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What An MBA Didn’t Teach You About Sales

The sales profession is challenging. You need to work hard at it to succeed. You need to learn from the best. You need to improve your skills continuously. If you think you can sell since you are a hit at parties and have a lot of friends, you may soon find that you are a failure as a salesperson. Blunt truth:

because the sales profession is so hard, you have to focus on doing everything in sales very well, or you will be considered a failure.

I call this blog, Skinned Knees because I try to relate all of the learning that I have done over the past 4+ decades (while skinning my knees in the learning process).

I hope that you learn from my mistakes so that your business will grow!

B2B Sales in the Age of AI: Why Top Salespeople Will Thrive While the Repetitive Roles Disappear

The buzz surrounding artificial intelligence has left many professionals wondering about the future of their careers. For B2B sales professionals, the rise of AI presents a fundamental question: Will AI replace salespeople?

The short answer is no, but it will replace some of their work. More accurately, AI will redefine the B2B sales landscape by eliminating lower-value activities, consolidating support roles, and enhancing the capabilities of top performers. In doing so, it will widen the gap between average and great salespeople.

Several years ago, I wrote a similar explanation about the fear that “the internet” would replace salespeople. That didn’t happen. You can find that article on the blog that supports my first sales book. Are salespeople necessary in the Internet age?

This blog post explores how B2B sales is positioned relative to AI disruption, referencing key insights from Benjamin Todd’s article, “How Not to Lose Your Job to AI” (80,000 Hours, 2025). Todd’s framework on skill types that increase in value in the age of AI helps us understand how high-functioning sales teams should evolve and how sales professionals can future-proof their careers.

Understanding AI’s True Impact: Augmentation, Not Replacement

A common misconception about AI is that it simply replaces humans. This isn’t true. AI devalues tasks it can perform while increasing the importance of the skills it cannot. Todd explains this dynamic through examples like the ATM: while the ATM reduced the need for transactional teller tasks, it actually increased demand for bank branch workers by allowing banks to open more branches. AI follows a similar pattern.

In B2B sales, AI will handle the most automatable tasks, such as data entry, follow-ups, list-building, and basic prospecting emails. However, this doesn’t eliminate the sales role; it sharpens its focus.

Instead of dialing hundreds of prospects daily, sales professionals will focus more on strategic engagement, account planning, and using AI-generated insights to elevate conversations. The result? Sales has become a more thoughtful, human, and strategic discipline for those who can keep up.

Four Categories of Skills That AI Will Make More Valuable

In Todd’s excellent article, he identifies four skill types that increase in value in an AI-enhanced workplace:

  1. Hard-to-automate skills
  2. Deployment-related skills
  3. Scarce, high-utility skills
  4. Skills hard for others to learn or replicate

Each of these aligns tightly with the demands of modern B2B sales.

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Two Tall Guys Talking Sales – Building a Sales Powerhouse—The 3 Most Underrated Skills with Jeff Parris – Episode 143

Sales isn’t about persuasion but service, resilience, and growth. In this episode of Two Tall Guys Talking Sales, co-hosts Kevin Lawson and Sean O’Shaughnessey welcome sales leader and former professional athlete Jeff Parris to explore the fundamental skills that separate elite salespeople from the rest. Drawing on decades of experience, Jeff shares three often-overlooked yet foundational competencies that drive sales success, and they’re not what you’d expect. Whether you’re a VP of Sales building a… Two Tall Guys Talking Sales – Building a Sales Powerhouse—The 3 Most Underrated Skills with Jeff Parris – Episode 143

Two Tall Guys Talking Sales – Elevate Your Sales Game with B2B Sales Lab: A New Resource for Revenue Growth – Episode 141

