman Vincent Peale

What are you thinking about right now? Is it a positive thought or a negative thought? As humans, we spend way too much time thinking about what's wrong. It's a serious mood killer. Challenge your sales team to think positively, in all aspects of life. Doing so will certainly improve their sales numbers. It will also make them more pleasant to be around. Win!

🎧 My advice on changing your thoughts.

157. "Nothing diminishes anxiety faster than action." –Walter Anderson

Think about your sales career: what's been stressing you out? If you're new to sales, maybe it's the cold calls you have to make. If you've been in the game a while, maybe it's asking your boss for a raise. The best way to banish anxiety is to take action. Stop thinking about what you have to do (and everything that could go wrong) and start working.

🎧 How to set aside anxiety and take action.

158. "Done is better than perfect."

Raise your hand if there's a perfectionist on your sales team. These folks do great work, but it often takes them forever to get projects done. Encourage your reps to complete jobs—even if they aren't the highest quality. A slightly awkward cold call is better than no cold call. A sent proposal is better than the amazing, but half-finished one that's still on their computer.

🎧 Hear more about fighting perfectionism in sales.

159. "Often when you think you're at the end of something, you're at the beginning of something else." –Fred Rogers

If Mister Rogers said it, it's bonafide truth. End of story. Use this quote to encourage your sales reps when they get down. Did they just lose a sale? They can take what they've learned from the experience and land another client. Did they miss quota? They can commit to implementing a new sales technique next month to improve their sales numbers.

🎧 My thoughts on this sales quote.

160. "Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is a gift of God, which is why we call it the present." –Bill Keane

Admit it, the first time you heard this quote, you were sitting in a theater full of small children watching Kung Fu Panda. I'm not judging. That movie was dope. But can Bill Keane's words be applied to your sales career? Absolutely! Remind yourself that today is a gift. This way of thinking will help you truly appreciate your situation, work harder, and achieve more.

🎧 Hear what else I have to say about gratitude and sales.

161. "Life will pay any price you ask of it." –Tony Robbins

Are you asking enough out of life? Have you set crazy goals, and, more importantly, do you expect to achieve them? Don't sell yourself short. Aim for the moon. Then work your ass off to get there.

🎧 How to ask for more from life.

162. "I am who I am today because of the choices I made yesterday." –Eleanor Roosevelt

You make a million different choices every day: what to wear, what to eat, how to respond to rude prospects, etc. Have you ever stopped to think about how those decisions will affect your future? You should. What you do today matters. Make choices with that truth in mind.

🎧 My advice on making choices.

163. "Your past doesn't equal your future."

Remember that sale you blew last quarter? Maybe you used the wrong sales technique. Or came on too strong and scared the prospect away. Guess what, it doesn't matter anymore. Your past doesn't equal your future. Don't let yesterday's mistakes drag you down.

🎧 Why looking to the future is better than looking to the past.

164. "Worry is a misuse of the imagination." –Dan Zadra

Your worries are holding you back. Kick them to the curb. Here's how: think about the things that are stressing you out; then ask yourself, "If what I'm worried about comes true, what's the worst thing that will happen?" The answer probably isn't as bad as you think.

🎧 How I combat worries in sales.

165. "You should either pray or worry—don't do both." –50 Cent

Take action to alleviate your worries. If you're religious, pray. If not, work towards your goals in a different way. Whatever you do, push forward. Doing so will eliminate stress.

🎧 My thoughts on working towards your goals.

166. "Today is a blank slate loaded with nothing but potential."

Remind your reps that they hold their futures in their hands. Today is bursting with possibilities. If they seize the opportunity in front of them, they'll achieve success.

🎧 Hear more about starting fresh from today.

167. "From nothing, to something, to everything." –Conor McGregor

Perspective is helpful in sales. Ask your reps to think back to when they first started selling for your company. Now ask them to look into the future, to where they want to be in two years or five years. By performing this exercise on a daily basis, reps will understand how much they've already achieved, which will help them strive for greater successes down the road.

🎧 My thoughts on gaining a better overall perspective.

