Napoleon wasn’t short, George Washington never had wooden teeth, bats can see, and Columbus didn’t “discover” America. Just because something is repeated, documented, or widely accepted doesn’t make it true. Similarly, outdated sales training and ineffective leadership have tainted the sales profession, fostering global mistrust and widespread resentment. I’m on a mission to expose these issues and help people realize there’s a more effective way to approach sales today.

Blaming salespeople for poor performance is easy, but the problem lies in how they’ve been set up to fail. Salespeople are often held responsible for underperformance when, in reality, the system around them is broken. How can they excel when onboarding is rushed, sales processes are nonexistent, role-playing is rare, training is stuck in the past, leadership is lacking, and expectations are detached from reality? The real issue? Companies are still force-feeding salespeople with one-size-fits-all sales techniques and tactics that are no longer relevant. Some of the sales methodologies still being taught today were created before we landed on the moon!

This book aims to bridge the gap between sales managers and their salespeople, and it provides a fresh perspective on how sales managers and salespeople think, act, and interact. My goal is to provide actionable advice, and practical insights for both groups, empowering them to collaborate more effectively in today’s fast-changing sales landscape—leaving behind the outdated practices of the past.

Steve Heroux is the founder of The Sales Collective, and he's committed to paving the way toward a future where individualized development and innovative thinking redefine success in the sales profession.