Dave Kurlan’s Understanding the Sales Force Blog
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How Prospects Use EMCOM to Push Away Salespeople
- August 17, 2026
- Posted by: Dave Kurlan
- Categories: Analogies, Baseball and Sales, Understanding the Sales Force
Prospects with real urgency often go radio silent — just like a warship running EMCOM — to keep salespeople from discovering the problem that would actually make them buy. Here’s why that resistance exists and how the best salespeople manage it.
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The Biblical Sales Force Part 8: Qualification
- August 17, 2026
- Posted by: Dave Kurlan
- Categories: Bible and Sales, Sales Process, Understanding the Sales Force
Most sales teams treat qualification as a checkbox. The Canaanite woman in Matthew 15 shows why that approach fails—and what actually separates a Marketing Qualified Lead from a real opportunity.
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Why Salespeople Prescribe Before They Diagnose (And Kill Their Win Rates)
- August 11, 2026
- Posted by: Dave Kurlan
- Categories: Analogies, Baseball and Sales, Understanding the Sales Force
Most salespeople jump straight to the demo. A real consultative approach looks more like a thorough doctor’s exam than a product pitch — and the difference shows up clearly in win rates.
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The Sales Process Scramble
- August 3, 2026
- Posted by: Dave Kurlan
- Categories: Analogies, Baseball and Sales, Understanding the Sales Force
Skipping just one step in the sales process can turn a sure thing into a rubbery mess. Here’s why it happens and how a real process destroys the hope that keeps weak opportunities alive.
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Why Reaching Decision Makers Is the Curve Ball Most Salespeople Can’t Hit
- July 30, 2026
- Posted by: Dave Kurlan
- Categories: Baseball and Sales, Understanding the Sales Force
Most salespeople never get in front of the actual decision maker. The data shows just how big the gap is between the top performers and everyone else—and why this one competency acts like the curve ball that ends most opportunities.
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Book More Meetings by Hunting Like a Hawk
- July 22, 2026
- Posted by: Dave Kurlan
- Categories: Analogies, Sales Pipeline and Forecast, Understanding the Sales Force
Inbound is for the birds. Most salespeople haven’t made a real cold call in years. Here’s why your team needs to start hunting like hawks again — and how to do it.
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There are No Feelings in a Sales Pipeline Review
- July 20, 2026
- Posted by: Dave Kurlan
- Categories: Analogies, Baseball and Sales, Sales Pipeline and Forecast, Understanding the Sales Force
When you’re too close to a deal, emotions cloud everything. Learn why the best sales managers step back for the pavilion view—facts over feelings—and turn pipeline reviews into real coaching opportunities.
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Small Improvements, Big Revenue Gains: Golf Lessons for Sales Success
- July 9, 2026
- Posted by: Dave Kurlan
- Categories: Analogies, Politics and Sales, Understanding the Sales Force
Most salespeople chase big fixes that deliver only incremental gains. What if 10% improvements in three key areas could deliver 33% more revenue? Lessons from the golf course on why discovery and qualification beat polishing presentations every time.
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The Rise of Socialism in Sales: How Equal Outcomes Are Killing Merit and Performance
- July 1, 2026
- Posted by: Dave Kurlan
- Categories: Analogies, Baseball and Sales, Dinger the Dog, Politics and Sales, Understanding the Sales Force
Socialism has quietly crept into sales organizations through equal-outcome compensation plans, weakened accountability, tenure-based promotions, and identity-focused hiring. The result? Lower performance, entitlement, and frustrated top producers. Here’s what’s happening and what smart leaders can do about it.
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What a Sales Turnaround Has in Common with a Baseball Turnaround
- June 30, 2026
- Posted by: Dave Kurlan
- Categories: Baseball and Sales, Understanding the Sales Force
The Boston Red Sox flipped their 2026 season with better coaching and approach. Your sales team can do the same. Learn the two key ingredients that create positive momentum and turn around results.
