Are your sales people stuck?

Let’s be honest. When salespeople feel overwhelmed, they point fingers.
​
👉 The leads are weak.​
👉 The market is shaky.​
👉 Politics, inflation, tariffs, Gen Z, remote work…

But here’s the truth: salespeople have been selling through wars, recessions, and disruption forever.

So, if excuses aren't the real problem, what is?

It's the burden of their own potential.

Hear me out: Every time your team hits a number, crushes a quota, or closes a deal, they see a bigger, better version of what else might be possible. Every year when they come together for your Sales Kickoff meeting, you put that big new goal in front of them, and they imagine sitting in that same room again next year having achieved it. And that’s wonderful.

But, they are also filled with anxiety and doubt and fear and impostor syndrome and envy and exhaustion and burnout when they wonder about it, and whether or not they can do it.

It's wonderful… it’s also hell. It’s Wonderhell.

So, the last time I found myself in Wonderhell, I decided to find a way out. I spoke to 100 different Olympic medalists, start-up unicorns, CEOs, creatives, philanthropists, artists, and creatives, to learn how to harness the anxiety that comes with achievement, stay hungry in the face of success, and thrive in the ever-changing landscape of business.

I made you a short video on this exact idea — what’s really stopping your salespeople, and how to help them break through: Watch the 4-Minute Sales Video Here.

By the way, this is exactly why my Wonderhell keynote has become a favorite for Sales Kickoff (SKO) meetings. It doesn’t just pump up your team with rah-rah hype; it gives them a new lens to understand the doubt, fear, and pressure that come after success — and how to harness it instead of hiding from it.

Because when your team learns to embrace Wonderhell, they stop making excuses… and start making history.

👉 If you’re planning your SKO, let’s talk. And if you want to know how I customize every single keynote, check out this explainer video here.

See you next Truesday,
Laura

P.S. Hello Bureau Friends!

If you are working with your clients to plan their SKOs now, here is a bureau-friendly paragraph about this keynote that you can use, along with this video, to pitch me as their MainStage keynote.

In sales, every win unlocks a bigger target, higher quota, and new expectations — and with it, the pressure, doubt, and burnout that follow. Laura Gassner Otting calls this Wonderhell: that space where success isn’t just wonderful, it’s also a little bit hell. In this high-energy keynote, Laura gives your sales team the tools to recognize the “burden of potential” not as a limitation, but as an invitation. Drawing on research and stories from Olympic medalists, start-up founders, and top performers, she shows salespeople how to harness the anxiety that comes with achievement, stay hungry in the face of success, and thrive in the ever-changing landscape of sales. Perfect for Sales Kickoffs, Wonderhell leaves your team inspired, equipped, and ready to hit their next impossible goal. Watch Laura discuss this idea here.