Sales Lesson from "Landman"+ 9 Unbreakable Rules of Sales

At my house, Landman is must-see TV.

Billy Bob Thornton plays Tommy Norris, a fixer for a troubled oil company, and he does it brilliantly.

One moment he's fearless and unflinching while dealing with cartels, lawyers, and oil executives.

But with his loose-cannon wife and, we’ll just say, spirited daughter?

He turns into a teddy bear and is putty in their hands.

Of course, I’m looking for sales lessons everywhere, and found one in the first episode of the second season

Tommy delivers a simple line of advice to his son, Cooper, that perfectly captures what professional selling is really about.

After addressing a business problem Cooper is dealing with, Tommy says:

Boom!

That describes professional sales in a nutshell.

Simple. Obvious. Almost laughably clear.

And yet, for so many people, incredibly difficult to execute.

That line stuck with me because it highlights something I've seen for decades: people massively overcomplicate sales.

They search for hacks, clever phrases, subject lines, scripts, and shortcuts.

Meanwhile, real professionals quietly master the fundamentals and win consistently.

There are a handful of simple truths in sales that, when followed, change everything.

They don't just improve results. They shape how you think, how you show up, and how others respond to you.

These aren't tactics to try. They're standards professionals live by.

That's what this week's Big Lesson is about.

Over the years, I've found that top-performing sales professionals don't do more things than everyone else.

They do fewer things. And they never break them.

Here are nine rules that, when followed consistently, will make selling simpler, more effective, and far less stressful.

1. Never start a sales call without a primary objective

Before every call, know the answer to this question:

What do I want this person to do at the end of this conversation?

If you don't know where you're going, you'll ramble, react, and never arrive.

Professionals don't hope. They decide.

2. Always treat assistants with respect

Stop calling them "gatekeepers" or "screeners." That mindset guarantees resistance.

I call them assistants. Your’s, and the decision maker’s.

They are deciding whether your message is relevant enough to deserve the decision-maker's time. In that sense, they are buyers. Treat them like one.

You find them helping you in, instead of screening you out.

3. Always have a Possible Value Proposition (PVP)

Every opening and voicemail should answer one question for the listener:

What's in this for me?

This is not a pitch. It's a hypothesis. A possible outcome. A reason to stay engaged.

No value = no interest = no conversation.

And why the word, “possible,” you might ask? Because until we ask questions and they tell us something is of value, it is only possibly of value.

Read that last line again. Benefits are not what YOU think they are; they are only what the prospect or customer does.

4. Get the prospect talking as quickly as possible

The faster someone starts talking, the less defensive they are.

When they're talking, they're engaged. And engaged people don't hang up.

Your job is to create that shift as early as possible.

5. Never present before you question

Presenting without information is guessing.

Loudly.

Until you understand what matters to them, what they care about, and how they decide, anything you present is just noise.

And, it creates objections.

Professionals earn the right to present by asking first.

6. Don't agree to a follow-up without commitment

Whenever a rep complains to me that he/she is always getting ghosted, I always ask, “What did they commit to on the previous call?”

Almost always, the answer is, “Nothing.”

If you schedule a follow-up call, make sure they're committing to do something in the meantime.

Review material. Watch a video. Talk with a partner. Think through options.

Without that, your next call turns into the most painful sentence in sales:

"Just checking in…"

If there is a next call, since without a commitment of some type, you might not ever speak with them again.

7. Never wonder afterward if you should have asked

If you hear agreement signals, interest, or momentum, ask for the next step.

The sale. The meeting. The commitment.

It's far better to hear "no" in the moment than to hang up wondering why you didn't ask.

At least then you know.

8. Always listen more than you talk

You never learn anything when you're talking.

Your income depends on what you hear, not what you say. You are not paid by the word.

Listening isn't polite behavior. It's a revenue skill.

9. Never dial the phone without preparation

Before you call, you should know:

If you follow these rules consistently, selling becomes simpler, calmer, and far more effective.

They aren't tricks. They aren't hacks. They're standards.

Break them, and selling feels hard. Live by them, and success starts to feel inevitable.

Ask. Listen. Remember what they said. Make it come true.

Just like Tommy Norris said. (We’ll see how Cooper does… stay tuned.)

Follow these, and you'll be more successful. Guaranteed.

Because this is what professionals do.

One of the rotating features in this newsletter will be Bad Online Sales Advice.

And yes, this will ruffle some feathers. I’m fine with that. Happy, actually, since it will get people thinking.

Just like social media has done a lot of damage to civil discourse in general, it’s done the same thing to the sales profession…maybe even worse.

Years ago, if someone was published as a sales authority, they usually had to be vetted. They had to have actually done something. Built something. Sold something. Tested something.

Today?

Anyone with a phone, a Wi-Fi signal, and an opinion can position themselves as an expert. And many do. Often presenting their advice as definitive gospel.

What concerns me isn’t that people share opinions. It’s that so much of this advice subtly (and sometimes not so subtly) lowers the status of the salesperson.

Apologetic language.
Permission-based openers.
Fear-driven rules disguised as “best practices.”

And it actually causes what salespeople most fear: resistance, failure and the thing they call “rejection.”

So in this feature, I’ll periodically call out a specific piece of sales advice I see online and explain why it hurts more than it helps.

One important note: I will not name or shame the individual who posted it. My goal isn’t to send people to someone’s profile to pile on. It’s to address the idea, not the person.

I recently saw a LinkedIn post that, in essence, said:

“Stop leaving voicemails for prospects. They label you as a salesperson. You don’t have a strong enough reason to call. Most voicemails are generic and hurt your chances. Except for rare edge cases, 99% of voicemails do more harm than good.”

