We've all heard the phrase, "As goes the manager, so goes the team." But in sales, this isn’t just a catchy saying—it’s an algorithm.
When I analyzed data from 500,000 sales managers and their direct reports, I uncovered a stark reality: sales managers with non-supportive beliefs about sales were 355% more likely to pass those same limiting beliefs down to their teams.
And that matters. Beliefs fuel mindset, and mindset drives action.
The good news? Managers who held supportive, positive beliefs about sales and selling activities were 1,000% more likely to transfer that mindset to their teams. That’s the kind of impact that transforms careers, businesses, and bottom lines.
So, why do beliefs about sales matter so much? Let’s talk about it.
Transform your audience's approach to sales.
Carole teaches audiences that attitudes toward an action affect our ability to perform that action — meaning if we want to perform better in sales, we must move towards more positive attitudes toward sales.
And it starts with putting buyers first.
Ready to transform your sales team’s outcomes? Book your next Keynote event today!
WHY SALES GETS A BAD RAP
If you ask the average person what they think about sales, you’ll probably hear words like:
- Pushy
- Sleazy
- Manipulative
And honestly, I get it.
Even my own mother gives me a skeptical look when I tell her, "Mom, I talk to salespeople every day—on purpose."
Growing up, I hated the idea of sales. When my college advisor suggested I consider a sales role after graduation, I cut him off mid-sentence.
There was no way I was going to interrupt people and pressure them into buying things they didn’t want.
And I wasn’t alone in that belief.
- Daniel Pink’s book, To Sell Is Human, found that seven out of ten people see sales as pushy, slimy, and sleazy.
- A 2016 HubSpot survey ranked sales as the third least-trusted profession.
- A separate study found that even salespeople don’t trust other salespeople.
That’s a problem.
Because here’s the truth: Sales is not about pushing people. Sales is about helping people.
At its core, sales is about:
- Understanding people’s needs
- Providing solutions
- Helping them make informed, confident decisions
And whether we like it or not, we are all in sales.
We sell our ideas. We sell our skills. We sell solutions to problems every single day—whether it’s in a formal sales role or just convincing a friend to try a new restaurant.
But our perception of what sales should look like is shaped by our beliefs. And unfortunately, those beliefs can hold us back.
Watch the YouTube video for more insights
WHERE SALESPEOPLE GO WRONG
A few years ago, I was coaching students at Harvard Business School in a program where they role-played as buyers and sellers.
At first, their conversations were natural—human.
But the moment they "stepped into" their sales roles, they transformed.
Suddenly, they weren’t talking like people anymore. They were talking like caricatures of what they thought salespeople should be:
- Over-rehearsed
- Talking too fast
- Pitching too soon
- Offering discounts before even asking a question
And when I asked them how they thought they did?
"I think I did pretty well," they said.
Their partners agreed.
So, I pushed back: If you could do anything differently, what would it be?
- "Maybe I’d talk a little slower."
- "Isn’t a salesperson supposed to control the conversation and make the pitch?"
- "Wouldn’t asking too many questions make me seem like I don’t know what I’m talking about?"
These are Harvard students.
Future executives.
And they already held deep-seated, limiting beliefs about sales.
If this is happening at the highest levels of business education, imagine what’s happening across sales teams worldwide.
BREAKING FREE FROM LIMITING BELIEFS
I had to learn this lesson the hard way.
When I started my business in the middle of the 2007 recession, I had zero sales skills.
I was broke, desperate, and needed clients fast.
So, I did what most struggling salespeople do:
- Read all the books
- Attended all the trainings
- Studied every methodology—SPIN Selling, Solution Selling, Sandler, Referral Selling
But no matter how much I learned, I still wasn’t making the kind of progress I needed.
Why?
Because I was trying to "fix" my sales techniques without fixing my beliefs about sales.
I was trying to act like a salesperson instead of believing that sales was about helping people.
The moment I shifted my mindset, everything changed.
I stopped thinking about sales as persuasion and started treating it as collaboration.
I stopped pitching and started asking questions.
I stopped focusing on what I wanted and started focusing on what my buyers needed.
And that’s when my business started to grow.
SO, WHAT NOW?
If you're leading a sales team (or just trying to improve your own results), ask yourself:
- What are the beliefs about sales that are shaping my approach?
- Are they supportive beliefs that empower me to sell with confidence?
- Or are they limiting beliefs that make sales feel forced and unnatural?
Because if you’re a leader, your beliefs aren’t just yours—they’re contagious.
Your team will adopt them. Your organization will reflect them.
And when your beliefs support success, your results will prove it.
So, before you change your script, your pitch, or your prospecting strategy…
Check your beliefs.
Because that’s where real sales transformation begins.
What do you think?
Have you ever struggled with limiting beliefs about sales? Drop a comment—I’d love to hear your thoughts.
