The Tale of Two Sales Reps: Why Mindset Separates Top Performers from the Rest

Meet Alex and Jordan.

Two sales reps.

You interviewed them both. They were sharp, eager, and ready to crush their new role. Both knew how to sell — amazing! From their mock calls, you felt confident they’d be top performers.

So, you hire them both. Same training. Same start date.

You walk them through the products, the sales process, scripts, and the CRM. They pick it up quickly. No red flags. They’re ready to hit the ground running.

Three months in…

Things are slower than they expected. Normal. They’re still adjusting—learning the market, refining their pitch. Sales takes time. You get that.

Six months in…

Now, something’s off.

Jordan is crushing it. Alex… not so much.

And it’s not just a slight gap—it’s a significant difference.

Okay, sure. Not everyone performs the same. But this doesn’t add up.

Same training. Same tools. Same opportunities. They were both solid in mock calls. They both understand the product and the process.

So, why is Jordan outperforming Alex by such a wide margin?

Time to take a closer look.

You watch Jordan.

He’s consistent—always prospecting, always following up. He faces rejection like clockwork, but it barely fazes him.

Three minutes after a ‘no’? He’s already moved on to the next prospect. No hesitation. No downward spiral. Just onto the next.

Now, you watch Alex.

He’s also prospecting. Also getting rejected. But the difference?

He feels the rejection. You see it on his face. His energy shifts. He takes a break—fine, we all need a breather sometimes.

But now, it’s been two hours.

He still hasn’t made another call. No follow-ups. Just… stalled.

Back to Jordan.

He’s in the zone—locked in. When he’s making calls, that’s all he’s doing. No distractions. No checking emails mid-call. No doom-scrolling. Just focused, present, and executing.

Then you check on Alex.

He’s all over the place.

One minute, he’s checking email. Then he’s scrolling Twitter. Then back to email. Then chatting with a coworker about weekend plans.

When he should be prospecting?

He’s reorganizing his CRM. For the third time this week. Interesting.

Then you notice something else.

Jordan’s having a slow week. He’s still prospecting, still following up, but conversions just aren’t hitting like usual.

So, what does he do?

You catch him talking to the top sales rep—asking for feedback on his calls. He even swings by your office, looking for insights on what he can tweak to improve. And the best part? He actually applies the feedback. He makes changes. Adjusts his approach. Keeps pushing forward.

Now, you look at Alex.

Also having a slow week. But instead of adjusting, he’s stuck in his ways.

You offer him feedback—small changes that could make a difference. But you can see it immediately—he’s defensive.

"This is how I’ve always done things… and it works."

Except… it’s not working right now.

He’s not reviewing his calls. He’s not tweaking his approach. He’s just repeating the same process, hoping for different results.

That’s when it finally hits you. Clear as day.

The gap between Alex and Jordan?

It’s not training. They had the same resources, the same tools, the same opportunities.

It’s not talent. They both knew how to sell.

The difference?

Mindset.

How they handled setbacks. How they responded to rejection. How they managed their focus. How resilient they were. How they handled the emotional rollercoaster that is sales.

Jordan isn’t winning because he’s more talented. He’s winning because he plays a different game — the mental game.

And that’s what separates top performers from everyone else.

Imagine if every Alex on your team had the mental skills of a Jordan.

Imagine the impact on your culture, sales environment, revenue, and retention if your reps could:

✅ Adopt a growth mindset

✅ Handle rejection and challenges without hesitation

✅ Stay focused longer without getting distracted

✅ Manage stress and emotions productively instead of shutting down

That’s exactly what mental performance training does.

It bridges the gap between the sales skills and tactics that close deals and the mental skills needed to execute at a high level—consistently.

Because knowing how to sell is one thing. Actually showing up and performing every day? That’s another.

The reason I started Mindskills HQ is simple—I knew sales was more than just scripts, processes, and tools.

I had the fundamentals down. I went through the sales trainings. And I was actually pretty good. Good enough that other real estate professionals started reaching out, asking me to help them close their own deals.

But deep down, I knew I had so much more to give.

I could’ve been closing dozens more deals per month.

So what was standing in my way?

Not training. Not talent. My own mindset.

And most businesses won’t realize the true impact of mental performance on their bottom line until it’s too late.

Until they’ve burned through millions hiring and retraining employees. Until they’ve lost millions in productivity, burnout, and stress. Until they’ve missed hundreds of deals because their reps hesitated—held back by fear, distraction, or pressure.

Think about it — if just one rep loses $50,000 worth of sales per quarter because they hesitate, get distracted, or can’t handle rejection, that’s $200,000 lost per year. Now multiply that across an entire team. The cost of ignoring mental performance is more than just “high” — it’s devastating.

And the worst part?

Most companies don’t even measure this. They don’t assess it. They don’t address it.

That’s why I built Mindskills HQ. To close that gap. To help coach sales teams on the mental skills that can drive real, lasting performance.

Sales isn’t just about knowing what to do — it’s about ACTUALLY doing it, day in and day out. It’s about showing up, even when you don’t feel like it. And that’s a mental skill, not a sales skill.

If you want your sales team to be more resilient, growth-oriented, focused, and composed, let’s talk.

DM me or email me at james@mindskillshq.com — I’d love to connect.