sales motivation
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Mindset Matters: How the Songs in Your Head Shape Your Sales Success
- March 9, 2026
- Posted by: Dave Kurlan
- Category: Understanding the Sales Force
What songs are playing in your head before a big B2B sales call? Discover how song titles shape your sales mindset — plus the exact Spotify playlist I use to get pumped and close more deals.
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The Biblical Sales Force Part 7 – Blessed Are the Prospectors
- February 9, 2026
- Posted by: Dave Kurlan
- Category: Understanding the Sales Force
Does the Bible reward hard work and prospecting? Explore how diligence pays off in sales, with verses from Matthew, Proverbs, Torah, and Quran. Dave Kurlan shares 40+ years of insights.
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What Salespeople Can Learn from Harry Potter
- January 6, 2026
- Posted by: Dave Kurlan
- Category: Understanding the Sales Force
Kick off 2026 with a killer January by mastering the first 10 seconds of every cold call. Inspired by the jaw-dropping magic of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child on Broadway, Dave Kurlan reveals why most salespeople sound boring, stiff, or scripted — and how to deliver a “magical” opener that grabs prospects instantly and books more meetings.
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Why 72% of Sales Reps Miss Quota: The Participation Trophy PTSD in the C-Suite
- December 5, 2025
- Posted by: Dave Kurlan
- Category: Understanding the Sales Force
Why do 72% of sales reps miss quota—and still keep their jobs? Blame the participation trophy mindset creeping into the C-suite, aka Participation Trophy Stifling Determination (PTSD). From Little League fails to sales floor flops, here’s how to crush it with real accountability in 2026.
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Sales Grit: Why Only 20% of Salespeople Have It (And How to Fix the Rest)
- October 12, 2025
- Posted by: Dave Kurlan
- Category: Understanding the Sales Force
Discover how baseball’s evolving stats mirror the need for relentless sales grit. Drawing from real CEO and VP insights, explore why most salespeople fall short on commitment, perseverance, and more—and what it takes to elevate your team.
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8 Movie Scenes to Frame Your Mind for Killer Sales Calls
- August 5, 2025
- Posted by: Dave Kurlan
- Category: Understanding the Sales Force
Discover how clips from classics like CSI, Dumb and Dumber, and Better Call Saul can pump you up, teach active listening, and help close deals—perfect motivation for your next sales call!
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Lessons from Happy Gilmore 2: Why Salespeople Need to Get Serious About Skill-Building
- July 28, 2025
- Posted by: Dave Kurlan
- Category: Understanding the Sales Force
Adam Sandler’s sequel delivers laughs and a sales wake-up call: Like Happy recommitting to golf, why don’t more reps grind on their skills? Explore 10 barriers backed by OMG data on 2.5M assessments, and how training flips the script for growth.
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Is Complacency to Blame for Missed Quotas? A Deep Dive into Sales Performance Challenges
- May 30, 2025
- Posted by: Dave Kurlan
- Category: Understanding the Sales Force
Is Complacency to Blame for Missed Quotas? A Deep Dive into Sales Performance Challenges
Is complacency why 57% of reps miss quota? Data from 2.5 million salespeople shows 64% of the bottom 50% lack the Will to Sell. From poor compensation to lack of motivation and discipline, here’s what’s holding them back—and how to fix it.
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How to Become More Successful One Day at a Time
- April 13, 2021
- Posted by: Dave Kurlan
- Category: Understanding the Sales Force
You can find inspiration anywhere. Even in a book called, A Year of Playing Catch. Tom Schaff was nice enough to send me a copy of this book and there was the inspiration, right there on page 128. Why would someone from the world of sales care about a page out of a baseball book? I’ll give you fourteen really good reasons. You see, the book is much less about baseball and much more about the following fourteen integral competencies of sales success:
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Dave Kurlan’s 10 Surefire New Years Resolutions For All Salespeople
- January 3, 2019
- Posted by: Dave Kurlan
- Category: Understanding the Sales Force
I’ve compiled a list of resolutions that all salespeople should make and follow. Some will likely surprise you but they are all necessary to become more successful. Enjoy the 10 most important elements for New Year’s Resolutions That All Salespeople Must Make. Here we go!