168. "Formal education will make you a living; self-education will make you a fortune." –Jim Rohn

College is fine and dandy. But if you stop learning when you graduate, you'll only go so far in your career. Read sales blogs like this one on a regular basis. Buy books from industry experts. Invest in courses to sharpen your skills. Do what you have to do to acquire knowledge. Why? Because knowledge is the foundation of success.

🎧 Hear what else I have to say about formal vs. self-education.

169. "Set higher standards for your own performance than anyone else around you, and your only competition will be with yourself." –Rick Pitino

Who are you competing with? The only correct answer is, "Myself." Focus on being better than you were yesterday. If you hold yourself to a high standard, you're more likely to win.

🎧 My advice on competing with yourself.

170. "Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life." –Steve Jobs

Are you living someone else's life? Be honest with yourself. Most of us waste time doing what we think other people want us to do, rather than doing what we really want, deep down. What does this have to do with sales? When you become your authentic self, your sales will grow.

🎧 Hear what else I think about being true to yourself.

171. "I'm not a product of my circumstances. I am a product of my decisions." – Stephen Covey

Repeat after me, I am not a victim. You are where you are in life because of the choices you've made. That's it. This is good news—it means that you have no limits. Decide where you want to go, then make strategic decisions to get there. No one can stop you.

🎧 Why decisions produce who we are.

172. "Focus on progress, not perfection."

Perfection is a myth. Chasing it is a fool's errand. Instead, focus on getting stuff done. Just make sure that the stuff you do today is a little bit better than the stuff you did yesterday. That way you can look back in a year and think, "Wow, I've really come a long way!"

🎧 More thoughts on making progress.

173. "We punish ourselves so we can punish our opponents." –Tido Ortiz

Hard work pays off. Remind your sales team that if they put everything they have into preparing themselves for the next sale, they'll close a lot more deals.

🎧 Listen to my advice on punishing yourself the right way.

174. "You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream." –C. S. Lewis

It doesn't matter how old you are. You can always set new goals, dream new dreams, and work to achieve awesome, crazy things. Don't let your age hold you back. Is there something you want in your sales career? Go pursue it with everything you've got in you.

🎧 What I think about setting goals.

175. "We first make our habits, and then our habits make us." –John Dryden

Want to accomplish a big, audacious goal? Focus on establishing good habits for yourself. Once you establish a routine for success, you're much more likely to achieve it.

🎧 Hear what else I have to say about habits.

176. "Bravery is the solution to regret." –Robin Sharma

You don't want to look back on your life one day and think, "Man, if I would have just gone for it, I could have accomplished so much more…" Do you? Of course not! You don't want to have any regrets, which means you need to be brave. Have the courage to make that cold call, ask for that raise, start that business—whatever it is you really want to do.

177. "We could be playing cards right now and I'd want to kick your ass. Not win, but kick your ass. There's a difference." –Tiger Woods.

Stop trying to win in sales and start trying to destroy the competition. Approach every day with intensity. You'll be able to push yourself farther and accomplish more in your career.

🎧 How to build a kick-ass mindset.

178. "Silence forces a man to confront himself."

There's a lot of noise out there: Email, LinkedIn, YouTube, Netflix. There's nothing wrong with these things—unless you're using them as distractions. Turn them all off for a few minutes a day, sit in silence, and take stock of what's going on in your head. Are you good? Do you have demons you need to confront? Are negative thoughts bringing you down? Take care of it.

🎧 Why I love using silence to be more self-aware.

179. “Your self-worth determines your net worth."

Most sales reps are ambitious. They got into this game to make money—piles and piles of money. Unfortunately, they'll never make the bag if they don't value themselves first. So, encourage your sales team today. Help them develop a positive attitude about themselves. Doing so will allow them to sell better, achieve more, and propel your company forward.

🎧 Why I believe self-worth is so important in sales.

180. "At the end of the day, you gotta feel some way. So why not feel unbeatable? Why not feel untouchable?" –Conor McGregor

I love this quote because it reminds us to take control of our emotions. You don't have to feel a certain way. You can decide to feel anything you want. So, decide, right now, that you're a winner and that nobody can beat you. Then put in the hard work to make it a reality.

🎧 My thoughts on taking control of your feelings.

