Back-to-school season isn’t just for kids. Sure, they get the new backpacks and first-day outfits, but have you seen the sales on office—we mean, school—supplies? Stock up on the pens and sticky notes while you can.
But as the school bell rings, it reminds us all of our days with newly sharpened pencils and getting ready to sharpen our skills. So, we think September is a good time to also go Back to Sales.
Despite all of the flashy technology, AI tools and automations we have available, successful selling still comes down to three familiar fundamentals: Reading. Writing. and Arithmetic. Consider this blog your syllabus because we’re going to school you.
Class is in session.
Reading (and listening/watching): You’re Never Done Learning
The best salespeople we know aren’t walking around pretending they have all the answers. Instead, they’re the ones asking the most questions. Think about how much changes in business in any given year. Buyers change. Technology changes. Policies change. Your competition changes. What worked a few years ago might not work today. And what works today probably won’t work forever either.
So keep learning.
Read the book. Save the article. Go to the workshop. Listen to the podcast on your drive. Take the online training course. Ask the question.
Don’t get too comfortable.
The moment you think you don’t need to know any more is usually the moment your numbers start heading in the wrong direction. Stay curious. Keep an open mind and try new techniques to keep your skills sharp; you never know how good it can get until you try.
Writing: AI Is Great…Until It Starts Sounding Like AI
We should probably address the elephant in everyone’s inbox. AI. It’s an incredible tool. We use it. We recommend it. We work with AI; we don’t let AI work for us. If you’re not proofreading, fact-checking, or making the communication sound like YOU, sure, you might be saving a few extra minutes, but you’re also outsourcing your credibility.
Everyone, customers included, can spot when something feels generic and not thought out. Your prospects don’t want to buy from ChatGPT or Claude. They want to buy from you.
And while we’re talking about writing, let’s bring back one “old-school” habit that’s become groundbreaking again: handwritten thank-you notes. When’s the last time you got one? Do newlyweds even send them anymore?
Sometimes the smallest personal touch makes the biggest impression. And picking out stationery and stamps is fun. Just saying.
Arithmetic: The Subject Everyone Tries to Cut
Here’s where most salespeople suddenly want to change subjects. Most salespeople know the big number. They know what they want to sell this quarter or this year. They know their revenue goal.
But ask them the exact number of new clients they need this year, how many touchpoints it takes to get those clients, or how many prospecting conversations they should be having each week…
…and the room gets very quiet. That’s a problem.
Not knowing those numbers is basically driving a car with no dashboard. Sure, you’re moving. But with no idea of the speed limit, how much gas you have left, or if you’re overheating.
At Orange Leaf Consulting, we teach salespeople to work backward and break the numbers down into digestible sections.
Breaking It Into Manageable Numbers
Start with the income goal. Then break it down.
Then determine:
- How many sales do you actually need?
- How many new clients does that require?
- How many meetings does it typically take?
- How many conversations create those meetings?
- How many outbound touches start those conversations?
Suddenly, the route to your destination becomes far less mysterious. Now you have something you can actually work with.
Maybe your goal requires 25 new accounts. That could mean that you need 75 meetings. Those meetings may require 500 two-way touches, which could be as many as 2,000 outbound touches.
Two thousand sounds like a lot when you see it sitting there on the page. But here’s the thing: ignoring them doesn’t make them smaller or go away. It’s like avoiding the bathroom scale because you’re afraid of what it might say. The number exists whether you look at it or not. And remember, this is over the course of a year. So 500 touches in a year, that’s not too bad, right?
That’s why knowing your numbers matters. Once you know what the goal actually requires, you can build a plan around it instead of crossing your fingers and hoping everything works out.
Yes, there’s homework. We told you this was school.
Here are your three assignments:
We’re giving you three back-to-school assignments.
- Read (or listen/watch) something that makes you better at your job.
- Write something that actually sounds like YOU and not your AI assistant.
- Do the math. Know your numbers. Build your funnel. Track your progress.
At the end of the day, getting “back to sales” means getting back to the fundamentals. Keep learning. Communicate like a human, not a robot. And please, know your numbers. Your sales funnel isn’t a scary report card—it’s your roadmap. When you know what it actually takes to reach your goal, you can stop hoping the business will show up and start doing the things that make it happen.
Sales isn’t magic. There’s an art to it, a science to it and, yeah, a little arithmetic too. But the people who consistently hit their goals aren’t waiting around for the right opportunity, the right lead or a lucky break. They know what needs to be done, and they do it. Again and again. So sharpen your skills. Do the math. Put in the reps.
Class dismissed. Now go sell something.
And, as always, Grow Big or Go Home!®