by Jacques de Villiers | Mar 9, 2026 | Sales Tips
Salespeople rarely struggle with rejection. They struggle with the story they tell themselves about the rejection. As a young salesperson I used to get emotionally triggered by rejection. I was also the undisputed master of inventing stories. A prospect didn’t return...
by Jacques de Villiers | Jan 29, 2026 | Marketing
We need a villain.Finally, someone has said it. Not because we enjoy conflict, but because without contrast, meaning dissolves. We don’t decide who we are in isolation. We decide by drawing a line and saying, “We are this, not that.” When a brand names a clear enemy,...
by Jacques de Villiers | Dec 16, 2025 | Sales Tips
Most salespeople don’t realise this, but every sales meeting is a small theatre. You walk into a room with a complete stranger and, in seconds, the roles are set: judge and defendant, king and beggar, prize and pursuer. The tragedy is this: too many salespeople arrive...
by Jacques de Villiers | Dec 7, 2025 | Eccentricities
Since November, I’ve been hearing the same refrain whispered like a tired prayer: “I’m exhausted.” “I can’t wait for December so I can disappear.” “It’s been a hard year.” Some people have already shut down. The doors are closed. The lights are dimmed. They will...
by Jacques de Villiers | Oct 30, 2025 | Sales Tips
Every sales conversation has that moment — the tension point where logic and emotion collide.You know it. You’ve been there. The prospect leans back, folds their arms, and says, “It sounds expensive.” And in that instant, most salespeople freeze, defend, or...