181. "What you do today can improve all your tomorrows." –Ralph Marston

Remind your sales team that the moves they make today have the power to improve their tomorrow, and the tomorrow after, and the tomorrow after that. It doesn't matter if they're prospecting or implementing a new sales strategy, their actions have consequences. They just need to make sure that the actions they take have the positive impact they're hoping for.

🎧 Hear my advice on seizing the day.

182. "You can learn more in 5 minutes of self-study than in 5 years of studying the world."

You've probably spent a ton of time studying top sellers. When was the last time you studied yourself? Try it today. Record your sales calls, remember your interactions with colleagues, etc. Then, before you go to sleep tonight, reflect. What could you have done better? If you do this, you'll be able to identify your greatest weaknesses and fix them.

🎧 Why I love self-study.

183. "Discipline weighs ounces while regret weighs tonnes." –Jim Rohn

Use this quote to encourage self-discipline throughout your sales team. Yes, it can be annoying, but disciplined people achieve more and regret less. At the end of the day, the small discomforts caused by discipline are much preferable to the heavy weight of regret.

🎧 My thoughts on avoiding regret through discipline.

184. "It is not uncommon for people to spend their whole life waiting to start living." –Eckhart Tolle

Stop thinking, "Once I accomplish ABC, I'll start doing XYZ." If you keep pushing things off into the future, you'll never get to do them. Make a commitment today to start living. Your life will improve. Your sales career will improve. Everything will improve.

🎧 Why pushing things off can ruin your career.

185. "Either you run the day or the day runs you." –Jim Rohn

A career in sales is a wild ride. If you're not careful, you'll spend so much time rescheduling canceled appointments, putting out client fires, etc. that you'll never have time for more meaningful work. No bueno. Fight against this by taking a look at your calendar and structuring your day in a way that will be most beneficial to you.

🎧 Learn how I like to run my day.

186. "If you see it inside of your head, eventually you will see it in front of your eyes."

Take 30 seconds to visualize your future. Then ask your sales team to do the same. While this may seem a little woo-woo to some people, the exercise can help produce extraordinary results. Why? Because you'll never get where you want to go if you don't know what you're trying to achieve. Visualization can help with this. Give it a try.

🎧 Why I love visualization.

187. "No man is free who is not master of himself." –Epictetus

What do you want other people to do for you? Maybe you're cold calling prospects and you want them to be open-minded about your offer. Or willing to spend more money on your products or services. Try displaying these qualities first. Be open-minded with the people in your life. Try investing a little of your own hard-earned cash into your career.

🎧 My thoughts on being a master of yourself.

188. "Adversity introduces a man to himself." –Albert Einstein

Adversity isn't the enemy. It can help us push harder and achieve more. It can also teach us about who we really are, which will show us the areas in our life in which we need to improve. Remember this the next time you (or your sales reps) have a tough day.

🎧 How I use adversity to improve.

189. "You don't even really enjoy rest unless you truly deserve it." –Joe Rogan

Did you leave the office yesterday, just because it was 5 pm? Are you planning your next vacation, just because you always travel this time of year? Stop this nonsense and promise yourself that you'll only rest when you truly deserve it. This mindset will inspire you to work harder. After all, if you don't, you'll never get to kick back and relax like you want to.

🎧 Why I believe you should deserve your rest.

190. "The mind is everything. What you think, you become." –Buddha

If you're a sales manager, you spend a lot of time coaching your sales reps on cold call techniques, sales enablement strategy, etc. How often do you coach them on mindset? Probably not as much as you should, right? Let's change that today. Remind your reps that their thought life can have a huge effect on their sales careers. Each needs to have confidence and a positive attitude if he or she wants to become a successful person.

🎧 How I believe the Buddha’s words apply to sales.

191. "You are now, and you do become, what you think about." –Earl Nightingale

Earl Nightingale, "The Dean" as he was affectionately known, had it right. If you think you're a loser, you're going to become a loser. If you think you're an amazing salesperson who's going to crush it every day, you're going to become an amazing salesperson who crushes it. Pay attention to how you think so that you can subconsciously influence the person you turn into.

🎧 Why thinking leads to being.

192. "The unexamined life is not worth living." –Socrates

I want you to slow down for a minute and examine your life. Where did you come from? Where are you going? Do you actually want to be going in this direction? By regularly reflecting on these things, you can make sure your life goes the way you want it to.

