Podcast Summary:

Podcast: Andy Elliott's Elite Mindset Motivation and Sales Training
Episode: 90% of Sales People Do THIS Wrong! | Andy Elliott
Date: August 29, 2025
Host: Andy Elliott

Overview

In this high-energy episode, Andy Elliott, CEO of The Elliott Group, passionately outlines the 20 most common mistakes that 90% of salespeople make—and how these blunders limit their earning potential. With the promise that mastering these insights can transform any salesperson at any stage in their career, Andy delivers a direct, motivational, and unapologetically blunt training session. The episode is fast-paced, actionable, and intended to be the only sales training you need to revisit, promising, as Andy puts it, "a punch" of realization and action.

Core Theme

Main Purpose:
To reveal the 20 critical errors that hold most salespeople back and to provide actionable mindsets and strategies for reaching elite success in sales.
Andy’s Tone:
Intense, motivational, blunt, and personal—with a deep belief in every listener’s potential for growth.

Key Insights and Discussion Points

1. The Top 10 Things 90% of Salespeople Do Wrong

(00:35–07:55)

1. Talking Too Much / Pitching Instead of Listening
“Customers don’t care about your product until you care about their problem. You don’t listen.” (01:13, Andy)
2. Not Asking Questions
“You assume you know what the customer wants... Let them tell you, then you’ll know.” (02:00, Andy)
3. Failing to Follow Up
“Pros follow up for months, even years. Amateurs or pros? We’re in a world full of amateurs right now.” (02:39, Andy)
4. Not Preparing
“They wing it. Write that down. That word makes me sick... Instead of mastering the art of mastering.” (03:35, Andy)
5. Focusing on Price, Not Value
“If value exceeds price, is the price too high? No, because the value is over the price.” (04:13, Andy)
6. Lack of Emotional Control
“They get defensive or frustrated when a customer pushes back… they get spun up, they get spun out all the time.” (05:00, Andy)
7. Skipping Relationship Building
“They treat customers like transactions instead of freaking people. Don’t ever do that.” (05:32, Andy)
8. Avoiding Role Play and Training
“They think they’re too good to practice so they stay average instead of being savage.” (05:56, Andy)
9. Blaming the Customer
“Winners create their own reality, they create their own economy. You know how it goes. We own everything.” (06:37, Andy)
10. Not Tracking Numbers or Data
“Data don’t lie. If you look at the data, it’ll tell you how to win.” (07:25, Andy)

2. Mindset: Everyone Starts the Same

(07:55–09:05)

Emphasis on Shared Experience:
“We've all had the same feelings... All I wanted was dependable success. Write that down. Dependable success, that's all of us want.” (08:25, Andy)
Progress Makes Us Happy:
“You know what makes us happy? Progress.” (08:43, Andy)

3. The Second 10: Advanced Mistakes Salespeople Make

(09:05–16:49)

11. Fear of Rejection
“The reason why they never become who they’re supposed to become is because they fear rejection.” (09:15, Andy)
- Notable advice: “If you’re scared, do it scared, it’s fine. Still do it though.” (09:45, Andy)
12. Not Building/Sustaining a Pipeline
“They stop prospecting and rely on only a few leads... Always got to be growing the pipeline.” (10:09, Andy)
13. Not Differentiating Themselves
“They sound like every other salesperson, instead of showing why they’re unique. You want to stand out.” (10:45, Andy)
14. Ignoring Customer Timelines
“They push for a close without understanding when the customer is ready to buy.” (11:33, Andy)
15. Selling Features, Not Solutions
“It’s not about product knowledge, okay? It’s about people knowledge. People buy solutions... They buy the vacation, not the check-in at the airport.” (12:04, Andy)
- Memorable example: “When people go to buy a drill gun, do they want the drill gun or do they want the hole in the wall? They want the hole in the wall.” (12:35, Andy)
16. Poor Objection Handling
“They freeze or they get defensive. They always freeze up, okay? Because they don’t know how to handle objections.” (13:25, Andy)
17. Not Setting Goals
“Write this down. People don’t plan to fail. They fail to plan. That’s it.” (13:42, Andy)
- Ritual: “The night before you go to work, you should always know what the next day’s expectations are.” (14:05, Andy)
18. Not Adapting to Their Customer
“I’m a chameleon... But they don’t adapt to the customer. They use the same approach for every customer instead of tailoring their pitch.” (14:39, Andy)
19. Quitting Too Soon
“They quit sales. They didn’t make it because they didn’t stick around long enough to see what their efforts could have produced.” (15:25, Andy)
20. Lack of Confidence / Self-Belief
“They don’t believe in themselves. They lack confidence. And it shows in every single conversation.” (15:52, Andy)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

