Jim Thompson and I keep landing on the same line. Someone asked if discovery is a stage.
No. It is the whole thing.
Own your shit. Say we screwed up. Then fix it.
Is discovery a stage in your shop, or is it the job?
I'll see you when I see you.
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George LeithproIdentity
54d agoWho pressure-tests *your* pipeline when you are the executive *and* the AE?
Building AdCellerant International put me back on new logos. Chairman / President on paper. AE in practice. Same jersey. Different sport.
The trap is filling both shoes in one head. You review your own deals as the leader and as the IC who needs them to close. Fog either way — too hard, too soft, or both in the same review.
What I am practicing:
- Someone else runs my pipeline review. I show up as the rep.
- Score the week on lead measures (conversations booked, buyer-owned next steps, multi-thread maps, warm follow-ups) — not only lag.
- Fire the executive in my head during my own review.
If you have stepped back into IC / founder-led / player-coach work: who does *your* outside review? What lead measures do you actually manage week to week?
Full piece landing on Evolved Pros / georgeleith.com this week. Drop your operating system in the thread — what works, what broke, what you would tell a peer starting the shift.
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Most reps think strategy is about having the perfect pitch deck. Wrong. Real strategy is knowing when to walk away from a deal that's never going to close. I've watched top performers kill more opportunities than they pursue - that's what separates the pros from the order-takers.
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This is getting good
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Most reps think foundation means knowing your product features and company history. Wrong. Real foundation is understanding your buyer's world better than they do - their constraints, their boss's priorities, the politics they navigate daily. You can't sell what you don't understand.
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Your prospects don't buy from sales reps. They buy from trusted advisors, industry experts, and problem solvers. If you introduce yourself as "just another sales guy," you've already lost before the conversation starts. Stop selling your product and start selling your expertise.
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George LeithproAccountability
154d agoHalfway through Q2 and most operators are lying to themselves about their numbers. You're either on track, behind, or ahead — and if you don't know which one without checking a dashboard, you're already behind. The professionals who hit their targets don't hope their way to the finish line. They course-correct in real time because they track what moves the business forward, not what makes them feel busy.
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George LeithproStrategy
54d agoWalk-away rules are a superpower.
Written when you’re calm. Used when a buyer wants ten percent off “today.” Floor margin, fit gates, process gates, time limits on unpaid discovery — so you stop inventing standards under pressure and stop training buyers to negotiate your conviction.
The goal isn’t winning every deal. It’s winning the right ones at terms you can deliver with pride.
What’s on your one-page walk-away sheet — or are you still writing it in the heat?
https://platform.evolvedpros.com/media/strategy/walk-away-criteria-before-the-discount
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