🎧 My thoughts on examining your own life.

193. "When you feel like quitting: think about why you started."

Bad sales day? Maybe you blew a call with a top prospect. Or lost an important and lucrative account. Or haven't been able to find quality leads to contact—even though you've been working on it for hours. You may feel like quitting. Before you do, remember why you got into sales in the first place. Your why will keep you going when things get tough.

🎧 My thoughts on how salespeople can use this sales quote.

194. "The more you learn, the more you earn." –Warren Buffett

If anyone knows about earning more, it's Warren Buffet. The dude is worth $100 Billion. According to him, high net worth is directly related to one's willingness to learn. So read blogs, buy books, invest in online courses—do whatever you can to acquire knowledge. Your bank account depends on it.

🎧 Why learning more equals earning more.

195. "Wisdom is not a product of schooling but of the lifelong attempt to acquire it." –Albert Einstein

Did you go to one of those fancy prep schools? Did you graduate from Harvard? No? It doesn't matter. Your formal education is largely irrelevant, especially in sales and entrepreneurship. What really matters is working hard and gleaning wisdom along the way. Then, apply said wisdom to your life and career in order to accomplish your goals.

🎧 My thoughts on how to use this quote in sales.

196. "You can learn more from an hour of silence than a year of reading books." –Matthew Kelly

Books are great. I love books and think most people should read more of them. But they aren't the end all, be all of knowledge. Take time today to be silent. You'll probably learn a lot about yourself. You may come up with new ideas that benefit you.

🎧 Why I love to use silence.

Sales Quotes to Improve Your People Skills

Knowing how to successfully interact with a prospect is a key skill for sales reps, and something that involves empathy and good communication skills. See some great quotes to improve your people skills and get past a bad conversation.

197. “Start working with your prospects as if they’ve already hired you.” –Jill Konrath

Think about the attitude of the prospect. What do they want from sales reps like you? Probably honest information, friendly advice, and to use you as a sounding board. In other words, they want your support. Give it to them before they buy anything from you and your chances of making a sale will skyrocket.

198. "The great arises out of small things that are honored and cared for." –Eckhart Tolle

Being able to "sell snow to an Eskimo" doesn't automatically mean you'll win at sales. There are a ton of small things you need to do on a consistent basis, too, like updating your CRM software and sending follow-up messages to prospects. Do these things and you'll achieve success in your career. Neglect them and you probably won't. Your choice.

🎧 My thoughts on honoring the small things.

199. “Always do right. This will gratify some people and astonish the rest.” –Mark Twain

Can you do me a favor? Be a good person and do the right thing. For example, when talking with prospects, be honest about your product's capabilities. Don't lie and overpromise. Just tell the truth and act with integrity. Everyone you meet will appreciate it. Guaranteed.

200. "Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves." –Carl Jung

Who pisses you off? Is it your boss? One of your sales reps? Maybe it's a difficult customer. Whoever it is, ask yourself, "Why does this person irritate me so much?" Your answer will tell you a lot about you. This information can then be used to improve yourself.

🎧 How I use irritation to learn about myself.

201. "Care about what other people think and you will always be their prisoner." –Lao Tzu

Do you care what other people think of you? For most of us, the answer is "yes." Unfortunately, caring what other people think often holds us back—especially in sales. If you think the prospect you're about to call doesn't want to hear from you, you might hang up the phone. If you think the company you've been negotiating with is worried your prices are too high, you might undercut yourself and offer a steep discount. Stop caring what other people think. This mindset will hold you prisoner for your whole career if you let it.

🎧 How I stopped caring about what people think.

202. “I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” –Maya Angelou

If you want to make sales, you have to tap into prospect emotions. Why? Because they won't remember exactly what you said about the product you're trying to sell. Or every little detail during the demonstration you gave. They will remember that sense of relief, though, when you talked about product benefits that address their pain points. So, talk more about that.

203. “The man who will use his skill and constructive imagination to see how much he can give for a dollar, instead of how little he can give for a dollar, is bound to succeed.” –Henry Ford

So much of sales is about mindset. You have to be confident, want to win, and never give up. You also need to adopt an attitude of giving. If you help other people get what they want, you're bound to succeed. Keep that in mind during your next sales call.

