I Have Some Questions...
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Because we believe the best stories aren’t always told—they’re revealed. And when brilliant people are given the right questions and the room to answer them fully, what emerges is insight you can feel, frameworks you can apply, and a deeper understanding of what it truly takes to lead, create, and contribute at a meaningful level.
I Have Some Questions...
159: "Is Your Current Sales Process Working Against You?" (reflections on Daniel Schmidt)
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🧠Erik’s Take
Erik zooms in on something most people intellectually “know” but don’t operationalize: sales is a process—but we resist treating it like one.
What stood out most isn’t just the seven steps—it’s where the leverage actually lives: discovery and qualification. Daniel’s philosophy reframes sales from persuasion to alignment. If you don’t understand the outcome the business cares about, you’re not selling—you’re guessing.
There’s also a deeper layer here: Erik connects this to a broader shift happening right now. The idea of “rare and valuable skills” is breaking down. In a world where knowledge is abundant, judgment, discernment, and conversation become the new scarcity.
🎯 Top Insights from the Interview
- Sales gets easier when you’re “in the current”
If you align to real business outcomes, momentum replaces resistance. - Discovery isn’t a step—it’s the foundation
Without it, everything else becomes friction-heavy and inefficient. - You’re not qualified just because someone is talking to you
Right problem + right person = everything. - Not all industries will feel AI equally (yet)
Physical/logistical industries have a different disruption timeline. - “Rare and valuable” has shifted from technical to human
Discernment, communication, and experience are harder to replicate than skills.
🧩 The Personal Layer
Erik reflects on something subtle but important: even people in sales resist the structure of it.
There’s an identity tied to being the “natural” salesperson—the smooth talker, the closer. But that identity actually gets in the way of scale.
He also highlights a tension that’s showing up everywhere right now:
- The skills that used to differentiate you are becoming accessible
- The skills that now matter are harder to define, harder to teach, and harder to measure
That shift creates uncertainty—but also opportunity.
🧰 From Insight to Action
- Rebuild your sales conversations around outcomes
Ask: What is this company actually trying to achieve? - Audit your discovery process ruthlessly
If you’re skipping depth here, you’re paying for it later. - Qualify the person, not just the problem
Influence without authority = stalled deals. - Shift your development focus
Spend less time acquiring skills, more time improving judgment. - Practice asking better questions
The quality of your discovery determines the quality of your results.
🗣️ Notable Quotes
- “You don’t even know what to sell until you know what problem they’re trying to solve.”
- “If you’re not aligned with corporate outcomes, you’re pushing a boulder uphill.”
- “Sales isn’t about saying the right thing—it’s about doing the right process at scale.”
- “Rare and valuable isn’t what it used to be.”
- “Discernment and conversation are becoming the real differentiators.”
đź”— Links & Resources