Nobody stumbles into sales success by accident. After three decades of working with sales teams across five countries, Deepak Bhootra knows what distinguishes good and great. He’s helped teams boost their performance by up to 25%, and individual salespeople add an extra $250,000 to their earnings over five years. But the secret isn’t what most people think. The sales world is full of people looking for that one magic technique that will solve all their problems. But Deepak has learned something different over the years. “One thing I’ve learned from my experience is that sales success is not just one simple technique you need to do,” he explains. Sales excellence comes down to three key elements: behavior, attitude, and technique. Miss any of these, and you’re leaving money on the table.
Here are his three key must-haves:
1. Attitude
For Deepak, everything starts with what’s happening between your ears. “Attitude is the foundation of success, not just in the sales function but maybe in life,” he points out. Your mindset drives everything in sales, and if you’re carrying around what Deepak calls “head trash,” you’re already in trouble before you make your first call.
Many salespeople get stuck in their own heads, worrying about everything except what matters. “Why should you be working with your prospect is what you should be focused on,” Deepak emphasizes. He’s seen too many people approach calls with fear or hesitation, projecting uncertainty instead of confidence. The most successful salespeople he’s worked with don’t waste time chasing every deal that comes their way. Instead, they qualify opportunities aggressively, making that their foundation for success. The mindset shift that changes everything? “Every time you’re on a call just ask yourself, ‘Am I here to sell or to help?'”, Deepak suggests. “When you think of that in the context of helping, helping wins every time.”
2. Consistency
When it comes to behavior, Deepak cuts through the usual personality-focused discussions. “A lot of people think about behavior as something that has to do with personality or emotions,” he notes. But for him, it’s simpler than that. Behavior is about knowing what to do and doing it – they are very different things.
The questions he asks struggling salespeople get right to the point: Are you making enough calls? Are you following up? Are you actively prospecting daily? “Sales is a numbers game, and most importantly, it’s a discipline game,” Deepak emphasizes. It’s about wash, rinse, repeat. You’ll never control your results if you’re not measuring your behavior. His practical advice? “Block time in your calendar for non-negotiable prospecting daily,” he insists. “If it’s not scheduled, it won’t happen.” People respect what they inspect, and the same goes for your sales activities.
3. The Art of Selling
You need solid skills to close deals even with the right mindset and consistent behavior. Deepak focuses on the fundamentals: asking the right questions, setting clear expectations through upfront contracts, and handling objections thoughtfully instead of just pushing for the close. Regarding technique, Deepak has one pro tip that stands above the rest. “You need to understand the art of pain-based selling,” he explains. “If there is no pain, there is no sale.” It’s about digging deeper to understand what’s driving the customer’s decisions. You win when you find the challenge and then come up with a solution to solve it.
The beauty of this three-pillar approach is how each element reinforces the other. Your attitude affects your behavior, your behavior sharpens your technique, and your improved technique builds confidence, creating a positive cycle of growth and success. For Deepak, this isn’t just a theory – it’s thirty years of watching what works in the real world.
Connect with Deepak Bhootra on LinkedIn to learn more about transforming sales performance through behavior, attitude, and technique.