That’s the gist.

Now, let’s talk about why this line of thinking is flawed.

Using the poster’s own logic, if 99% of voicemails are bad, then the conclusion shouldn’t be “don’t leave voicemails.”

It should be:
Most reps are poorly prepared.

By that logic, should we also say:

Of course not.

The issue isn’t voicemail.
The issue is what gets said on voicemail.

A bad voicemail absolutely does damage.
I agree with that 100%.

But a good voicemail—one that creates curiosity and relevance—does the opposite.

A professional voicemail doesn’t beg for a callback.
It doesn’t apologize.
It doesn’t pitch.

Its job is simple:

Leave the listener with a question they want answered.

For example:

“Huh… I wonder what that is?”

You’ve done your job.

And if this sounds familiar, it should, because it’s the same Smart Call Opening Statement you would use live on the phone, adapted for voicemail. (We covered that in last week’s issue.)

I’ve heard the “don’t leave voicemails” argument for as long as voicemail has existed.

And my stance has never changed:

You’ve already done the heavy lifting:

Why in the world would you not take the opportunity to leave a positive, professional impression?

The key word is positive.

Bad voicemails hurt.

Good ones build familiarity, credibility, and curiosity.

Don’t expect returned calls.

Those are bonuses, not objectives.

Instead:

Voicemail isn’t about immediate response.

It’s about positioning.

So yes, you should leave voicemails.

Just not bad ones.

Leave the kind that sound prepared, confident, and relevant.
The kind that make prospects think instead of flinch.
The kind that raise your status instead of lowering it.

We’ll go much deeper on voicemails in future issues.

For now, remember this:

It’s never the tool.

It’s how amateurs use it.

Last week we touched on why asking, "Are you having any problems?" usually falls flat. Here's another smart way to handle it.

When a prospect says, "I'm not having any problems with my current supplier," most reps try to dig for problems they're not admitting.

Here's another approach.

Respond with:

"I'm glad to hear that. But are problems the only criteria you use when deciding whether to change suppliers?"

The answer is almost always no.

Now you've opened a much more productive path…one that lets you explore other decision criteria: service, responsiveness, risk reduction, growth support, consistency, ease of doing business.

That question gets them talking about improvement, opportunity, and value, not just fixing what's broken.

Professionals don't wait for pain. They explore priorities.

As I write this we are right in Holiday season, meaning several parties for many people.

As a sales scientist, I always enjoy observing the different interactions.

And reaffirming how self-unaware so many people are as it relates to listening to others, and making conversations one-way: about themselves. 

Another example is how often people don’t adapt for their audience. 

Let me explain…

If you were at a party, would you talk to the host's third-grade daughter the same way you'd talk to a college professor standing next to her? (I use that example because I saw it. SMH.)

Of course not.

So here's the real question: Why would you sell the same way to every buyer?

A purchasing agent cares about different things than the end user.

A CFO looking at budget impact has a different perspective than a VP of Sales looking at revenue growth.

An owner evaluates risk differently than a manager on their third job in three years.

Different roles. Different priorities. Different definitions of value.

And this is where many salespeople go wrong. Not because they lack skill, but because they lack intent before the call.

That's why preparation isn't about scripting.

It's about perspective.

The professional mindset is:

"Who am I talking to… and what do they want?"

Answer that first. Then adjust your approach accordingly.

Different roles = different concerns = different conversations.

Professionals adapt. Amateurs use the same script for everyone and wonder why it doesn't land.

(By the way, we go into detail on this in a couple of the daily lessons in the Smart Calling Prospecting and Sales Coaching and Training App for B2B Professionals. You actually build your own “Motivator Map” for your prospects, so you know what’s important to them, which you then plug into your messaging and questioning. This app is like me providing you with daily coaching, training, and accountability.
See complete details here.)

A promise I make in my marketing materials is that I’ll show you how to never experience rejection.

It’s easy, really.

Just a matter of changing your thinking, and the story you tell yourself about your situations.

Here's a mindset shift that instantly changes how you experience sales conversations, and view rejection.

Instead of: "I got rejected."
Say: "I received a decision."

Instead of: "They criticized my product."
Say: "I learned how some people view our offering."

Instead of: "I lost the big deal."
Say: "What can I do differently next time?"

Instead of: "This is devastating."
Say: "What's the positive I can take from this?"

The facts don't change. Your interpretation does.

We'll go much deeper into this in future issues, because this way of thinking is foundational to becoming an Ultimate Sales Professional.

Rejection doesn't happen to you. It's the meaning you assign to what happened.

Ultimate Sales Professionals control the story. Amateurs let the story control them.

Coming Next Week: 26 Words and Phrases I’m Banning from Sales in 2026 (You won’t want to miss this one!)

That’s it for Issue 2 of the new Smart Calling Report!

The response to Issue 1 was even beyond expectations… thanks to everyone for the feedback and encouragement. (And even to one reader who said it was too long, but he read it anyway.)

Again, I’d love to hear from you, too. Reply and let me know what you liked, what you’d love to see in future issues, or what you’re cooking for Christmas. I read every email.

I’m on a mission to help as many sales pros as I can, so please join me. Who do you know who would also benefit from the Smart Calling approach? Do them a favor and forward this email. They can subscribe at SmartCallingReport.com. (Tell them it’s their Holiday gift from you 🤣)

Finally, if you're celebrating Christmas, I wish you a wonderful one. If not, I hope this season gives you a chance to slow down, reflect, recharge, and not think about prospecting and sales for a few days. (I know, I know... but try.)

Hug the ones you love, and embrace the time.

I'm grateful for you. I'll be back in your inbox next Tuesday.

Go and make it your best week ever,