Mind for Sales: Daily Habits and Practical Strategies for Sales Success

by Mark Hunter

For salespeople tired of feeling stressed out, burned out, and bummed out that their customers don’t want to hear from them, A Mind for Sales is the guide they need to develop a success mindset and the habits required to breakthrough to a whole new level of sales performance.

Everybody knows the world of sales can be tough, and it’s easy to get discouraged when the rejections start piling up, and your customers stop picking up the phone. The wrong thought patterns can start to set in, and pretty soon you aren’t making your quota and are looking through job listings on your lunch break, waiting for the axe to fall.

Mark Hunter’s own start in sales was inauspicious, to say the least. He was fired from his first two stints before he began to learn the lessons that he covers in A Mind for Sales. He discovered that sales can be incredibly rewarding, such as when your customers call you for advice, thanking you for improving their business, and letting you know they just referred you to colleagues. The difference is simply developing mindset and momentum habits.

The good news is that you can learn how to grow a mind for sales like Hunter’s: “Today, sales is my life. It has gone way past being a job. I do not even see sales as a profession anymore; it is a lifestyle, and one I am proud to be living. I cannot imagine doing anything else.”

Let A Mind for Sales inspire and prepare you to form the new thoughts and habits you need to succeed and to realize the incredible rewards that a successful life in sales makes possible.


Feel reenergized by renewed purpose and success in your sales role by following the success cycle approach outlined in the book.
Receive practical strategies on how to change your mindset and succeed in sales.
Learn the daily habits needed to maximize productivity and make hitting the ground running strategy #1.
Gain real-world insights from Hunter’s vast experience as a highly successful sales professional and sales coach.

Genres: Business, Buisness, Nonfiction, Entrepreneurship, Personal Development, Self Help

Audio CD

Published March 31, 2020

About the author

MARK HUNTER, “The Sales Hunter,” helps individuals and companies identify better prospects and build more profitable customer relationships. An award-winning sales blogger and in-demand speaker, his clients include Samsung, Coca-Cola, American Express, and Sony. He is the author of High-Profit Selling.

Reviews

[Greta (Upcloseandbookish) · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Tomorrow begins today"
A very inspiring and energising book that is perfect for anyone not just a salesperson. I would classify it more as a personal development book with the added bonus of some really interesting personal stories. I admired the passion that the author has for his life and I especially enjoyed the chapter on Mondays and how to prepare yourself for a very successful week. The author stresses throughout the book the importance of mindset on living a productive life. A motivating and practical book.

[Anna Scheller · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Mind for Sales is an important book for every sales professional.

It's been said that sales is 90% psychology, and it's true. In this book, Mark shares proven tactics and strategies to utilize and maximize your greatest assets: your mind, your time, and your network.

My favorite parts were:
10-Step Gameplan for Managing Your Week found in Chapter 2 and
the Characteristics of Top Sales Professionals in Chapter 28.

Everything in between takes you from the Game plan to embodying those characteristics.

Mark's definition of sales sums up the entire book. Sales is helping others achieve what they believe was impossible. Mark, in this book, you have done that for me!

[Jason Fennell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mindset. How is yours right now?

When I left the teaching profession in 2006, I jumped into sales scared (because I had not sold before) as well as determined (because my family was growing). My mindset was off. Then, my perspective was reshaped as it was pointed out that I had been selling as a high school Algebra teacher for 5-years to several tough teenage customers.

All things considered, we all benefit from getting our mind right. As Mark Hunter writes in his new book A Mind for Sales, "You need to master you mind but also your time and your heart to allow you to achieve the level of success you are capable of achieving long-term."

Be professional. Be reminded. Be helpful.

"Many times, the solution you are looking for is not to be found in a tool. The solution lies in a modification of your own behavior."

Mark, this is a timely resource I have filled up with highlighting so many take-aways to apply! Thank you for sharing.

[Steve Bullington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Do you remember that coach or teacher that you had in high school? The one that made you do 5 extra pushups and that was constantly tossing out quotes at you while you did them? The one that made you go back and redo the paper they gave you a B on because you could earn an A? That teacher for every Sales Professional is Mark Hunter.

In his new book A Mind for Sales which I had an opportunity to read an early copy for, Mark takes you back to those keys that are important to building a successful career in sales.

