Is tech sales broken right now?

The Buzz (TL;DR)

It's the same lame sh*t every year at this time:

• New comp plans that make no sense

• S.M.A.R.T. goals worksheets 

• Uninspiring SKOs

It's simply not enough to help you reach your highest levels of performance—and not the kind of “performance” that gives you a simple status bump (getting to the top of the leaderboard or another President’s Club), but the kind that makes you feel deeply confident and satisfied inside (building leverage that changes your life).

That's why we’re focused on up-leveling to new standards in 2025 and giving you access to a "working unit" (an ecosystem designed to discover, build, and enable your best performance of your tech sales career).

In this ten minute read, I break down our first working session this year, taking place tomorrow, Monday January 13th from 4 - 5pm EST.

Will I see you there?

The Why

Strategic tech sellers get shortchanged.

While we enjoy high earnings potential and relative autonomy, let's face it: we're highly aspirational individuals with far more potential than our current situations allow.

This stems from the fact that 96% of organizations that employ us fail to provide adequate systems for identifying, maintaining, and achieving high performance.

It’s not working, and it’s more than misaligned comp plans, macro conditions, and the rise of AGI.

Left to figure it out alone, you're stuck wondering where best to invest your time, energy, attention, and money. After all, you’re the “CEO” for your family. There’s a lot riding on your performance this year.

At this stage of your career, success isn't defined by individual skills—product mastery, pipeline management, lead generation, relationship building, sales methodology, social selling, using the latest tech, AI prompt engineering, negotiation, mindset, well-being, or financial management. Rather, it's about masterfully integrating all these elements together.

While some of these skills may have helped you land a mega deal, earn President's Club status, or secure a promotion from the Enterprise division to the Strategic Accounts team, you're starting all over again this year at $0 on the board, yet dreaming of something more.

When you're alone with your thoughts, you envision a life beyond just topping the leaderboard or gaining more family and free time—you're seeking to build outsized leverage. You want the power to control your future and truly own your calendar, filled with projects and people that spark your excitement, creativity, and joy.

Other performance domains—like professional athletics, creative arts, and the military—have mastered the approach of using the right support systems to unlock peak performance across all aspects of life.

Yet, the sales world lags behind.

Sales leaders still focus on the same metrics they did when I started in sales in 2006, talking about the need for 3x - 5x pipeline for the next quarter. In contrast, speak with any professional athlete and you'll see how dramatically performance management has evolved over the past two decades.

High-performing individuals and teams in these fields rely on "working units": an integrated ecosystem that combines a coaching staff, proven principles, tailored frameworks, personalized structure, appropriate tools, performance tracking, individual drive, accountability, and neutral support to elevate capabilities.

Why settle for being shortchanged? Better yet, why allow yourself to be shortchanged?

If you're not receiving full support from your employer to elevate your performance across all domains—as a human and a professional, you must take control of your own development. No investment in life will yield a greater return than what you put into your own personal growth.

Here's my rally cry for every member and subscriber: Let's collectively commit to making this the year we finally break free from the "Zone of Comfortable Mediocrity."

This is no easy task, but it is my personal Mission to use my experience going through this grind myself to enable a better Vision for others. It’s not an overnight process or a “one and done” endeavor. And it can’t be achieved alone.

So, I have linked up with former NFL Performance coach, Taylor Johnson (and other experts you’ll meet this year), to serve as your working unit to systematically and programmatically guide you to your highest levels of performance in all arenas you care about — your craft, your creativity, your mindset, your well-being, your personal philosophy, your future planning, and your financial freedom.

Taking this step will lead to the best year of your career. From there, you'll build upon this successful year's foundation to achieve accelerated, asymmetric results that naturally guide you toward your desired future state—fully owning your calendar without financial pressure.

While this journey won't be easy, transformative change is inherently challenging—it's meant to break down the unintentional behaviors that keep us in our comfort zone.

Remember: this “comfort” is merely a psychological defense mechanism, not a platform for breakthrough results. Settling for comfort (distinct from your optimal zone of performance) leads to a harder life in the long run.

When you ask yourself the sobering question, "How many years of high-leverage performance do I really have left?" you may feel a deep unease in your gut.

It's the classic revelation of "what got you here won't get you there." I've found that when I start working with individual contributors like you, every single one of them lacks clear answers to this simple equation.

This year, through The Purposeful Performer learning platform, strategic partnerships, group sessions, and individual coaching, we're illuminating a better path forward so you can step into it confidently and shine bright.

Why let your comfort zone lead you into another challenging year where you just scrape by or sacrifice way more than you want to surpass your number?

Whether you're treading water or wondering what lies beyond another President's Club achievement, I invite you to join this journey with others who are curious about not just doing more, but doing better!

The What

We kick things off this month by getting clear on the year ahead. A critical mistake many individuals make, however, is failing to look back at the previous twelve months with objectivity and precision.

This reflection is crucial for identifying areas that hold you back, keep you stagnant, or could propel you forward with increased focus.

Using a proven framework developed by Taylor, a partner at Liminal Collective—a team of leading experts focused on human performance who work with organizations like Red Bull High Performance, Cirque du Soleil, and the Navy SEALs—we'll engage in a powerful 60-minute workshop, including live coaching, a detailed worksheet for you to complete your annual review and plan ahead, Q&A, and a 1:1 follow-up accountability session with Taylor at the end of the quarter.

You'll gather key insights, build exceptional confidence beyond your peers and competition, and receive a clear roadmap for making this your most successful year yet.

The How

STEP 1: REFLECT

• Identify the peaks and valleys of 2024

• Unearth patterns/themes you can use or discard

• Understand how your TEAM (Time, Energy, Attention, Money) moved you forward, backward, or kept you stuck in place

STEP 2: RESET

• Work backward from an ideal vision you want 12 months from now

• Ask, "What needs to be true for that vision to come to life?"

• Get specific on the necessary progress & performance goals to enable it

STEP 3: REFRAME

• Shift your perspective

• Understand challenge vs threat, assess vs assume, & respond vs react

• Learn how to take action on the right behaviors that move you forward

This live workshop (a $3,500 value) is available to the following members:

• Current Make More Hustle Less Club members

• The Purposeful Performer—Tier 2: Professional members

• The Purposeful Performer—Tier 3: Strategist members

• Diamond Program members

Helpful Resources

About Taylor Johnson:

Taylor’s diverse background spans performance coaching in the NFL, mentoring elite cognitive athletes in esports and gaming, and partnering with CEOs, sales executives, and leadership teams to unlock their potential. As a Partner at The Liminal Collective, Taylor creates bespoke, transformative experiences for high performers in business, sports, military, and the creative arts.

With a passion for optimizing personal and professional lives, Taylor integrates coaching, leadership development, and systems thinking to empower individuals and teams to make a meaningful impact.

Access the registration link and worksheet by becoming a Tier 2+ member below.