When sales professionals hit a roadblock, where do they turn? In this episode of Two Tall Guys Talking Sales, Kevin Lawson and Sean O’Shaughnessey unveil an exciting new initiative: B2B Sales Lab, a private peer networking community designed to support salespeople, sales managers, and business owners in their journey toward revenue generation excellence. This isn’t just a conversation; rather, we are offering an invitation to join something powerful. If you’ve ever felt alone in a… Two Tall Guys Talking Sales – Elevate Your Sales Game with B2B Sales Lab: A New Resource for Revenue Growth – Episode 141

Two Tall Guys Talking Sales – John McLeod Explains How to Avoid the AI Trap: Using New Tools Without Losing Your Sales Message – Episode 140

In this episode of Two Tall Guys Talking Sales, hosts Kevin Lawson and Sean O’Shaughnessey are joined by veteran fractional VP of Sales, John McLeod. Together, they dive into a critical topic for today’s sales leaders: embracing artificial intelligence tools without compromising your value proposition, messaging, or sales processes. John brings deep expertise in sales management, business acumen, and revenue generation strategies, offering a measured approach to evaluating sales tech, especially AI solutions, through a… Two Tall Guys Talking Sales – John McLeod Explains How to Avoid the AI Trap: Using New Tools Without Losing Your Sales Message – Episode 140

Two Tall Guys Talking Sales – Mastering Sales Hiring with John Lee – Sales Management Insights for Growth-Focused Teams – Episode 138

In this week’s episode of Two Tall Guys Talking Sales, Kevin Lawson and Sean O’Shaughnessey are joined by the “Elder Statesman” of fractional sales management: John Lee. With nearly four decades of experience and a deep track record of helping companies hire top-performing sales professionals, John shares a masterclass in sales hiring strategy. Whether you’re scaling from a two-person team to ten or trying to avoid costly hiring mistakes, this episode delivers practical, field-tested advice… Two Tall Guys Talking Sales – Mastering Sales Hiring with John Lee – Sales Management Insights for Growth-Focused Teams – Episode 138

Validation Events: The Unsung Hero of Sales Process Discipline

In the complex world of B2B selling, trust is built in stages. The challenge in all sales campaigns is ensuring the prospect trusts they are making the best decision for their business.

  1. Do they trust that the salesperson is giving them all of the information?
  2. Do they trust that the company will support them after the sale?
  3. Do they trust that the product will perform as they expect it to perform?

As I have explained in my book, Eliminate Your Competition, as well as the blog for that book and in this blog, the prospect needs to trust all three elements the salesperson is selling:

  1. They need to trust the product.
  2. They need to trust the company behind the product.
  3. They need to trust the salesperson.

Prospects listen to your sales message, review your materials, and hear your claims, but none of that guarantees belief or trust. Trust is validated when your claims are validated. That’s why validation events are crucial to any rigorous sales process.

In The Qualified Sales Leader, John McMahon stresses the importance of customer-driven validation. He cautions sales leaders against relying on internal optimism or anecdotal “good signals” from prospects. Instead, McMahon emphasizes observable proof—real buyer behavior that confirms alignment, commitment, and value. Validation events are when the customer takes action to validate that what you’ve promised is accurate and valuable.

An excellent sample sale process flow looks like this:

  1. Discover
  2. Scoping
  3. Economic Buyer Meeting
  4. Validation Event
  5. Business Case and Final Proposal
  6. Negotiate and Close

As you can see, the Validation Event is the last step before creating the final business case, which will be bundled with your final proposal.

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Two Tall Guys Talking Sales – Steve Caton Shares When to Sell, When to Coach, and When to Hire: Strategic Sales Management That Drives Growth – Episode 137

In this powerful episode of Two Tall Guys Talking Sales, Kevin Lawson and Sean O’Shaughnessey are joined once again by Steve Caton, CEO of Altezza Solutions, for a thought-provoking conversation that zeroes in on one of the toughest decisions in sales leadership: when to sell, when to coach, and when to hire. Whether you’re a business owner, VP of Sales, or a player-coach juggling a quota and a team, this episode brings clarity to the… Two Tall Guys Talking Sales – Steve Caton Shares When to Sell, When to Coach, and When to Hire: Strategic Sales Management That Drives Growth – Episode 137

