Most first-time founders imagine sales as a battlefield. You go out, chase prospects, pitch hard, “close the deal.” If you’re aggressive enough, you win. ‍​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‍

That’s the Hollywood version. In real life? Sales is not about closing. It’s about planting seeds until people are ready. ‍​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‍

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The Gardener’s Mindset‍​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‍

The best salespeople I’ve met aren’t hunters. They’re gardeners. ‍​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‍

• They prepare the soil: research, listening, understanding the real needs.‍​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‍
• They plant seeds: small conversations, value drops, thoughtful follow-ups.‍​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‍
• They water and nurture: staying in touch, checking in, offering help without expecting anything.‍​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‍

Sometimes it takes months before anything grows. But when it does, it feels natural. The customer comes to you already trusting, already convinced. The “close” is effortless. ‍​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‍

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Why Trust Is the Real Currency‍​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‍

Trust compounds like interest. Every genuine interaction builds on the last. Over time, trust becomes the only currency that matters. ‍​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‍

When a prospect trusts you, the transaction is just a formality. ‍​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‍

That’s why hunting — pushing, forcing, chasing — often backfires. Nobody wants to feel hunted. People want to feel understood. ‍​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‍

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A Mentor’s Lesson‍​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‍

One of the best pieces of advice I got early on: ‍​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‍

> “The prospect should sell themself. Your job is to ask the right questions so they come to the conclusion that they need what you’re offering.” ‍​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‍

Think about that. Sales isn’t about pushing your solution. It’s about guiding the other person to discover their own problem — and realizing that you happen to solve it. ‍​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‍

When they reach that conclusion themselves, it’s no longer a sale. It’s their decision. ‍​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‍

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What This Means for Founders‍​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‍

If you’re just starting out, here’s the trap: you’ll want to prove yourself, pitch hard, explain every feature. Don’t. ‍​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‍

Instead: ‍​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‍

• Listen twice as much as you talk.‍​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‍
• Ask open questions. (“What’s frustrating about your current process?”)‍​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‍
• Share small, valuable insights for free.‍​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‍
• Be patient. Nurture the relationship.‍​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‍

Your goal isn’t to “close” someone on the spot. It’s to build enough trust that, when the time is right, they choose you. ‍​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‍

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Final Thought‍​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‍

Sales isn’t hunting. It’s gardening. It’s slow, it requires patience, but it creates growth that lasts. ‍​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‍

And once you’ve lived through a few cycles, you realize: the best deals don’t feel like deals at all. They feel like relationships that were always meant to happen. ‍​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‍

So stop trying to sell. Start planting.‍​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‍