Most “sales advice” is just awful

Let’s start here: I’ve never worked in sales. I’ve sold stuff, yes — I had a lemonade stand when I was eight, for example — and I’ve worked in roles that are essentially “sales” but don’t have the title of sales. So, for example, back in the day at ESPN, I used to be “a headline guy” for ESPN Insider. I’d take Insider content (which is gated) and I’d write headlines on the free pages (sport pages, front page, etc.) that encouraged…