Is there some amazing new technique in this book? NOPE
Is there some phrase that will attract new customers? NOPE
Is there a remarkable time management tool? NOPE
Is there a link that takes you to the latest app? NOPE

There is just plenty of common sense, reinforcement and maybe a butt kick or two. Just like that coach who made you do those 5 extra pushups.

[Ivy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you for offering sound and solid advice! This book has changed how I approach my business. Much appreciated!!

[Michelle Weak · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mark's writing style engaged me from page one. His personal stories are real, exciting and kept me on the edge of my seat - it was crazy to read about how he grew up never imagining a career in sales yet look at him now leading the sales industry. This book has a message that everyone needs to hear, but especially right now during these times of uncertainty. It will reach and teach you wherever you are at on your sales journey and in just plain life. Oh, and I also LOVE the short chapters - it makes for an even faster read!

[Sara Gorman · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I'm not a salesperson in the traditional sense, I still found a lot of wisdom in this book. Sales Hunter is great at his craft, and shares a lot of nuggets of truth all throughout. While I didn't think this was a book I would highlight much of, be sure you have a highlighter or pen around because he drops great life lessons all throughout!

I received an ARC from the publisher, but this review is mine!

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Sales is not my job, it's my lifestyle" and "We don't close a sale, we open a relationship" really resonated with me as I read A Mind for Sales. This book is one that successfully balances impacting a reader both personally and professionally. All through the book, you can sense Mark's humor, authenticity, integrity and no-nonsense approach to leading. I felt like I was having coffee with a trusted mentor and coach during each chapter. You will keep coming back to this guide as a reference for yourself, your teams, and your overall leadership journey. Keep it on your shelf and have it ready in your Kindle when you need to pull out some wisdom and relevant tools in your day to day approach to leading! It's all about our mindset and how we lead ourselves first. Consider this an investment in your personal (and professional)development. Thanks for the transformation, Mark!
A Mind for Sales: Daily Habits and Practical Strategies for Sales Success

[Micah Yost · Rating 5 out of 5]

We are all in sales these days. This book is not just for sales professionals, but any business professional that is involved in a customer-facing role. A Mind for Sales provides practical, actionable, advice for elevating your ability to prospect and sell. While Mark has written a few other exceptional reads about prospecting and selling techniques, this book is really focused on mindset. So much of our ability to sell is really about our approach. This is a self-leadership type book that I would recommend any business professional read.

This is the type of book that you buy a dozen copies of and hand it out to your team. Get it. Read it. Take notes. Share it with friends. It's that good.

[Amee Yost · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mark's best book yet! The timing of this book couldn't have been better! So much wisdom packed into these pages- I've already been applying these strategies and am loving the results. "You do not close a sale, you open a relationship". Brilliant!

[Charlotte Raybourn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, this book is fantastic! It is a great reminder that your mind really is the winning tool to doing well in sales.

[Elias Thomase · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great read. A mind for Sales by Mark Hunter, CSP, I did not think I would enjoy this read turns out to be an insightful book. I am not in sales; I have a technical skillset. When I finished this book, I got some excellent takeaways. Mark Hunter covered some great Daily Habits and Strategies for Sales.

Daily Habits
- Build your day around your calendar with specific time blocks to complete particular activities.
- Start your day by taking ten minutes to recap all the successes you had last week and the successes you plan to have this week.
- Spend ten minutes in quiet preparation. – Focus on your faith or meditating. Reflect on who you are and all you have to be thankful for, including those around you.
- Tackle the “one thing” you know need to do. – Tackle the most challenging thing first to get it out of the way and help clear your mind.
 
 
Practical Strategies
- Do not use any time on Monday to get organized. – This is an activity you do at the end of the week or on the weekend.
- Mondays are your day to push forward on your goals. – Goals are set to be achieved, not tweaked so many times they become so easy to achieve you are able to blow past them in your sleep
 
 
 
Mark’s Mindset:
- Learn some basic daily habits to boost your productivity
- Renew your purpose and learn how to be more successful in your sales role
- Building relationship is important in everything you do.

 
 
Some of my takeaways:
- Developing the right habits by practicing them throughout the workweek.
- Plan your week out on Sunday before Monday to tackle a Productive work week.
- Set up your calendar around important activities.
- Setting the morning right with meditation and self-reflection.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had the honor of reading an advanced copy. Amazing book. I enjoyed it so much. Tips were easy to read understand. Just fabulous!

