Inspire Sales Success with these 6 TED Talks

In sales, the path to success is never a straight line. It’s full of highs and lows, twist and turns. To continue creating sales success in today’s business environment, it calls for new skillsets and mental models.  

These new skillsets and mental models touch everything from initial relationship building and prospecting, to how you grow your current customers, to how you handle the competition, and to how you position your own value and brand. 

In my upcoming book, The Modern Seller, I’m reflecting on skillsets like learning agility, entrepreneurialism, and being holistic – why they matter to your sales success, and how you can develop them.  

I’m always looking for inspiration and practical ways to improve my own skills – one place I turn to is TED Talks. Take a listen to these six to be inspired to up your potential as a modern seller. 

Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance
Angela Lee Duckworth
In any business development or sales role, challenges and getting knocked down are all part of it. It’s grit that gives us the courage to get back up. In this talk, Angela Lee Duckworth shares her insights on grit. She says grit is passion and perseverance for very long-term goals (like being an entrepreneur or writing a book!).  

Grit is having stamina. Grit is sticking with your future, day in, day out, not just for the week, not just for the month, but for years, and working really hard to make that future a reality. Grit is living life like it’s a marathon, not a sprint. Have you got grit?

How the Entrepreneurial Mindset Can Change You
Henrik Scheel
Henrik Scheel asks, “what if we stopped coming up with excuses and started doing something to solve the big problems around us?” He shares his ideas for learning to see opportunities where others see problems. A skillset invaluable to entrepreneurs. His advice on what works will help any sales pro who is helping uncover potential problems that a prospective or current customer doesn’t recognize yet—and getting ahead of that curve.

Smart Failure for a Fast-Changing World
Eddie Obleng
We hear “no” a lot in sales. It takes creativity and tenacity to get to a “yes.”  Eddie Obleng shares strategies for better productivity, and calls for a stronger culture of “smart failure.”

Simplicity Sells 
David Pogue
One thing I’ve learned in sales is that less is more. Modern sellers take the complex and make it simple. They don’t overwhelm their customers with extraneous information or lengthy presentations. This talk by David Pogue focuses on simplicity in technology and provides inspiration for those looking for tips to streamline their approach.

How to Make Work-Life Balance Work
Nigel Marsh
Modern sellers know that their time, energy, motivation, and discipline reserves are finite – professionally and personally. Nigel Marsh lays out an ideal day balanced between family time, personal time and productivity — and offers some stirring encouragement to make it happen. Watch it now.  

What it Takes to be a Great Leader
Roselinde Torres
Modern sellers don’t just have a territory or an attainment goal, they’re leading a business. What kind of leader are you? Roselinde Torres explains the characteristics of leaders who are thriving and what they do differently. She shares the preparation practices that can help you to grow to your potential.

What TED Talks inspire you? I’d love to hear your feedback. 

For more inspired ideas and strategies to create high-value sales results, download our eBook, Six Strategies to Maximize Sales Results.