Eight Timeless Pearls of Sales Wisdom

Recently, a former sales mentor of mine named John Tuohy passed away. Mr. Tuohy was an award winning field sales representative who seemed to have an endless array of tactics and sales strategies that he used to sell his products.

I was fortunate to have him take a liking to me a, “green pea sales rep” and although he and I worked on two different sales teams, Mr. Tuohy was always willing to share his thoughts with me - not only about sales but also, about life when we would attend our monthly sales meetings in Dallas, Texas.

I lost touch with Mr. Tuohy a few years after he retired, but I have carried the following pearls that he gave me throughout my career:

I. Learn to manage your Finances. Salespeople who manage their money effectively, are able to focus on the needs of their customers better than those who don’t and they aren’t as likely to risk their integrity to make a sale.

II. Learn to manage your Ego. Salespeople who treat the janitor with the same degree of respect that, they give to the CEO, will have a better chance of a long-term career than, those who don’t.

III. Have good manners. High Performance results doesn’t give one a license to behave poorly in social settings. Salespeople who realize that the people who may be watching them, could either one day be their boss, or perhaps a potential client, will have longer and more rewarding careers, than those who don’t.

IV. Never mention the competition by name. Great salespeople know better than to bad mouth their competitors however, they also know that, referring to their competitors with terms such as “Brand X or Those Other Guys” is, much better than mentioning them by, their actual company name.

V. Awards are good but creating a legacy is better. Salespeople who sell with the needs of the client first, are more likely to, have higher repeat business than those who are attempting to win a trip or an award.

VI. Sell with Passion. Salespeople who convey passion in their company, their products and their craft will be more successful than those who don’t. If a Salesperson can’t be passionate - they need to find another profession.

VII. Competing with your fellow associates is secondary to competing with yourself. Successful salespeople realize that their competition is “Brand” X not their teammates.

VIII. Maintain a good work ethic. Good salespeople understand that, working hard doesn’t necessarily guarantee success but not working hard guarantees failure.

John Tuohy was a credit to his family, to his craft, and to many, many others just like me. Though his life on earth, has now ended, his legacy continues. He truly understood that, if we are all going to be in the same boat, we may as well help each other row to the destination – together. My career and more importantly my life, was enriched because of the lessons this great man was willing to share with that “green pea sales rep”. I will be forever grateful to him. May he Rest in Peace.

Good Luck and Great Selling!


Lee Novak is a Partner at Novak Enterprise Consulting and can be reached at LWNOVAK@COMCAST.NET or 832 567 8512