Oct 14, 2026 · 27 min · 10 segments
What separates businesses that consistently generate sales from those that struggle to turn opportunities into results? In this episode, we sit down with **Dave Kahle**, an experienced sales…
Dave KahleGuestAmosHostUm, Dave, after more than 30 years as a sales consultant and speaker, how has your understanding of what makes someone successful in sales change over the course of years, your year of career?
It cer- certainly on the surface of things because, uh, today technology is so much more a part of every salesperson's tools, whereas, uh, you know, when I first started that, that was not the case.
But the characteristic, I mean, I, it, it still takes a certain, uh, combination of qualities of character and practices and, and attitudes, you know, to be successful in sales.
So while the, while the surface of things has changed, lots of technology, the core, what it means to, what it, what it takes to be successful, I think is pretty much still the same.
Okay.
Uh, thanks for that.
So, um, that being said, there are many people who can sell almost everything, and there are people who struggle even when they have a great product.
What do you believe separates a truly effective salesperson from an average one?
Well, I, you know, I, I, I'm asked that question often, and my first response is one thing that the, let's call the masters, the excellent salespeople do that the average don't, is they wanna be excellent.
I know that sounds a little harsh, but, but to excel at anything, whether it's sales or entrepreneurship or anything, you h- you have to, you have to pay the price.
You have to want to be successful, and you, and that means that you, not only must you want it, but you have to pay the price, that you have to invest.
And so probably the first difference between s- excellent salespeople and mediocre salespeople is excellent salespeople wanna be good.
They keep finding things to add to their routines, and so that's, that's the first difference.
You want me, you want me to go into some detail on this and, and talk about some other things?
Um, Dave, after more than 30 years as a sales consultant and speaker, how has your understanding of what makes someone successful in sales change over the course of years, your year of career?
It cer- certainly on the surface of things because, uh, today technology is so much more a part of every salesperson's tools, whereas, uh, you know, when I first started that, that was not the case.
But the characteristic, I mean, I, it, it still takes a certain, uh, combination of qualities of character and practices and, and attitudes, you know, to be successful in sales.
So while the, while the surface of things has changed, lots of technology, the core, what it means to, what it, what it takes to be successful, I think is pretty much still the same.
Okay.
Uh, thanks for that.
So, um, that being said, there are many people who can sell almost everything, and there are people who struggle even when they have a great product.
What do you believe separates a truly effective salesperson from an average one?
Well, I, you know, I, I, I'm asked that question often, and my first response is one thing that the, let's call the masters, the excellent salespeople do that the average don't, is they wanna be excellent.
I know that sounds a little harsh, but, but to excel at anything, whether it's sales or entrepreneurship or anything, you h- you have to, you have to pay the price.
You have to want to be successful, and you, and that means that you, not only must you want it, but you have to pay the price, that you have to invest.
And so probably the first difference between s- excellent salespeople and mediocre salespeople is excellent salespeople wanna be good.
They keep finding things to add to their routines, and so that's, that's the first difference.
You want me, you want me to go into some detail on this and, and talk about some other things?
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