“Customers don’t care about your product until you care about their problem.” (01:13, Andy)
“Pros follow up for months, even years. We’re in a world full of amateurs right now.” (02:39, Andy)
“They wing it. Write that down. That word makes me sick.” (03:35, Andy)
“They think they’re too good to practice so they stay average instead of being savage.” (05:56, Andy)
“If you’re scared, do it scared.” (09:45, Andy)
“They buy the vacation, not the check-in at the airport.” (12:04, Andy)
“People don’t plan to fail. They fail to plan.” (13:42, Andy)

Timestamp Guide

00:00 – Episode opens; Andy frames the video as "all you need" and introduces the 90% vs. 10% concept
00:35 – Begins countdown of the 20 critical mistakes
07:55 – Key mindset: everyone wants dependable success
09:05 – The final 10 mistakes and deeper-level pitfalls
13:25–15:52 – Covers mindset, planning, blending with the customer, and self-belief

Closing Emphasis

Andy reiterates that recognizing these 20 mistakes is the first step, but action and coaching are what make the difference.
He offers a complimentary 15-minute strategy call, reinforcing the importance of mentorship:
“Once you figure out what it is, question is, how do you solve it?... Who can help me solve it. And that’s me.” (09:00, Andy)
Leaves listeners with the rallying cry to watch, internalize, share, and take massive action:
“Watch this video 50 times... Show up on the call. It’ll change your life.” (16:43, Andy)

Summary Table: The 20 Mistakes

| # | Mistake | |----|-------------------------------------| | 1 | Talking too much | | 2 | Not asking questions | | 3 | Failing to follow up | | 4 | Not preparing | | 5 | Focusing on price, not value | | 6 | Lacking emotional control | | 7 | Skipping relationship building | | 8 | Avoiding role play/training | | 9 | Blaming the customer | | 10 | Not tracking data/numbers | | 11 | Fear of rejection | | 12 | Not building a pipeline | | 13 | Not differentiating themselves | | 14 | Ignoring customer timelines | | 15 | Selling features, not solutions | | 16 | Poor objection handling | | 17 | Not setting goals | | 18 | Not adapting to the customer | | 19 | Quitting too soon | | 20 | Lack of self-belief/confidence |

This episode is a rapid-fire diagnostic and motivational blueprint for any salesperson looking to level up. Andy’s approach is direct, actionable, and delivered with relentless energy—leaving no excuse for staying average.

Transcript

A (0:00)

90% of salespeople do these things wrong. By the way, this is the only sales training video on YouTube that you need to watch anywhere in the world. If you watch this one video, it will point out exactly why you're not earning what you're worth. By the way, there's no fee for this video. It is free. The only thing that I ask is you watch it to the end. One, two, you subscribe and three, you share it with your sales friends. Alright, so Here we go. 90%. Who's the top 10% in the world that are going to get all 20 of these things right? I don't know. Watch the whole video. Number one, they talk too much. They pitch instead of listening. Customers don't care about your product until you care about their problem. You don't listen. This is a huge problem right here. And by the way, number two, they don't ask questions. Everybody say assume. They assume they know what the customer wants instead of uncovering their real pain points. I see this all the time. You don't ask questions. You think you know what everyone needs. You don't know. Let them tell you, then you'll know. Number three, fail to follow up. There is one way that I know a salesperson will be successful and make it. And that's if they're taught to follow up Right when they start their sales industry. They give up after one or two calls. Everybody say pro. Pros follow up for months, even years. Amateurs or pros? We're in a world full of amateurs right now. Only the pros follow up. Months, years. Number four. They don't prepare. You see this everywhere across the world. Sales. They wing it. Write that down. That word makes me sick. Makes me just want to slap somebody. They wing it. Instead of mastering the art of mastering. Look, dude, most people are a master of none. You master the art of scripts. Objection. Handling and your pitch. You're prepared. You're the most dangerous person at the table. Number five. Focus on price, not value. When value exceeds. If this is the price of your product, I don't care if it's high, low, whatever. This is the price. If value exceeds price, is the price too high? No, because the value is over the price. So the price is low. That's the game. Focus on price, not value. This is 90% of why salespeople aren't winning. They sell discounts. Anybody Right now, comment below the name of the guy that works in your company that sells discounts to everybody. And if it's you, just put me, okay? They sell discounts. Instead of showing, show, not selling. Showing why their product is worth every penny. They sell the discount. Show why your product is worth every freaking penny. Number six, they lack emotional control. Guys, take a look at this here, here. We keep rolling. By the way, I took the time to write this down. You take the time to study it and pay attention, please. This will change your life. Number six, lack emotional control. You say, what is that? They get defensive or frustrated when a customer pushes back. Comment below the guy in your company right now that you know, that literally gets triggered. That gets defensive. And they literally, they're always spun up. You know, we say they get spun up, they get spun out all the time and they push back. That's emotional control. Okay? Number seven, they skip relationship building. This is huge. They treat customers like transactions. Look at that. That is a no, no. Never be transactional, Be relational. Okay? But they treat customers like transactions instead of freaking people. Don't ever do that. Number eight, they avoid role playing, training. Hello. That's what we're doing right now. These people don't do that. They think they're too good to practice so they stay average instead of being savage. Okay? Number nine, they blame the customer. Holy cow. Comment below your buddy again. Hit them up, right? They lose a sale and they blame the market. They blame the economy, and then they blame the customer. Instead of owning their mistakes, guys, winners create their own reality, they create their own economy. You know how it goes. We own everything. We're delusional. Everything that we say is going to happen is going to happen. And if it doesn't happen, guess what? We love you. On to the next. Bam. We get the next one. All right, number 10, they don't track their numbers, guys. Data don't lie. I see a lot of people, they make like gut into it. Like, I think this is what's wrong. I think that's what's wrong. You know, I think this is what's happening. Look at the data. Data doesn't lie. If you look at the data, it'll tell you how to win. So they have no idea how many calls, follow ups or closes that they're making. And if you don't know the data, you're in big, big trouble. Okay? So every one of you watching this, guys, I am you and you are me. We're all in different places, but we've all had the same feelings. Remember getting rejected, I remember someone telling me no and I didn't know what to say. I remember wondering why there was another person that was making a lot of money. And I wasn't. I remember making a lot of money and then I would make money again and I would go for two months not making money. All I wanted was dependable success. Write that down. Dependable success, that's all of us want. And we want to grow. You know what makes us happy? Progress. Okay, so do me a favor. If you've noticed these first 10, I'm about to go into the last 10 right now. This is 20 things. The greatest sales training video you could ever have on planet earth to realize what you need to work on is this video right now. But once you figure out what it is, question is, how do you solve it? It's not. And it's not even how. It's who. Who can help me solve it. And that's me. And I'd love to personally coach you. Look, there's a link below right now, guys. You can click on it now or you can finish watching these last 10 and go to it. But I'll say this, I would love to set up a 15 minute strategy call. It doesn't cost you anything. Go to the link below down in the description box in this YouTube video. Schedule a call with me, okay? Write down what these things are that you want to work on. We'll handle it on the call and I'll give you a play. I'll give you the blueprint so you make more money than you ever imagined and you can kick ass. Okay? Alright, so number 11, let's go right here. Fear of rejection. This is huge. 90% of people, the reason why they never become who they're supposed to become is because they fear rejection. They avoid tough conversations. Listen to this. They just are just so scared of the word freaking. No, I always say this. If you're scared, do it scared, it's fine. Still do it though, okay? They avoid tough conversations and objections because they're scared of getting no. You guys know who that person is, okay? And if that's you, if you're scared, do it scared, okay? You failed to build a pipeline. This is massive in sales. They stop prospecting and rely on only a few leads. And instead of constantly adding new ones, you always got to be growing the pipeline. Okay? Number 13, they don't differentiate themselves. This is huge. You guys already know I'm different than a lot of salespeople, okay? And people are like, oh, that guy's different. Yeah, I know. That's the reason why I outperform everyone. And you can do the same thing. Listen, what I'm about to say here, they sound like every other salesperson, instead of showing why they're unique, okay? You. You want to stand out. You want to be different. You want to make relationships that others can't. You got to be the linchpin in this industry. Okay, number 14, they ignore the customer's timelines. Do I want you guys to close deals? Yeah. Do I need you to sometimes go into high pressure and when someone's not ready, give them the reasons and excuses why they should say yes today and now? Yes. But listen to this. They ignore the customer's timelines. They push for a close without understanding. The key word here is understanding when the customer is ready to buy. If you can understand when, why the customers chose to not do it now, then you can give them reasons and excuses why they should do it now. And then lastly, right here, number 15, they sell features, not solutions. Remember this, it's not about product knowledge, okay? It's about people knowledge. And also it's people buy solutions. They buy the vacation, not the check in at the airport. At the tsa. They buy the vacation. They want to talk about the beach in Hawaii. When people go to buy a drill gun, do they want the drill gun or do they want the hole in the wall? They want the hole in the wall. The hole in the wall is a solution that they can hang up the picture they have. Does that make sense? It's not the drill gun. I could tell you what all this drill gun does, but bottom line is they want to know if it's going to make that hole. So that's the solution. If you guys are picking up what I'm putting down, they talk about what the product does instead of how it solves the customer's problems. Every single thing that you do when you're selling something is that you're selling how the product that you have, how that solution will solve their problem. Find a need, fill the need. Number 16, they don't handle objections well, okay? They freeze or they get defensive. They always freeze up, okay? Because they don't know how to handle objections. They haven't trained. Number 17, they fail to set goals. Write this down. People don't plan to fail. They fail to plan. That's it. People don't plan to fail. They just don't have a plan. So that's the reason why it happens. They show up to work without notice, a word without clear plan or a target for the day. Don't ever do that the night before you go to work. You should always know what the next day's expectations are. Super important. Especially if you want to become a high achiever. Number 18, they don't adapt to their customer. This is a big one. I'm a chameleon, so whoever I'm around, If you're green, I'm going to go green. If you're black, I'm going black. If you're brown, I'm going brown. If you're yellow, I'm going yellow. If you're quiet, I'll go quiet for a minute. I will lift your energy up, but I promise you, I am a chameleon. But they don't adapt to the customer. They use the same approach. Look at that. They're just the same person no matter what I do. There's 100% of the world and you're targeting 2% of the pie because you can't relate with the other 98%. Okay? So they use the same approach for every customer. Instead of tailoring their pitch, you got to move it around a little bit, just depending on who you're talking to. Last two, number 19, they quit too soon. Okay, Right, right now. Comment below. The buddy who could have made it and they quit. So they quit sales. They didn't make it because they didn't stick around long enough to see what their efforts could have produced. Comment below. Right now. Put their name in there. Be like, dude, I tagged you on YouTube. Right? They don't stick around long enough to see the long term payoff for their efforts. And number 20, this is a big one. They don't believe in themselves. They lack confidence. And it shows in every single conversation. They lack confidence. Guys, I went quick through this video because I wanted you guys to get like a punch. Like, boom. Like, okay, whoa, wait, one through 20. Let's watch it again. Hey, watch this video 50 times. Remember I said there's no fee for this, so share it with a friend. And by the way, all 20 of these, I deep dive in on my training system. But most importantly, I know that every single one of you, you have a crack in your castle. There's a gap from where you are to where you want to go, and there's a bridge to get you there. And so below, guys, there's a link. Set up a 15 minute strategy. Call with me. It's very simple. We'll figure out what it is that you need. And if you really want to go there, we'll create a plan and we'll crush it. We'll dominate. We'll annihilate. I love you guys. God bless. Watch this video 50 times. Set up a call with me. Do it now. Show up on the call. It'll change your life. And don't forget, subscribe to the video and share it with a friend. See you in the next video.