204. "Get over yourself: It’s not about how (bad) you feel, it’s about how you act despite your feelings."

If you always wait for the "perfect time" to do things, you'll never get anything done. The truth is, most of us would rather sit on the couch and watch TV than make sales calls. But guess what, TV time never made anybody any money. So get over yourself and stop making decisions based on how you feel. Show up every day and put in the work.

🎧 My thoughts on getting over yourself.

205. "Look for what connects you with other human beings rather than for what separates you from them."

Before you make that first sales call or send that first email today, think about the things that connect you to the person you're about to reach out to. What do you have in common with them? There's magic in connection. Use it to close more deals.

🎧 Why I believe connection creates deals.

206. "Know yourself so well that you don't need to explain yourself to others." –John LaValle

You are more than the country you were born into and the job you currently have. Dig deep and figure out who you are, at the core of your being. Identify your motivations. Pinpoint your top strength and greatest weakness. Uncover the secret sauce that makes you you. When you know who you are, you'll live life with a quiet confidence that will help you in your career.

🎧 How knowing who you are helps you in sales.

207. "The number of people who stand ready to consume one's time, to no purpose, is almost countless." –Booker T. Washington

Your time is the most valuable asset you have. Don't waste it! Think hard about how you spend your time and who you spend it with. That way you can eliminate the things that don't add to your life, help you achieve your goals, or make you feel joy.

🎧 My thoughts on guarding your time.

208. “All things being equal, people will do business with, and refer business to, those people they know, like, and trust.” –Bob Burg

Every salesperson knows it: if your prospects know, like, and trust you, you'll make more sales. The question is, how do you achieve know, like, and trust with potential customers? It's pretty simple: stay in touch, be yourself, and keep your promises. Remind your sales reps to do these things every morning and your company's sales numbers will likely improve.

209. "Listen, smile, agree, and then do whatever the fuck you were gonna do anyway." –Robert Downey Jr

Well, if Iron Man said it… Here's the deal: people are going to impose their ideas, agendas, and limitations on you. Maybe consciously, maybe unconsciously. Either way, it's going to happen. You need to stay the course and do what you know is the right thing for you.

🎧 My thoughts on staying on course.

210. "It's harder to be kind than clever."

As sales professionals, we spend a lot of time trying to be clever. We think about the perfect sales strategies, wonder how to optimize our email templates, and worry that our demonstrations aren't quite up to snuff. What if you put all of that stuff to the side for a moment and just tried to be kind to your prospects? You might be surprised by the results you achieve.

🎧 Hear what else I have to say about being kind.

211. "Being powerful is like being a lady. If you have to tell people you are, you aren't." –Margaret Thatcher

What do you want to communicate to the world? Become the living embodiment of these things. Don't tell people you're confident, be confident. Don't tell people you're trustworthy, be trustworthy. Don't tell people you're powerful, be powerful. Nobody cares what you say; they care what you do. So start doing the things that will manifest the traits you want to have.

🎧 My thoughts on this sales quote.

212. "Charisma might open doors, but character will keep you in the building."

Everybody wants to be more charismatic, but charisma will only get you so far in life. Remind your sales team that their character is more important than their ability to charm prospects.

🎧 My thoughts on character over charisma.

213. "Don’t let small minds convince you that your dreams are too big."

Take stock of your goals. Have you changed any of them because someone said they were too big? These people might mean well, but you should ignore their advice. Never edit your dreams because of small minds. Their limitations don't affect your success.

🎧 Why I don’t let others limit my success.

214. "You learn more from getting your butt kicked than from getting it kissed." –Tom Hanks

If you're a sales manager, you should spend more time kicking your reps' butts than kissing them. That doesn't mean you need to be a jerk. But it does mean that you should tell them the hard truths so that they can improve, and never let them settle for mediocrity.

🎧 Why I believe in this quote.

215. "When you have a problem, if you tell the truth, the problem becomes part of your past. If you lie, it becomes part of your future." –Coach Rick Pitino

Prioritize honesty in your sales career. Don't tell prospects that your products can do things they can't. Don't promise your customers things that you can't deliver. Doing these things may help you make a sale today, but they'll cause you serious problems down the road.

