Commission-only and stuck in meetings

Published: Wed, 02/12/25

Updated: Sat, 02/15/25

February 12, 2025

TOGETHER WITH

Good morning Quota readers, and welcome back to your second-favorite newsletter (we know what you’ve been up to). Take a break from desperately trying to find a last-minute Valentine's Day gift for your boo with this week’s issue, where we’ll look at the history of the ad-sales pitch, share a Sales Fail about an interesting hiring process, and give some advice to a rep who's bogged down in pointless meetings. Enjoy.

NUMBER OF THE WEEK

2% of salespeople responded that the phone remains the most effective and efficient sales tool

Source: Sales Insights Lab

SALES ROUNDUP

Here’s what’s happening in the sales world this week:

ABC’s 20/20 recently covered the murder of a Missouri insurance salesman, a story with lots of twists. When Bob Eidman was shot to death in his Missouri office, investigators say their suspicions initially centered around his wife, Diane, whose own mother was charged with murdering Diane's father decades earlier. However, years after Eidman’s murder, a stunning revelation from DNA test results would point to an out of the blue suspect who was never on police’s radar. You can read more about it here.
Salesforce is cutting more jobs, while simultaneously hiring more reps to sell its AI product. More than 1,000 roles will be affected, according to a source, who asked not to be identified because the information is private. Displaced workers will be able to apply for other jobs internally, the person added. A representative of San Francisco-based Salesforce declined to comment. It couldn’t be determined which divisions the reductions were focused in. Salesforce had nearly 73,000 workers as of January 2024, when that fiscal year ended.You can read the report here.

FEATURE

Mad Men and the Art of the Pitch: The History of Sales in Advertising

Sales and advertising have always been inseparable. Long before Don Draper lit his first cigarette in Mad Men, the art of persuasion was changing consumer behavior. Advertising, however, isn’t just about making things look appealing—it’s about selling a dream, and a lifestyle. And behind every successful ad campaign, there’s a sales pitch that won over the decision makers.

The Birth of the Mass Product Pitch

Before the rise of mass media, sales were a personal affair. Traveling salesmen went door to door, making direct appeals to customers with well-rehearsed scripts and charming personalities. But as businesses grew and the industrial revolution flooded the market with products, companies needed a way to sell at scale. Enter modern advertising.

In the early 20th century, advertising transformed from mere product announcements to psychological persuasion. Pioneers like Claude Hopkins, the father of scientific advertising, introduced data-driven campaigns, while Edward Bernays, the nephew of Sigmund Freud, applied psychology to advertising, tapping into consumers’ emotions rather than just their needs. It was no longer about what a product did (feature selling), it was about how it made you feel (selling outcomes).

Inside the Ad Agency Pitch: How Brands Were Sold

The 1950s and ‘60s, often referred to as the Golden Age of Advertising, saw a shift in how products were marketed and sold. This was the era that inspired Mad Men—a time when Madison Avenue ad execs weren’t just selling products, they were crafting identities. The pitch became as important as the product itself.

The sales pitch was a well-crafted (high stakes) performance, blending research, psychology, and showmanship. Unlike today’s more relaxed sales presentations, these pitches were often high-energy spectacles, meant to captivate clients and win them over with sheer confidence and creativity.

A typical pitch would start with extensive market research. Madison Avenue executives knew that to sell effectively, they had to understand not just the product, but the aspirations of the consumer. Teams would analyze competitors, conduct surveys, and refine their messaging to align with cultural trends.

Once the research was complete, the creative team would develop multiple campaign concepts. These weren’t dry PowerPoint slides but fully developed narratives—sometimes complete with visuals, mock-ups, and even live demonstrations. When the time came to present to the client, the pitch team would set the stage like a theatrical production. The lead presenter, often the agency’s charismatic creative director or account executive, would deliver the idea with flair, storytelling, and persuasive reasoning.

Legendary advertising figures like Bill Bernbach and Leo Burnett perfected this process. They didn’t just sell ads; they sold visions. Burnett, for example, revolutionized branding by creating enduring mascots like the Marlboro Man and Tony the Tiger. His pitches weren’t just about showcasing a campaign—they were about making the client feel the emotional impact of their brand’s future success.

Some pitches became legendary. One famous example was the 1960s “Lemon” campaign for Volkswagen by the agency Doyle Dane Bernbach (DDB). It took a perceived flaw (the car’s small size) and turned it into a virtue. The pitch convinced Volkswagen that honesty and self-awareness would resonate with consumers—a risky but ultimately brilliant move.

What Salespeople Can Learn from Advertising’s Greatest Pitches

Fast forward to today, and the advertising pitch has moved online. Digital advertising, influencer marketing, and social media have changed the game, but the principles remain the same. A successful ad campaign is still, at its core, a well-crafted sales pitch. The difference? Instead of a boardroom presentation, today’s pitches happen in LinkedIn feeds, Instagram stories, and (unfortunately) YouTube pre-roll ads.

