I’ve never been trained in sales.
But last year, I closed over $1,000,000 in sales—in our very first year of business.
Not just with startups, but with some of the biggest institutions in the world. Public companies with over 300,000 employees.
We didn’t raise a single dollar of funding, so hiring salespeople wasn’t an option. And if you’ve ever spent five minutes with me, you’d know I’m the furthest thing from a “typical” salesperson.
But I knew I had to sell remarkably well, or the business would fail.
So, I figured it out. Over the last few weeks, I’ve been looking back at the strategies that worked, and I realized they go beyond selling—they help you influence, persuade, and build professional relationships too.
It all comes down to these 9 things:
With Distill, you get a download of someone in 30 seconds that would normally take 10 mins.
Before every call, I spend 30 minutes doing my homework. Here’s the playbook:
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What’s their goal?
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What’s their business?
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What’s their background?
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How do they define success?
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What’s their professional love language (aka, how do they like to work)?
I use tools like Distill (founded by my awesome friend Russ) to get a full download on them. Why? Because surprises are fun at birthday parties, not in business calls.
I always start with a personal touch instead of diving straight into business.
In a Zoom-first world, everything can feel a little… transactional. That’s why I make it a point to over-index on being human. My go-to is a simple icebreaker like, “Where are you calling in from today?”
From there, I’ll find common ground—whether it’s their hometown, a place they’ve traveled, or a hobby we both enjoy. Sometimes it’s just from light online stalking (but not too much stalking).
This isn’t about small talk for the sake of small talk. It’s about building genuine connection before jumping into business.
One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned working with both Fortune 500 giants and 5-person hyper-growth startups: people make decisions differently.
Some love data, others trust their gut. Some want a loud, visually stunning presentation, while others prefer the simplicity of a spreadsheet. In other words, everyone has a professional love language.
Before a call, I always try to figure out what type of decision-maker I’m dealing with. Here’s my cheat sheet:
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Management consulting background? They’re all about frameworks, data, and ROI. Give them the numbers.
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Partnerships or sales? These folks love a good story and make bets on people they trust. Build the narrative.
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Banking? Think spreadsheets, financial models, and bulletproof assumptions. Bring the receipts.
Example: my friend Tsukie, who is an ex-consultant and current operations lead. He’s very data-driven and rigorous with logical with his decision making.
Once I know their style, I tailor my pitch to match. Because at the end of the day, a great idea is only as good as how well it’s delivered.
Most people picture a salesperson as some Don Draper type—smooth talker, polished, equiped with the perfect elevator pitch.
But here’s the thing: when I sell, I’m talking maybe 20% of the time. The other 80%? I’m listening.
It starts with my favorite question: “What made you interested in talking today?”
From there, I don’t listen to respond—I listen to understand. I dig deeper, asking follow-ups to uncover the real problem until I can clearly articulate their pain point back to them. I’ll literally repeat it to make sure I’m spot-on.
Once I’ve nailed that, I’ll recommend a solution. Sometimes, the solution isn’t my product—and that’s fine. I’m upfront about it because trust always wins in the long run.
Selling isn’t about having the perfect pitch. It’s about understanding someone’s problem better than they do—and showing you genuinely care.
Telling my story, on-stage in Bucharest. Thanks, Matei, for hooking it up!
Once I’ve listened and understood their story, I share mine—but I keep it tight. 2-3 minutes max.
I tell them why I started my business, why I’m obsessed with solving this problem, and how we’ve helped other clients succeed.
The story matters. In a competitive industry—think marketing agencies—your biggest differentiator isn’t your product. It’s your come-up story and why you wake up every morning fired up to do this work.
Sometimes, I’ll tailor the story based on who I’m talking to:
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If they’re new to the U.S., I’ll talk about what it was like to build as an immigrant and the challenges I faced.
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If they’ve spent years in big, bureaucratic corporations, I’ll share my frustrations from working at Google.
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If they’re new to event marketing, I’ll tell them about all the hard lessons I learned in my first year.
They’ve told me their story—now I want them to understand mine.
I always show up to calls with empathy and consideration. That means anticipating every question or concern they might have ahead of time—so when it comes, I’m ready to handle it.
