Welcome to a game-changing guide inspired by Matt Uber, founder of Spinwheel Sales, and featured on the DoneMaker Podcast. Matt is a seasoned sales expert with a mission to revolutionize how businesses approach sales strategies by focusing on personalized coaching and virtual assistant training. If you’re looking to elevate your sales career or build a high-performing sales team, this article will equip you with the 3 crucial sales reps tips that can transform your approach and results.
Matt distills the art of sales into three fundamental pillars: pitch, pace, and attitude. These are the core elements every sales professional needs to master to not only win deals but build lasting careers and teams that thrive. Beyond mastering these skills, Matt shares key insights on recruiting the right people, building resilient sales cultures, leveraging virtual assistants, and aligning your purpose with your business to drive sustainable success.
Table of Contents
- Outline
- Introduction: The Sales Journey and Identifying Industry Gaps
- 1. Recruiting the Right Sales Talent: Mental Toughness, Coachability & Self-Awareness
- 2. Mastering the 3 Pillars: Pitch, Pace & Attitude
- 3. Building Sales Teams: Strategies for Startups vs. Established Companies
- 4. The Power of Data and Quality Over Quantity in Sales Prospecting
- 5. Outsourcing and Managing Virtual Assistants for Sales Success
- 6. Aligning Sales with Purpose: Overcoming the Golden Handcuffs
- 7. Sharpening Your Sales Skills and Mental Resilience
- 8. Recommended Resources: Books and Podcasts to Accelerate Growth
- 9. Learning from Great Leaders and Sales Experts
- 10. Recognizing and Avoiding Bad Deals
- Conclusion: Is Sales Right for You? Final Advice from Matt Uber
- FAQ: Sales Reps Tips and Building Sales Teams
Outline
- Introduction: The Sales Journey and Identifying Industry Gaps
- 1. Recruiting the Right Sales Talent: Mental Toughness, Coachability & Self-Awareness
- 2. Mastering the 3 Pillars: Pitch, Pace & Attitude
- 3. Building Sales Teams: Strategies for Startups vs. Established Companies
- 4. The Power of Data and Quality Over Quantity in Sales Prospecting
- 5. Outsourcing and Managing Virtual Assistants for Sales Success
- 6. Aligning Sales with Purpose: Overcoming the Golden Handcuffs
- 7. Sharpening Your Sales Skills and Mental Resilience
- 8. Recommended Resources: Books and Podcasts to Accelerate Growth
- 9. Learning from Great Leaders and Sales Experts
- 10. Recognizing and Avoiding Bad Deals
- Conclusion: Is Sales Right for You? Final Advice from Matt Uber
- FAQ: Common Questions About Sales Careers and Building Teams
Introduction: The Sales Journey and Identifying Industry Gaps
Matt Uber’s journey into sales began unconventionally. School was never his passion; diagnosed with ADD, he excelled only when deeply interested in the subject. Right after high school, he dove into the professional world, initially working collections jobs and earning well above his family’s prior income benchmarks. At 24, Matt transitioned into sales, selling DIRECTV at Sam’s Club and Best Buy. This experience, though humbling, laid the foundation for everything he built later.
From learning how to functionally sell in a 100% commission environment, to leading multiple offices and scaling teams, Matt’s career evolved around one core principle: developing people from the ground up, starting with those with little to no sales experience. His commitment to growth from within organizations has driven remarkable results.
Through his years of experience, Matt identified a critical gap in the sales industry: the lack of personalized sales coaching and effective training for virtual assistants. This gap inspired him to create Spinwheel Sales, a company focused on closing that divide and empowering businesses and sales professionals alike.
1. Recruiting the Right Sales Talent: Mental Toughness, Coachability & Self-Awareness
One of the first, and arguably most important, steps to building a successful sales team is recruitment. Matt stresses that the interview process should be transparent and intentionally challenging to weed out candidates who won’t thrive in sales.