🎧 How I feel about honesty in sales.

216. "Appreciation is the currency you pay the universe with."

Think about your sales career and all of the things you have to be thankful for. Your colleagues and customers, the CRM tool you use on a daily basis—all of it. Take a moment to really appreciate these people and things. Gratitude is a great way to start the day.

🎧 My thoughts on gratitude.

217. "Yes and No are equally good answers. It’s the Maybe that crushes startups."

To find success you need to be decisive. Don't hem and haw over every decision. Give each one a clear yes or no and move on with your life. Then encourage your prospects to do the same. Don't let them sit on the fence for weeks. Ask them for a clear answer.

🎧 Hear what else I think about a Maybe.

218. "When you see a person without a smile, give him one of yours." –Zig Ziglar

Smile and dial, baby. Smile and dial. Your positivity will translate into more sales, just like your negativity will translate into lost opportunities. So do what you can to smile more today, and, if applicable, encourage your reps to do the same. You'll all be glad you did.

🎧 What I think about smiles in sales.

219. "We tend to judge others by their behavior, and ourselves by our intentions."

What if you assumed that everyone around you had good intentions? Maybe your boss is screaming at you. Well, he's obviously just passionate about sales. Maybe a prospect skipped your appointment without telling you. Well, she probably had an exciting opportunity come up—good for her! What's the point of this exercise? When you assume other people act with good intent, it will change the way you behave and allow you to live with more positivity.

🎧 How to assume better intent.

220. "Do small things with great love."

Encourage your sales team to do everything—even the small, boring tasks they have to complete on a regular basis—with love, passion, and dedication. Achieving excellence in the seemingly minuscule things will help them achieve excellence in the bigger things, too.

🎧 Where I believe love fits in sales.

221. "There are no traffic jams along the extra mile." –Roger Staubach

You know what's great about hard work? Most people don't want to do it. Those who are willing to go the extra mile will jump way ahead of the competition. Use this quote to motivate your sales reps. The extra effort they put in today will benefit them in the future.

🎧 Why going the extra mile works.

222. “Sometimes the most influential thing we can do is listen.” – Bob Burg

Bob Burg, the co-author of the "Go-Giver" book series, is pretty well-known in sales and marketing circles. After reading this quote, you can probably guess why. Dude has a lot of wisdom to share. This gem is specifically potent for salespeople. Want to win your prospect's trust and influence them to buy your stuff? Listen to their needs. It's that simple.

223. "Self-control is more indispensable than gunpowder." - Henry Morton Stanley

"Dr. Livingstone, I presume?" Yeah, Henry Morton Stanley was the guy who said that. He also said, "Self-control is more indispensable than gunpowder," so when it comes to awesome quotes, the man is on point. And when it comes to sales, you need self-control. Prospects are going to irritate you. Deals will fall through. The way you respond matters.

🎧 How to cultivate self-control in sales.

Motivational Sales Quotes for When You’re Setting Up a Sales Strategy

Setting up a sales strategy involves researching the analytics behind your current process, understanding where you can make adjustments, creating or updating sales enablement resources, and more.

If this all seems a bit daunting, here are some motivational sales quotes to help you get in the right frame of mind to set up a winning sales strategy.

224. “Sales is an outcome, not a goal. It’s a function of doing numerous things right, starting from the moment you target a potential prospect until you finalize the deal.” –Jill Konrath

Are you trying to "make more sales" every day? Maybe you need to rethink things. Focus on doing the little things right—qualifying prospects, optimizing your cold call scripts, following up in a consistent and timely manner—and more sales will naturally follow.

225. "Motivation alone is not enough. If you have an idiot and you motivate him, now you have a motivated idiot." –Jim Rohn

It's pretty simple: don't be a motivated idiot. Make sure you're always educating yourself, honing your craft, and improving your skill sets. Then make sure your reps do the same.

🎧 Hear my thoughts on this sales quote.

226. "Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe." –Abraham Lincoln

I'm not sure if Mr. Lincoln ever tried to sell anything, but based on this quote, he would have been good at it. Sales is about preparation. Those who have the highest close rates are the ones who study and qualify their prospects before they call them on the phone. This allows them to spend more time on good-fit leads and ensure the conversations they have are productive.