[Elizabeth Rosner · Rating 5 out of 5]

I devoured this book! Thank you #NetGalley for the advance reader digital copy. I recently retired and am now an entrepreneur. I know my industry and product; I just had very little tangible sales expertise. Mark's book changed that. Much to my delight, habits that I formed about the importance of staying organized, my Sunday routine, and MONDAYS are still applicable. What I added after reading the book is making CFT (if you want to know what this means, buy the book) on Monday morning. I also love sending hand-written notes and I'm now more intentional to complete this task early in my day as it sets the tone of gratitude early. I've been contemplating a CRM system because it just seemed like I needed one, but after his chapter on them, I am rethinking it for now. And, you won't find me on social media on Mondays any longer =) In short, I am a huge fan of this book and of Mark Hunter! I'll add that my favorite genre of books is authors reading their own work and I'm grateful that Mark reads the Audible version!

[Mukesh Gupta · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got a digital review copy of this book via NetGalley. I've known and followed the work of Mark Hunter for a long time. I even hosted him on my podcast in the past. So, i know that if he has written it, it must be good.

What surprised me and in a very pleasant way was the first section about "Loving your Monday's". I have seen many sales executives approach their Monday's lazily and exit the week celebratorily (Thank God its Friday). He shows that in order to get superb results in selling, this needs to change.

In his usual style, he shares some very hard truths, busts some myths and gives great advice that sales folks around the world would be better off listening and acting on.

[David West · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great book about sales and the mindset it takes to succeed. The book didn't include a lot of practical information about how to make calls, how to structure emails, or such things. It was geared mainly toward the attitudes and mindsets of the highly productive salesperson. I appreciated the focus on getting ready for tomorrow the night before and especially the focus on Monday as the stage from which the rest of the week is played out well.

It's on my short list to go through with my sales team. We discuss a chapter each week from a book.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had the privilege of reading an early digital copy from #NetGalley and I couldn't be happier. This was a perfect read it focuses on how a sale isn't just a sale its building a relationship. Not only that how it's different from just regular customer service. Explains how we gather information and how to use it where we add value to our customers lives. A must read for anyone who works in sales or marketing.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great read. Easy and smooth and I loved all the great tips and insight. I had the privilege of reading an advanced reader copy digitally. I highly suggest for a new perception and take on sales!

[Brooke Wright · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was required reading as a follow up to our staff Sales Conference. It may have been a generational gap, but 80% of this book simply did not resonate with me. For starters, suggesting that Sales is a 27/7 lifestyle—encouraging folks to work on Sundays to prepare for Monday morning and even saying to arrive at the office 2 hours before the earliest and leave 2 hours after the latest is a recipe for burnout that Millennials and Gen Z will not tolerate. I was also shocked at the references of MySpace, AOL, and VHS tapes in this book published in 2020.

Mark lost a lot of credibility right off the bat with me by starting the book out with stories of getting fired from his first two sales jobs as well. I get that he was trying to create a moment of relatability, but it really just fell flat.

A lot of this book felt like a Sales Help circle jerk. Mark continuously called out his other books for continued learning and named dropped his other Sales Help Book author colleagues as his “Mastermind Group” in his top network triangle. Including in social selling and networking, Mark clearly has a lot of negative feelings around the internet and change in general that will resonate with traditional yellow page salespeople, but not everyone in the current work force falls into that category.

I was very disappointed by the lack of representation in this book as well. Of the 32 quotes at the beginning of chapters and section breaks, only 5 of those quotes were from women.

There were a few nuggets of great information: starting off Monday mornings with things that will bring success and confidence, and the entire chapter about responding to a “No” were filled with excellent advice and sample questions. But these nuggets of corn in an overall steaming pile are not a recipe for a good book or one worth your time. Go ahead and take this one out of your prospecting pipeline—the ROI is simply not there, even if you’re just playing the numbers game for your upper management.

[Bree Hagen]

I was fortunate enough to read an early copy of A Mind For Sales prior to it's release. At first upon reviewing, I thought to myself, how is this book different from others I've read and then I realized it's not different in it's content. It is, however, VASTLY different in it's delivery. Common sense seems just that, however in the words of Brendon Burchard, "Common Sense is not always Common Practice" and that is exactly what Author Mark Hunter captures with this book. This book I would call the when people stop at 50, you stop at 75. Go the extra mile or ten. It's common sense sales strategy that is delivered in a way that is no fluff, say it how it is or how it should be content.