He looks for three primary qualities in candidates:
- Mental Toughness: Sales involves constant rejection, especially in cold calling and appointment setting. Candidates must have resilience and the ability to quickly move on from setbacks.
- Coachability: While many claim to be coachable, Matt emphasizes the importance of distinguishing those who truly embrace feedback and adapt.
- Self-Awareness: Knowing your strengths and weaknesses is crucial. Without this, even the most coachable person won’t know what to work on or how others perceive them.
Matt also prioritizes candidates motivated by growth and purpose rather than just money. He believes that when your motivation extends beyond the paycheck, success naturally follows.
2. Mastering the 3 Pillars: Pitch, Pace & Attitude
Matt simplifies sales coaching into three pillars that determine success on any given day or week:
- Pitch: The words you say and how you say them. While scripting can be taught, delivery with confidence, passion, and enthusiasm makes all the difference.
- Pace: The work ethic and effort you put into your sales activities. Some have it naturally; others need coaching to find their motivation.
- Attitude: The most important factor. A positive, resilient attitude can turn around a day, while negativity drags performance down.
Matt’s coaching focuses on keeping salespeople aligned with these three elements. He notes that attitude is the biggest variable impacting results, echoing the saying, “It’s not what you say, it’s how you say it.”
3. Building Sales Teams: Strategies for Startups vs. Established Companies
Building a sales team differs depending on your company’s stage. Matt highlights two key scenarios:
- Startups or Small Teams: Often have one or two salespeople, sometimes the founders themselves. The focus here is on establishing the law of averages and building foundational metrics.
- Established Companies with Failed Sales Attempts: These firms may have tried outsourcing or hiring veteran salespeople without success. Matt’s approach is to diagnose the core issues—whether it’s generating appointments, improving closing skills, or refining the sales process—and provide tailored coaching or staffing solutions.
In both cases, understanding your sales metrics is critical to know where to focus coaching and improvement efforts.
4. The Power of Data and Quality Over Quantity in Sales Prospecting
Matt stresses that many companies overlook the quality of their sales database, which is foundational to effective outreach. Without a clean, researched database of decision-makers, even the most skilled sales reps will struggle.
He shares the typical cold calling law of averages in B2B sales:
- 50 cold calls = 10 connections = 1 set demo
- 75% of demos show up
- 20-25% of demos result in a sale
Matt teaches a 10-stage cadence of 5 calls and 5 emails over two weeks, emphasizing the importance of research and knowing exactly who you’re calling and why. This approach focuses on quality over quantity and ensures every interaction is purposeful.
5. Outsourcing and Managing Virtual Assistants for Sales Success
Matt has built a network of 400-500 virtual assistants (VAs), primarily from Latin America, to support sales and administrative functions. He explains the rigorous recruitment process, including a 23-point assessment and ongoing training to certify VAs, especially in real estate.
Key factors in selecting VAs include:
- English proficiency and accent considerations based on client preferences
- Geographical location and time zone compatibility
- Cultural fit and motivation to grow within the organization
Matt provides not just the VA but also coaching, management, and accountability through daily check-ins on platforms like Discord and WhatsApp. He offers a staffing guarantee to replace VAs at no cost if they don’t fit or perform.
6. Aligning Sales with Purpose: Overcoming the Golden Handcuffs
A pivotal moment in Matt’s career came when he questioned his life’s purpose. Despite lucrative W-2 jobs with impressive titles, he felt unfulfilled—trapped by the “golden handcuffs” of financial security but lacking passion.
He realized his true mission was coaching and developing others, especially those starting with no sales background, and shifted his business focus accordingly. This alignment between purpose and work fueled his business growth and personal fulfillment.
7. Sharpening Your Sales Skills and Mental Resilience
Matt emphasizes continuous growth through mentorship and surrounding yourself with people who challenge you. His wife plays a vital role in keeping him grounded and motivated, balancing encouragement with honest feedback.
