Authenticity Wins: Why Relationships, Not Deals, Drive Sales Success

Every seller wants the big win. But chasing deals doesn’t equal deals. Investing in relationships does. Deals happen as a result of relationships, and relationships happen because of authenticity.

Relationships > Deals. Always.

I’ve learned this over decades in the arena: Your sphere is every single person you touch—colleagues, partners, customers, leadership.

If you’re not intentionally investing in those relationships, you’re gambling with your future.

The Step-by-Step Playbook to Build Your Sphere (Today)

1️⃣ Map Your Sphere

Start by listing every relationship you need in order to hit your goals—internal and external. From executives to influencers, from partners to colleagues, map your sales food chain.

2️⃣ Control the Controllables

There are only 3 things in your complete control:

Quality of your messaging – Craft it so it resonates with their priorities, not your pitch.

Quantity of outreach – Go wider than you think; I reach out to 10X the number of people I “need” because I know the odds.

Consistency of execution – You don’t water your garden once and expect it to grow. Daily investment creates momentum.

3️⃣ Add Value Relentlessly

Stop asking “how do I close this deal?” and start asking “how can I serve this person?” Send insights, make introductions, bring resources. Your reputation becomes your calling card.

4️⃣ Invest Internally as Much as Externally

Some of the most important selling you will ever do is inside your own organization—earning internal champions, securing resources, and aligning stakeholders. If your house isn’t in order, you’ll never sustain big wins.

5️⃣ Play the Long Game

The garden analogy is real. One conversation leads to tribal knowledge, which leads to influence, which leads to trust. And trust is the currency that gets deals done.

The biggest wins of my career—from $100M+ deals to impossible turnarounds—were never the result of chasing transactions. They happened because of a web of trust built over time, with colleagues, partners, and customers alike.

Authenticity scales, gimmicks don’t. You can’t fake genuine care. People remember how you showed up for them long after they forget your pitch.

What relationships do you need to invest in today to change the trajectory of your career tomorrow?

Because the deals will follow. They always do.

#Sales #Relationships #Trust #Leadership #Authenticity #Networking #Mindset #SocialSelling #Growth