The most common concerns:
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Lack of perceived value → Offer a free trial
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Too expensive → Provide a risk-free guarantee
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Not the right time → Introduce an expiring offer
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Lack of trust → Share case studies and social proof
Prospects aren’t trying to challenge you. They’re just working to fully understand how your product or service can fix their problems.
Anticipate their concerns, show them you care, and make it easy for them to say yes.
Example of an email I sent a prospect after losing them on a sale. My goal: try to be genuinely helpful and provide advice that can move their business forward. Maybe they’ll return in the future!
Here’s where I might get some criticism: I never hard sell.
My goal isn’t to pressure someone into a “yes.” It’s to understand their problem and figure out if we’re actually the right solution. If we are, they’ll get to “yes” on their own.
And if they say “no,” that’s ok too. I’ll still invite them to events, welcome them into our community, and offer to help however I can.
Case in point: one of my biggest clients took three years to close. But during that time, I wasn’t chasing them or trying to force a deal. It was the result of being genuinely helpful, building in public, and consistently showing our value over time.
Short-term thinking might get you a sale. Long-term thinking builds a business.
An example of an email I sent a prospect who wasn’t a fit for us.
Occasionally, I’m the one who says “no” to prospects.
The biggest reasons:
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I don’t see a path to a productive, long-term relationship.
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They don’t have the right budget.
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They didn’t pass the vibe check.
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Our product isn’t right for them.
And here’s the thing—I’ve never regretted it. Every single time, a better opportunity has come along, one I wouldn’t have been able to take if I’d said “yes” to the wrong one.
Don’t be afraid to protect your time, energy, and focus.
The sales tracker I built for me and my team. grab it for free below.
Sales is all about momentum. Slow sales processes is where deals go to die.
If I could only track one metric, it’d be this: # of meetings per week.
Get on the phone. Talk to prospects. Gather feedback. Iterate. Repeat.
When someone shows interest, I follow up immediately. If I don’t hear back within a week, I’ll follow up again. And again. But I’m mindful of social cues—there’s a fine line between being persistent and being a pain.
And if you’re not already using a sales tracker, you absolutely should.
It’s transformative for keeping track of contracts, managing deals, and making sure nobody slips through the cracks. Plus, it helps you maintain the one thing that matters most in sales—momentum.
I built my own in Notion, and it’s the most important tool I use today. Grab it here.
Psst: Since you’re here, you’re eligible for our special Notion community offer.
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Sign up here – choose Andrew Yeung in the partner dropdown and use the code NotionXAY.
If you follow this playbook, a few things start to happen:
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Your nerves disappear—because you’re focused on helping, not selling.
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You take control—because you have a clear plan of action.
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Your success rate will 10X—because your prospects can tell you actually care about their problems.
Take it from me—someone who never studied sales, wasn’t naturally gifted at it, and still made it work.
As a founder and operator, you’re always selling. Selling your company. Selling yourself. Selling to employees. Selling to investors.
Whether you realize it or not, sales isn’t just a job function—it’s a core skill. Master it, and you’ll open doors most people don’t even know exist.
My top picks from the internet this week.
Sharing job opportunities my friends are hiring for. If we know each other, feel free to reach out, and I can connect you directly.
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Sales Manager, Reddit
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Senior Backend Engineer, 1v1Me
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Marketing Manager, OWYN
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Event Coordinator, Framer
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Head of Business Development / Director of Customer Success, Sunset
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Organization Manager, POSH
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Head of Sales, Thera
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SDR, Otis AI
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Founding Growth Product Lead, Superpower
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Software Engineer, Atlas
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Multiple roles, Othership
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Have a job to share? Let me know by replying to this email.
👉 Btw, if you want to be part of our partner talent network, next play, and get curated job opportunities in your inbox, please sign up here.
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Our first “tech” party of 2025.
We threw our 2025 Tech Kickoff party the other day, and over 1,000 people joined us, with a massive line around the block!
I’ve been hearing stories about how just a decade ago, the New York City tech community could all fit in a single room. It’s incredible to see how we’ve 100X’d in size.
My friend Austin joined us at the party too. He’s a software engineer turned comedian who’s blowing up with the Tech Roast Show. He does a killer Zuck impression and his next NYC show is on March 15.
I have a feeling that 2025 is going to be remarkable.