For mental resilience, Matt applies the mantra of focusing on what you can control—pitch, pace, and attitude—and letting go of what you cannot. This mindset prevents work stress from affecting personal life and relationships.
8. Recommended Resources: Books and Podcasts to Accelerate Growth
Though not a big reader, Matt recommends audio learning through podcasts and audiobooks. Some of his top picks include:
- Patrick Bet-David: Known for business insights and motivational content.
- Jocko Willink’s “Discipline Equals Freedom”: A powerful book on leadership and accountability.
- Patrick Bet David’s “Choose Your Enemies Wisely”: Focuses on motivation and strategic thinking.
Matt also advises listening to diverse viewpoints, including those you may disagree with, to broaden your perspective and develop your own unique sales style.
9. Learning from Great Leaders and Sales Experts
Matt draws inspiration from leaders like Andy Elliott and Jeremy Miner, blending their strengths to create his own approach. Andy’s leadership style emphasizes faith, family, fitness, and leading by example, while Jeremy’s sales methods focus on psychology and objection handling.
Adding negotiation skills from Chris Voss’s “Never Split the Difference” rounds out Matt’s toolkit, teaching that sometimes saying no is better than accepting a bad deal.
10. Recognizing and Avoiding Bad Deals
Matt candidly shares that he’s taken bad deals—jobs or sales he knew weren’t right but accepted out of hunger or pressure. He warns that grass isn’t always greener and stresses the importance of self-reflection and inner work to avoid repeated mistakes.
He also notes that many salespeople have oversold products they knew weren’t the best fit, highlighting the ethical responsibility of sales professionals to solve real problems, not just close deals.
Conclusion: Is Sales Right for You? Final Advice from Matt Uber
If you’re considering a career in sales, Matt’s advice is straightforward:
- Ask yourself if you enjoy talking to people, building relationships, and solving problems.
- If these excite you, sales could be a great fit.
- If you feel uneasy or dislike these aspects, sales might not be the right path.
Matt emphasizes that true salespeople help customers discover problems they weren’t aware of and provide solutions, distinguishing themselves from con artists or swindlers.
For companies interested in building sales teams, outsourcing virtual assistants, or personalized coaching, Matt is accessible and ready to help via LinkedIn, phone, or email.
Remember, mastering pitch, pace, and attitude, recruiting the right people, leveraging data, and aligning your work with purpose are the keys to championship-level sales success.
FAQ: Sales Reps Tips and Building Sales Teams
Q1: What are the three most important skills a sales rep should master?
The three essential skills are pitch (how you communicate your message), pace (your work ethic and effort), and attitude (your mindset and resilience).
Q2: How do you identify the right sales candidates?
Look for mental toughness to handle rejection, coachability to embrace feedback, and self-awareness to understand strengths and weaknesses. Motivation driven by growth rather than just money is also crucial.
Q3: How important is data quality in sales prospecting?
Extremely important. A clean, researched database of decision-makers enables effective outreach and better results. Without it, sales reps waste time on dead leads.
Q4: Can virtual assistants effectively support sales teams?
Yes, when properly recruited, trained, and managed. Virtual assistants can handle administrative and sales support tasks, freeing up your team to focus on closing deals.
Q5: What mindset helps salespeople maintain mental resilience?
Focus on what you can control—your pitch, pace, and attitude—and let go of outcomes outside your influence. Surround yourself with mentors and supportive people who challenge and motivate you.
Q6: How do I know if sales is the right career for me?
If you enjoy building relationships, solving problems, and handling rejection with resilience, sales can be fulfilling and lucrative. If these don’t resonate, it might not be the best fit.
Q7: Where can I learn more about effective sales techniques?
Listening to podcasts and audiobooks from experts like Patrick Bet-David, Jocko Willink, Andy Elliott, Jeremy Miner, and Chris Voss can provide valuable insights and strategies.
Watch the full podcast here: The 3 Things Sales Reps Need To Master – Pitch, Pace & Attitude | Matt Uber | DoneMaker Podcast
