Post by Rick van Driel

Over the weekend, I saw a video of thousands of golf balls rolling down a ski slope, the goal was simple: see how many would land in the hole. It made me laugh at first, but I couldn’t stop thinking about how familiar it felt. Because in sales and marketing, we still do this all the time. How many do you think actually make it into the hole? https://lnkd.in/gEMxeZZr Last week also marked 37 years since I joined the Australian Army, a milestone that shaped everything I’ve learned about leadership, service, alignment, and value. My final years in the Army were spent managing resources, budgets, and procurement. I was often on the other side of the sales table, and what struck me then, and still does today, is how few people really tried to connect. Most assumed I was just “the money guy.” They pushed features and urgency, but rarely stopped to ask what outcomes we were trying to achieve. Those experiences shaped how I see selling: it’s not about getting the customer’s money, it’s about helping them achieve what matters most to them. Fast-forward to my time in government, managing a multimillion-dollar budget, and I saw the same thing. Most vendors focused on the transaction. Over 25 years in sales and enablement, I’ve been fortunate to work alongside people who shaped my thinking: Glenn Herbert (Retired), believed in me early and taught me the importance of connection and customer value. John Frech - reminded me that buyers value outcomes more than technical talk. Robert W., Rob Corazzola and Robert Crawford, proved that authenticity and hard work matter most. #The_Rob’s Steve Hooper, Martin Meier of Meier Business Systems, Courtney Smith and Mark M. - pushed me to back myself and helped me shape what TEAMSolutions will become. David Small, Peter Alexander, and Ravi Kiran - taught me that details matter and discipline closes what charisma opens. Paul Crist - gave me the word alignment, and it's importance. Matt Smith - reinforced that understanding the “why” behind every customer’s need is where real value starts. Each of them helped me evolve from being “sold to” into someone driven to help others sell with purpose. If there’s one thing I’ve grown tired of, it’s seeing talented people push messages they don’t truly believe in, or even understand. Grinding isn’t about chasing numbers; it’s about doing the work to understand your customer, to create outcomes that matter, and to leave them better off than when you found them. That’s why I founded TEAMSolutions Group, to help teams rediscover the human side of selling. Over the next few months, you’ll see courses built around the principles that have guided me: Power Messaging, Stakeholder Alignment, Value-Based Selling, Team Dynamics, Presales Excellence, and above all, learning to speak the customer’s language. Read the full story here: https://lnkd.in/gidh_pnf #Leadership #SalesEnablement #ValueSelling #Alignment