June 20, 2026 | Read online
I’m not sure if it’s all the love I’m seeing from and for the Scott’s and the Tartan Army while they’re here in Boston during the World Cup or all the conversations I’m having with clients, prospects, and partners, but this week was a week of renewed optimism for me and seemingly others.
Last week, my newsletter (Here we go again) was about how I tend to go into full-blown prospecting and recon mode when times get tough, and pipeline dries up. People say sales isn’t about the numbers. I call bullshit, and I can prove it.
Below is what my calendar looked like in early April. I color-code everything and “Prospect Meetings” are highlighted in a different shade of light green, which is a color not represented on the calendar below.
And this was one of the better weeks in April/May for me, with at least a few meetings with partners and clients.
So, I went back to focusing on what I could control - E.A.T - My Effort, Attitude, and how I Treat other people.
I reset my ICP, updated my messaging, and tripled down on my activity by creating and executing sequences, combing through LinkedIn, sending video messages, hitting up old clients, talking to as many partners and colleagues as I could, going to events, and more. I also tried to help as many people as I could by sharing what I was seeing, any content I thought would help, and making introductions wherever I could.
Here’s the hard data over 7 weeks: 601 outbound emails/calls sent, 85 LinkedIn videos/voicemails, 26 prospect meetings booked, 32 partner conversations, and 16 previous client meetings, all resulting in over $565k added to the pipeline.
Here’s what my calendar looked like this week. All the prospecting meetings are highlighted in light green with a red arrow next to them.
I always say that a big fat pipeline solves most other problems at the other stages of the sales process, like objection handling, negotiations, closing, etc. When you have a big fat pipeline, you WANT the business, you don’t NEED the business. When you want the business, you sell the right way (genuinely curious, sell on their timeline, not yours, etc). When you need the business, you tend to do some shady shit (offer massive discounts, go over people’s heads, etc)
And what solves an empty pipeline? GETTING THE FUCK AFTER IT!
I’m done complaining or worrying about what AI is doing to the industry and my profession. I can’t control any of that. I can still E.A.T., though.
If you’re looking for some help with motivation, feel free to ping me on Instagram (@JohnMBarrows). DM me a video of what you’re dealing with, and I’ll get right back to you.
If you want to invest in yourself and leverage the same tools and systems I use to drive results, then you can join the JB Sales Membership or my Elite 1:1 coaching program, but ONLY if you're willing to put in the work. There are no silver bullets and perfect templates included.
Lastly, if you’re looking for a bit of optimism, here are a few resources you can start listening to and filling your Instagram feed with:
Podcast:
Instagram:
#MakePositivityHappen
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