Why would/should you read this book? Because all of us can get caught up in the next shiny object, the latest technology that will make us that much better, etc., how about just read and integrate some salt of the earth actionable strategies that when you have your mind right and practice common sense, they work, vs. trying to find the next best thing that "might". A very fast read, but have a highlighter ready to go!

[Dave Irwin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think sales books are some of the best, most motivational self-help books you can find and while this book was written well, I did feel it was a little disappointing. Maybe it was more a case of judging a book by its cover, or rather, by its title.

I this could have been called More Sales on Monday or something like that since the one thing I got from it above all others is that Monday is the most important day of the week for prospecting. It also talks about how if you don't start your Monday on Sunday, you can forget having a successful week. I fundamentally disagree with this idea. While I paraphrased that is the impression I came away from the book with.

There is certainly some excellent actionable advice for salespeople in the book, but I don't think it was as effective as it could be in communicating them.

[John Hulede · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good book focused on the mindset of sales and how to reframe your thinking. I admire and relate to the notion of focusing on helping others, as opposed to trying to make money or overachieving quota. I also love the aspect that bad customers should not be seen as simply bad customers. Sometimes, we should reevaluate if they bad customers because we have not listened to their needs, put them first, or answered their concerns. Sometimes, bad customers are such because of a bad sales process. Also, the book hones in on the differences between good salespeople and average ones: preparation, how they start their week, and how well they listen and help others are my main takeaways.

[Hillary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a great read! I wish that this book had been written when I was on my first sales team! Easy to read and great examples and encouragement to hone the craft of sales. I enjoyed Mark’s storytelling style and perspective. Helpful ideas and tactical suggestions that can move the needle on success in sales and further more give insight into what sales people are facing. A good read for others that are on a larger support team too.
I received an advance copy of A Mind for Sales from the publisher.

[Rod Moser · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a Real Estate coach and trainer, I am always looking for new material for my clients. Having read many self help and mindset books through the years, there was not a lot of new stuff. We have heard and know what we need to do. It is getting it done that requires discipline and constant pushing. Mark Hunter is the 'get it done' guy and the book is well worth the time and energy invested.

This is a book I would keep by my morning reading chair to keep me going and give me the boost I need before tackling my morning sales calls. Well done and easy to read.

[Jigar Dave · Rating 4 out of 5]

I started reading sales related books in lockdown as a measure to create alternate roles, I am happy I came across this book that gives a lot of insights in sales, something like planning for Week in advance, Mondays are for selling. Sales Lifestyle, The author has also dedicated chapters in thrashing the automation tootls or apps that companies employ for salesforce optimization. Overall a good read.

[Benjamin Arp · Rating 4 out of 5]

As an avid reader of sales books I thought that Mark Hunter did a good job with this one. His approach was to look at the mind (or mindset) of an effective salesperson. While the book had practical advice it was not tactical around scripts, cadences, or any of the usual sales enablement talk. Instead he focuses on how to use your time, how to think about your job, how to prepare for your week, and the importance of frequent interaction with customers.

[Alexander Sorto · Rating 4 out of 5]

A motivational/ best practices read for sales

This book was motivating for me during tough times in my sales journey, which I will always be grateful for. The specificity and authenticity of the content really allows the author to relate to you on a deeper level than most books or "tips." I also appreciate the versatility of this book where it can apply to a salesperson whether a beginner or veteran/ different types of sales.

[Lisa Brewer · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best sales books I've read. It was practical and inspirational. While not overtly religious in tone, it included occasional mentions of the author's faith. I appreciated that. I loved the how to and to do lists. Pretty much, I want to copy every salient point onto an index card and plaster them all over my dressing room mirror. It's that good. This one is a keeper.
And I already always loved Mondays. :)

[Ambivert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Listened to the audio version.

I hated sales to the core, this book somehow altered my beliefs about selling. This is about selling with integrity and greater purpose. I am nowhere near, in my career, going to pick up a phone and start a selling pitch; but I'm sure have the intention to provide incremental value in any transactions in life. I'm after the psychology behind it.

Good book for anyone starting a career in sales and running a business.

[Bruce Harpham]

A refreshing take on sales from a veteran sales trainer and author. I found it interesting to learn about Hunter's entry to the world of sales and early challenges in the field. I read this book as an audiobook and found it valuable. I would recommend the book in particular for people in B2B sales and those with a long term approach to sales.