Two Tall Guys Talking Sales – Scaling Smarter: Building Sales Teams with Steve Caton – Episode 136

What does it take to scale a sales organization in today’s unpredictable business environment? In this dynamic episode of Two Tall Guys Talking Sales, hosts Sean O’Shaughnessey and Kevin Lawson welcome back Steve Caton, CEO of Altezza Solutions, to unpack the nuances of scaling sales teams, especially through the power of fractional sales professionals. Together, they explore the critical role that sales processes, sales management, and business acumen play in enabling organizations to grow without… Two Tall Guys Talking Sales – Scaling Smarter: Building Sales Teams with Steve Caton – Episode 136

The Three Pillars of Sales Success: Ideal Client Profiles, Effective Messaging, and Aspirational Offers

Let’s start this article with a rhetorical question to the sales professionals, sales managers, or CEOs: Have you ever found yourself guilty of sending messages to prospects without fully considering their specific needs or how your offer aligns with them?

If so, you’re not alone—this is a common pitfall in sales. The good news is, it’s entirely fixable by developing a straightforward, strategic approach.

An effective sales strategy hinges on three core components: defining your ideal client profile (ICP), crafting a resonant message, and presenting a compelling offer. These elements are interconnected. Mastering their alignment will significantly enhance your sales effectiveness.

Ideal Client Profile

Let’s start with the ideal client profile. How well do you know the companies you’re targeting? Identifying your ideal customer is foundational to your entire sales approach. It’s not enough to say that your market is “small businesses” or “tech companies.” Instead, think about your best clients—the ones you genuinely enjoy working with, who value your product, and who generate profitable, sustainable business. Think about companies that rarely devalue your product or service by asking for a discount. What do these clients have in common?

Now that you have your favorite customers from above, reflect on your top five or ten accounts. Are they in the same industry? Do they share similar challenges or company structures? Perhaps they all have common goals that your product consistently solves. Pinpoint these commonalities. This process will help you create a precise and actionable ideal client profile.

But don’t stop at company-level characteristics. Remember, even in B2B sales, you’re ultimately selling to individuals. Identify the specific roles or buyers within these organizations that are responsible for making buying decisions. Who are these decision-makers? What motivates them personally and professionally? Do they all have the same kind of college education? Do they all have similar career paths? Understanding the people behind the logo makes your outreach more personal, targeted, and effective.

What is your message?

Once you’ve developed a clear picture of your ideal client and the people within those companies, the next step is crafting a message that reflects your value-selling message. This message is how you communicate your value proposition—it’s the bridge between your product and your prospect’s needs. Too often, sales messaging falls flat because it focuses heavily on the seller rather than the buyer. Statements that emphasize “we,” “I,” or “our product” rarely resonate deeply. Instead, effective messaging highlights the customer’s perspective, clearly communicating the benefits they will experience.

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Stop Guessing. Start Assessing: The First Step Toward Sales Growth

Are you feeling stuck in your sales organization? You’re not alone. Many founders, CEOs, and sales leaders eventually hit an invisible wall—a growth plateau. Key deals slip away. Your top salesperson, who carries far too much weight, starts to burn out.

In these moments, the instinct is often to push harder. But what’s needed isn’t more hustle. It’s clarity. And clarity starts with a strategic sales assessment.

What a Sales Assessment Means

Too often, leaders see assessments as formalities—checklists that confirm what they already believe. That’s a mistake. An accurate sales assessment is diagnostic. It reveals what’s working, what’s broken, and what’s missing.

Revenue growth doesn’t always mean you’re on the right path. Many companies are growing despite misalignment, not because of strategic execution. Are your sales activities aligned with your market opportunity? Are you pursuing the right prospects with the right message? Or are you just getting lucky?

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