Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

It’s Only Common Sense: You’ve Got to Hustle

We can’t control many things: the economy, what our competitors are doing, and even sometimes what our customers think. But one thing that’s fully within our control is how hard we work. As a professional salesperson, if you’re not willing to put in the hustle and outwork everyone else in the room, you’ll be left behind.

Let’s get something straight immediately: There are no shortcuts in sales. There’s no magic formula that will allow you to succeed without putting in the effort. The idea that working smarter can replace hard work is a myth. It’s not one or the other. It’s both. Working harder and smarter is the only way to win.

We love hearing stories about overnight successes. Someone launched a product or closed a deal that took them from zero to hero in no time. But the reality is there’s no such thing as overnight success. If you dig deeper into those stories, you’ll find a history of relentless work, years of hustling, countless hours of preparation, and likely a string of failures that preceded that “big break.”

I remember a colleague, “Mike,” who everyone thought was an overnight success in sales. He landed a massive account that turned him into the top salesperson in the company. What most people didn’t know was that Mike had been nurturing that relationship for years. He didn’t wake up one day and decide to go after this account. He invested time, energy, and effort into building trust, maintaining contact, and proving his value before the deal ever materialized.

Mike worked longer hours than most of us. He was the first one in the office and the last one to leave. While others were wrapping up their day, Mike was making one last phone call, writing one more email, and planning the next day's strategy. That’s the hustle. That’s the hard work people don’t see, but is critical to success.

Sales isn’t just about talent. It’s about discipline. It’s about showing up every day with a plan, putting in the hours, and doing the things other people aren’t willing to do. I’ve seen too many salespeople who think they can coast by on charm or connections, but they burn out or fade away because they don’t put in the work.

Sarah is a salesperson I mentored years ago. When she started, she wasn’t closing deals left and right, but she was hungry to learn. She asked questions, took detailed notes, and, more importantly, put in the work. Sarah made twice as many cold calls as anyone else on the team. She followed up every lead, every time. She showed up at networking events even after long days in the office. Guess what? In a few months, she dominated. The deals came her way, not because she was the most talented salesperson, but because she was the hardest working.

Sarah didn’t wait for opportunities to come to her; she created them. By putting in the work, she got her name in front of the right people, made the right connections, and built the relationships that led to her success. That’s what hustle does. It opens doors that might otherwise stay closed.

Now, let’s talk about working smart. Yes, hard work is non-negotiable, but if you’re just grinding without a plan, you will burn out fast. Working smart means being strategic about where you invest your energy. It’s about knowing which customers to focus on, how to manage your time, and when to walk away from a deal.

I once had a conversation with a sales rep who was working harder than anyone I knew, but he was still struggling. When we sat down and reviewed his pipeline, he was spending too much time on accounts that weren’t going anywhere. He wasn’t prioritizing his efforts; he was just throwing himself at every opportunity with the same intensity. That’s not working smart.

After refocusing his energy on high-potential accounts and using his time more effectively, he started seeing genuine progress. He was still hustling, but now he was hustling in the right direction.

Let’s face it: Sales is hard. There are days when it feels like you’re banging your head against a wall. You’ll make a hundred calls and get rejected a hundred times. But the difference between those who succeed and those who don’t is persistence. Hard work doesn’t always pay off immediately, but it always pays off, eventually.

Think about the process of planting seeds. You plant them, water them, and for a while, it seems like nothing’s happening. But under the surface, roots are forming. Growth is happening that you can’t see. It’s the same with hard work in sales. The work you put in today might not pay off tomorrow, but if you keep showing up and putting in the effort, you’ll eventually reap the rewards.

There’s no magic trick in sales. No app, no software, no "hack" that will replace the grind. If you’re looking for one, you’re already losing. The top salespeople aren’t the ones looking for an easy way; they’re the ones who understand that success is a result of sweat, effort, and hustle.

If you’re willing to outwork everyone else, you’ll beat them. It’s that simple. Don’t get distracted by those who try to find shortcuts or rely on luck. As the saying goes, “The harder I work, the luckier I get.”

Success in sales is something that individuals earn, not something that is given to them. It comes to those who put in the work, day in and day out—without excuses. The person who makes the extra call, follows up one more time, and hustles long after everyone else has clocked out wins.

You don’t have to be the smartest, the most charming, or even the most experienced salesperson. But if you’re willing to work harder and smarter than everyone else, you’ll find yourself on top. Hustle matters. Hard work matters. And in the end, that’s what will make you a winner.

It’s only common sense.

Dan Beaulieu is president of D.B. Management Group.