🎧 Listen to why I believe in sharpening the axe.

227. "You cannot change your destination overnight, but you can change your direction overnight." –Jim Rohn

Ask your reps, "What can you do today to change the direction of your career?" They're not going to become world-busting sellers overnight. But they can start taking steps towards that goal today if they put the work in right now. They may just need a bit of motivation.

🎧 Why changing your direction works.

228. “The scalable, profitable strategy is to change the game, not to become the most average.” –Seth Godin

Depending on your industry, it may take years to become a proficient seller. And when you do, you'll be just as good as, well, everyone else. Why not change the game and accelerate things for yourself? Try new sales strategies. Target different niches. Stand out from the crowd so that you can achieve more success in less time.

229. "I don't have dreams, I have goals." –Harvey Specter

Most dreams are far off, impossible things. Because of this, it's easy to think about them, but never take action. Today, break your biggest, most outrageous dreams down into to-do items. Then turn each to-do item into a goal. See if that helps you make progress in life.

🎧 My ideas on creating goals.

230. "If you can't, you must."

Don't let fear control your career. There will always be things you feel you can't do. Try to do them anyway. Most of the time, these are the things that separate successful people from their less successful counterparts.

🎧 Why doing what you can’t is vital.

231. "Business is simple; people make it complicated."

A career in sales got you down? Maybe you're overcomplicating things. Go back to basics and streamline your workflows. A dose of simplicity might be exactly what you need.

🎧 Why I believe in simplicity.

232. “We cannot change what we are not aware of, and once we are aware, we cannot help but change.” –Sheryl Sandberg

If you really want to succeed in sales, you need to work on you. Take time for self-reflection. Ask your manager for tips to improve. Study the best sellers to learn their tricks. These things will make you aware of your shortcomings. Once you realize them, you can fix them.

233. "If you don't take care of your customers, your competitors will!"

Does your team spend all its time finding new customers? Don't neglect the people who have already bought from you in the past. If you don't prioritize their experience with your brand, they'll find another company who will. Remind your sales reps to give current customers the same level of attention that they give the prospects they want to close—maybe more.

🎧 My thoughts on caring for your customers.

234. "Change before you have to." - Jack Welch

Think about your big, overarching goals. Are you doing anything today that you'll have to change in the future to achieve them? If so, make the change as soon as possible. The longer you wait, the harder the change will be.

🎧 Hear my advice on making changes early.

235. "If you keep on doing what you've always done, you'll keep on getting what you've always got." — W. L. Bateman

Are you exactly where you want to be in life? Since you're reading these motivational sales quotes, I'm going to guess the answer is no. That means you need to make a change. You'll never achieve more if you keep doing the same things you've always done.

🎧 My thoughts on doing things differently.

236. "You need to focus on moving forward rather than endlessly preparing to begin."

Get started. Take the next step. Move your life and career forward. Preparation is important, but if it becomes something that delays your progress, cut it out.

🎧 How I keep moving forward.

237. "It is more important to know where you are going than to get there quickly. Do not mistake activity for achievement." –Isocrates

We all want to get "there" faster. But you need to actually know where "there" is first. If you don't you'll never achieve your goals. So take a moment and ask yourself, "What do I really want to accomplish?" Then take daily action towards that goal.

🎧 What I think about knowing where you’re going.

238. "Rules are for the obedience of fools and the guidance of wise men." –Harry Day

Rules are a good thing. They keep us in line and allow society to function in a positive way. Unfortunately, we often mistake norms for rules. Norms aren't things we have to do, they're things that most people do, simply because that's the way it's always been done. Take a look at your sales strategy and ask yourself, "Am I doing these things because they're what's right for my sales department, or because that's what some "expert" told me to do?"

🎧 Hear what I think about making and breaking rules.

239. "Precision beats power, and timing beats speed." –Conor McGregor

Cool quote, but how does it apply to sales? Don't charge ahead blindly with your sales team. Make strategic decisions on a daily basis that will get you where you want to go. I'm all for hard work and productivity, but you need to work smart at the same time.