The best sales professionals understand that they’re not just selling a product—they’re selling an idea. Advertising history proves that:

Storytelling sells. The best pitches tell a compelling story rather than just listing benefits. When pitching, tell the story of where your prospect is today, and where they will end up after buying your product (a better place).
Less is more. You probably don’t need that 30-slide sales deck. The most iconic ads (and sales pitches) distill their message into something simple and powerful.

The history of advertising is the history of sales on a grand scale. Whether you’re selling software, services, or a vision, the principles remain the same. So the next time you’re crafting your pitch, take a page from Madison Avenue—make it emotional, make it memorable, and most importantly, make sure it sells.

NEVER MANUALLY FILL OUT AN RFP AGAIN

Tired of filling out RFPs and Sales Questionnaires?

Find out how companies like WalkMe, Gladly, and Deliveroo are using 1up to automate RFPs and answer sales questions 10x faster.

Our friends at 1up just launched a special 30-day Free Trial for The Quota subscribers. Hit the link below and you’ll never need to manually fill out an RFP again.

Try for free

MEME OF THE WEEK

Source: Instagram -- Sales Humor

QUIZ

How many employees does sales-tech company HubSpot have?

A. 8,000+
B. 4,000+
C. 15,000+
D. 10,000+

SALES FAILS

Each week, we bring you the most cringe-worthy sales moments from across the web. To submit your sales fail story for consideration, click here. (Don't worry, you'll remain completely anonymous).

This one is from the pre-pandemic era, when we were all still in the office. I was interviewing for an Account Executive job at a funded startup. I cleared the first two interviews over the phone and got asked to come into the office for a final interview with the CEO, who approved all hires.

The office had typical startup vibes (drinks on tap, ping-pong table, etc.) and I could tell the VP of sales really wanted me to join. After a tour, he told me to go into the CEOs office. I knocked on the door and heard the CEO yell for me to come in. I couldn't believe it, but the guy was riding a Peloton bike in his office. It was straight out of a movie. He was doing the power move of working out while taking a meeting. I was a bit taken aback, but the CEO just asked me 4 or 5 basic questions in between his labored breathing and said, "You ready to get on the rocket ship?" I told him yes and he said, "Great, you're hired," while still riding the bike.

It was a huge red flag that I of course ignored. I ended up taking the job and less than a year later, I got laid off along with most of the sales team. The company went out of business.

Anonymous Location withheld

GRAPH OF THE WEEK

Source: LinkedIn Poll -- February 2025

WORTH A PEEK

A poster on reddit recently asked a very interesting question: does anyone believe in the product they sell? The responses ranged from those who said they could never sell a product they didn’t believe in to those who admitted they’d pitch anything if the money was right. You can read the conversation here.

ASK THE QUOTA

Want to submit a question and be featured in our advice column? Click here. (Don't worry, you'll remain completely anonymous).

Dear Quota Team,

I'm two months into a new sales role that is commission-only. I haven't hit my quota yet, but I'm getting close this month. I feel like the main thing holding me back is my sales manager. He's just wasting my time. He has me creating daily progress reports of how my meetings went each day (even though I already put this info in our CRM). I'm also spending a lot of time doing admin tasks like chasing customers down for payment, which I really think our accounting team should be doing.

Worst of all, he's bogging me down with unnecessary meetings about sales process improvement and makes me attend company all-hands and team building meetings. This company isn't paying me a base salary—I only get paid when I close a deal. To me, this means they don't see me as a part of their team. I'm just a mercenary, so I really don't care about spending time in internal meetings that aren't going to directly contribute to my earning potential. How can I tell him nicely to leave me alone and let me sell?

Wasting Time in Georgia

Dear Wasting Time,

If the company isn't giving you a base-pay or benefits, then you shouldn't be obligated to spend time in a bunch of internal meetings.

Remind your manager that you can make the most impact for the company (and make him look good) if you can spend your time selling — and politely ask if there are certain meetings you can sit out and if some of the non-sales admin tasks could be taken off your plate. Be ready to compromise. But if your manager won't hear any of it, maybe it's time to find a new job. Good luck!

Quiz Answer: A. Sales-tech company HubSpot has 8,000+ employees (you can read the source article here)

SHARE THE QUOTA

Help us grow, and we'll send you a reward!

How did you like today's story?

Today's email was written by Ken Kupchik, Erica Furgiuele, Steve Rado, and Emily Hill.

Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up here.

Advertise with us

Books

QUOTA MEDIA LLC

651 N. Broad Street., Suite 206
Middletown DELAWARE (DE) 19709
USA

Unsubscribe | Change Subscriber Options