Losing a deal stinks.  Period!

You put in the work. You had the conversations. You built a smart proposal. And then the renewal does not come back or the contract does not close. That moment can frustrate even the best salespeople.

But here is the truth about the sales business. Not every deal closes. And that reality does not define your success. Your pipeline does.

When your pipeline is strong, a no is just part of the process. When your pipeline is weak, a no feels personal. That difference matters more than most salespeople realize.

Sales Confidence Comes From Volume

Sales would be easy if every proposal turned into a signed agreement. It does not work that way. That is why real sales training focuses on structure and consistency, not hope.

When you have options, you sell differently. You are calmer. You negotiate better. You stop chasing deals that are not serious.

This lesson applies across media sales training, ad sales training, broadcast sales training, and corporate sales training. Confidence is not about closing one deal. It is about knowing you have others behind it.

The Rule of Three in Your Pipeline

Here is a simple framework that works.

If you need 10 deals to close, you should have at least 30 active prospects in your pipeline.

Everything times three.

This removes pressure from any single conversation. When one deal falls out, another moves forward. When a renewal does not come back, you already have momentum elsewhere.

That is not luck. That is planning.

How I Apply This Every Day

I build my sales activity around the Rule of Three because it keeps things simple and repeatable.

Three-word subject lines.
Three sentences max in an email.
Follow up every three business days.
Three times the number of prospects I actually need.

This structure creates consistency. It also keeps emotion out of the process. Systems beat stress every time.

Most salespeople do not struggle because they lack skill. They struggle because they lack volume at the top of the funnel.

Front-Load the Work

One of the biggest mistakes salespeople make is waiting too long to build a pipeline. They work one deal at a time and hope it closes.

Hope is not a strategy.

When you front-load conversations, everything gets easier later. You stop panicking when deals stall. You stop forcing bad fits. You sell from a position of strength.

If you lose someone on one side of the pipeline, you already have someone ready on the other side. That is how professionals sell.

What to Focus on This Month

Look at your pipeline today. Ask yourself how many real conversations you have going and how many you actually need to hit your goal.

If you need 10, build 30.
If you need five, build 15.

Over the next 30 days, focus less on closing and more on adding volume. Closing takes care of itself when opportunity is abundant.

Never forget… If sales was easy, everyone would be doing it. They are not. We are the chosen few. This is a great career that will feed your family for a lifetime.

Your sales coach,
Ryan Dohrn