🎧 Learn my thoughts on precision and timing.

240. "The world is moving so fast these days that the man who says it can't be done is generally interrupted by someone doing it." –Elbert Hubbard

Every second you spend complaining allows your competition to get ahead of you. Strike "it can't be done" from your vocabulary and figure out solutions to your problems.

🎧 Why I never say it can’t be done.

241. "You miss 100% of the shots you don't take." –Wayne Gretzky

If you fear failure, you'll never experience true success. You have to put yourself out there and take risks—both in sales and in life. Yes, you're going to miss once in a while. But you're going to hit your mark a bunch of times, too. So, encourage your sales reps to take their shot.

🎧 My thoughts on taking the shot.

242. "If you only walk on sunny days, you'll never reach your destination." –Paulo Coelho

I won't lie to you, sometimes sales sucks. There will be days when nothing goes right, prospects yell at you for no apparent reason, and that pounding headache eroding your skull just won't go away. You have to fight through, my friend. If you only put in your best effort when you feel like it, you'll never become a great seller and achieve amazing success.

🎧 My thoughts on walking with your sales team on sunny days.

243. “Expect to make some mistakes when you try new and different approaches.” –Harvey Mackay

Do you manage sales reps? And are some of those sales reps newbies? This is the quote for them! Remind new reps that it's okay to make mistakes, as long as they're trying new things and experimenting with different approaches. Just ask them to refrain from making the same mistakes more than once. That one gets old fast.

244. "Everyone has a plan 'till they get punched in the mouth." –Mike Tyson

You've got plans for your career. Maybe you want to become your company's top sales rep. Maybe you want to gain enough experience to qualify for a management role. Or maybe you want to learn sales now so that you can start your own successful company down the road. It doesn't matter what your goals are, achieving them won't be a cakewalk. You're going to get punched in the mouth. Expect it. Better yet, know what you're going to do after it happens.

🎧 Hear more of my thoughts about this legendary quote.

245. "Making the call is making progress." –Rework

As a sales rep, you need to make sales calls to close deals. As a professional, you need to make decisions to advance your career. This quote applies to both scenarios. Make the call so that you can make progress towards your goals, whatever they happen to be.

🎧 Taking action is making progress.

246. "A good plan violently executed now is better than a perfect plan executed next week." –George S. Patton

First, put together a killer plan. Second, execute said plan with every fiber of your being. Do that and you'll always be successful. Make sense? Cool, go do it!

🎧 Listen to my thoughts on executing your plan.

247. "It doesn't matter where you start. Only that you begin." –Robin Sharma

Where you start doesn't matter. I'll take it a step further: when you start doesn't matter. Just start. You can figure out the details later. But if you never get your show on the road, you'll never achieve your dreams. Put away the excuses and start today.

🎧 Hear what I think about beginning.

248. "Most people overestimate what they can do in one year and underestimate what they can do in ten years." –Bill Gates

You probably won't become your company's top seller in the next 12 months. But who knows? A decade from now, you might own your own business and be living the high life. Use this quote to remind yourself to play the long game. Consistent baby steps are powerful.

🎧 Why your estimates are probably wrong.

249. "Don't just work IN your business, work ON your business."

Prospecting, sales calls, and CRM upkeep are important things. But if that's all you do every day, you won't get anywhere meaningful. Make time to work on your business, or if you're not a business owner, your sales career. What does this look like? Strategizing for the future, investing in self-education, and purchasing tools to improve productivity are a few ideas.

🎧 How sales pros can work on their business.

250. "The great tragedy of science - the slaying of a beautiful hypothesis by an ugly fact." —Thomas Huxley

If you're in sales, you deal with facts. Unfortunately, the facts aren't always beautiful, but that's okay. Learn to use them to your advantage and achieve real results. At the end of the day, what could be doesn't matter nearly as much as what is. Learn to love the facts.

🎧 Why I deal in facts.

Conclusion: Keep Yourself and Your Sales Team Motivated!

When you’re working at the same job day in and day out, it’s normal to get into a rut.

When you feel like quitting: think about why you started (and turn back to your favorite sales motivation quote for inspiration).

Need more help to keep your team motivated and on track? Get our free Sales Enablement Kit to set them up for success: