Strategic discipline drives focus, Energy Drives Results

Energy, not time, is the fundamental currency of high performance.

Sales teams are under more pressure than ever: longer buying cycles, tighter budgets, and increasingly cautious decision-makers. In this environment, the teams that win won’t be the ones working the most hours. They’ll be the ones using their energy wisely—staying focused, aligned, and in their sweet spot.

Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz said it best in The Power of Full Engagement: “Energy, not time, is the fundamental currency of high performance.”

If your sales professionnals are spending energy on the wrong clients, unqualified deals, or firefighting internal issues, they’ll burn out—fast. But if their attention is directed to the right opportunities, supported by strong leadership and clear structure, that same energy will drive performance and resilience.

 1. Trade “Busy” for “Working in the Sweet Spot”

Lots of emails, demos, and follow-ups might make a rep look productive, but if that effort isn’t creating real progress, it’s just motion without movement. What really builds momentum is time spent in the sweet spot—working with the right clients on the right deals, where the rep feels energized and the opportunity is aligned.

When reps spend too much time chasing poor-fit leads or handling internal friction, their energy gets drained fast. Over time, that shows up in missed targets, high stress, and stalled pipeline velocity.

Try this: Ask in every weekly team meeting:
“What gave you energy this week? What pulled you out of your sweet spot?”
Look for recurring patterns. Use those insights to remove common drains and help your team stay focused on what actually moves deals forward.

 2. Coach energy, not just pipelines

Reviewing deal status and updating forecasts is part of the job—but it’s not enough. Great sales leaders also coach reps on where their energy is going. Are they energized by their accounts, or grinding through low-yield deals? Are they operating with clarity, or just reacting to pressure?

Loehr’s work emphasizes that sustainable high performance requires managing energy—physically, emotionally, and mentally. When reps feel clear, focused, and supported, they don’t just perform better—they last longer.

Try this: Add one key question to your 1-on-1s:
“What’s taking more energy than it’s worth right now?”
This opens the door to real coaching—where you can help reps requalify deals, rebalance workload, or shift their strategy to get back to what works.

3. Turn cross-functional meetings into real sales enablement

Too often, internal meetings are seen as a time sink. Reps leave feeling more confused than supported. That’s wasted energy—and it adds friction to every stage of the sales cycle.

But when sales, marketing, and product teams come together with purpose, they can actually fuel each other. Instead of throwing problems over the wall, they solve them together. Sales shares customer insights, marketing tightens messaging, and product provides clarity on what’s possible. That’s when alignment becomes a true energy boost.

Try this: Start a 15-minute weekly  - “Momentum huddles" with sales, marketing, and product.
Keep it tight. Share one customer win, one thing that’s helping move deals forward, and one place someone needs help. These quick check-ins build shared awareness and get everyone pulling in the same direction.

 4. Promote language that protects energy

You can’t coach or reinforce what your team can’t name. If you want to help reps stay in their sweet spot, give them the vocabulary to describe what that looks like—and what it doesn’t.

Naming the right types of wins helps reps focus. Naming the wrong types of deals gives them permission to walk away. And when that language gets repeated in dashboards, huddles, and coaching sessions, it becomes part of the culture.

Try this: Define 3 key terms with your team:

• Sweet Spot Deals: Aligned, high-fit, high-energy.
• Drain Accounts: High-effort, low-return, morale killers.
• Momentum Wins: Clean closes that spark energy across functions.
  Use this language consistently. When reps know what to look for—and what to avoid—they make better decisions, faster.

5. Develop energy building skills

We train reps on products and processes. But in today’s sales environment, that’s not enough. Reps also need energy skills: the ability to stay focused, rebound from setbacks, and manage their attention through long, complex buying cycles.

Loehr calls this “training for performance energy.” It’s about building rituals that help reps reset, refocus, and stay engaged even when deals slow down or pressure builds.

Try this: Hold a 30-minute “Reset Session” once a month. Ask questions like:

• What’s been draining your energy this month?
• What’s one shift that would help you get back into your sweet spot?
• What’s one thing you need more of to finish the quarter strong?
  These conversations build resilience and keep your team operating from a place of strength—not survival.

Sales success in 2025 won’t come from grinding harder—it will come from making sure your team's energy is optimized! That means keeping your team in their sweet spot, helping them avoid unnecessary drains, and giving them tools to manage their energy with intention.