Oh, the Sales You’ll Close! Leadership Lessons from Read Across America Day

“The more that you read, the more things you will know.
The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.”
— Dr. Seuss

C-suite executives, VPs, and elite sales leaders—you already know that revenue doesn’t grow on trees. It grows in the minds of those who invest in learning. In honor of Read Across America Day, let’s take a page from Dr. Seuss and explore how the best sales leaders don’t just read books—they devour knowledge, disrupt outdated strategies, and rewrite the playbook on success.

At Forrest Performance Group (FPG), we believe in this universal truth: Great leaders are great readers. But not just readers of books—readers of trends, buyers, behavior, and most importantly, themselves. Today, we’re turning the page on mediocrity and writing a new chapter on bold, elite, high-performance sales leadership.

“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose.”

The best sales leaders take ownership of their mindset and direction. They don’t wait for someone else to give them the “right” strategy or permission to evolve. Instead, they:

• Challenge Limiting Beliefs – Just because “this is how we’ve always done it” doesn’t mean it’s how you should keep doing it. High performers read to shatter old paradigms and unlock new possibilities.

• Lead by Example – Want your team to be coachable? Show them what it looks like by being the first to seek out learning opportunities. When leaders invest in growth, teams follow.

• Adopt a ‘Learning Velocity’ Mindset – The faster you learn, the faster you adapt. The faster you adapt, the faster you close deals. Reading isn’t just about knowledge—it’s about execution.

“Think left and think right and think low and think high. Oh, the things you can think up if only you try!”

Innovation is the fuel of elite sales leadership. If you’re stuck in old ways of selling, your revenue will stay stuck, too. Learning keeps your brain flexible, your strategies fresh, and your pipeline full. Consider this:

Are you leveraging AI and immersive technology in sales training? (Apple Vision Pro is transforming how we train salespeople—are you ahead of the curve?)

• Are you using price anchoring like Mr. Beast? (He made chocolate bars fly off the shelves—are you framing your value in a way that makes buying irresistible?)

• Are you adapting to how prospects think, not just how you want to sell? (Buyers aren’t rational—they’re emotional. If you’re not tapping into that, you’re losing sales.)

• Are you coaching your team to remove their fear of rejection? (Repeated exposure to objections in a safe, simulated environment is how you build sales warriors.)

Great sales leaders think beyond today’s strategy. They anticipate shifts, embrace change, and turn learning into action.

“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.”

Here’s the brutal truth: Most sales teams fail because their leaders stop learning. They rely on outdated playbooks and hope their teams will magically improve. But hope is not a strategy.

To drive revenue growth, you must:

• Hold yourself accountable to continuous learning – If you’re not sharpening your sword daily, your competition is.

• Invest in high-performance coaching – Tiger Woods has a coach. Serena Williams had a coach. You think your sales team can perform at an elite level without one?

• Turn knowledge into results – Reading without action is entertainment. Reading with execution is transformation. Which one are you doing?

“Think left and think right and think low and think high. Oh, the things you can think up if only you try!”

Innovation fuels elite sales leadership. If you’re selling the same way you did five years ago, you’re losing. Your learning speed determines your earning speed.

Are you leveraging the latest strategies to stay ahead?

• Are you using AI and immersive tech in sales training? (Apple Vision Pro is revolutionizing sales training—are you keeping up?)
• Are you pricing like Mr. Beast? (He used price anchoring to sell millions of chocolate bars—are you framing your value in a way that makes buying irresistible?)
• Are you adapting to how buyers think, not just how you want to sell? (Buyers aren’t logical—they’re emotional. If you’re not tapping into that, you’re losing sales.)
• Are you training your team to remove their fear of rejection? (Repeated exposure to objections in a safe, simulated environment creates sales warriors.)

Great sales leaders don’t just react to changes—they anticipate them. If you’re not thinking forward, you’re moving backward.

“Why fit in when you were born to stand out?”

Average sales leaders blend in. Elite sales leaders stand out by thinking bigger, learning faster, and executing better.

• They challenge the status quo. They don’t settle for “good enough” when greatness is an option.
• They push their teams beyond comfort. Growth isn’t comfortable, but it’s necessary.
• They embrace risk and take action. The best leaders know that playing it safe is the biggest risk of all.

Success isn’t about doing what’s easy. It’s about doing what others won’t.

“So be sure when you step, step with care and great tact. And remember that life’s a great balancing act.”

Leadership is about balance—between confidence and humility, strategy and execution, learning and action. The best leaders:

• Know when to listen and when to lead. They balance authority with approachability.
• Make bold moves but with calculated risk. They don’t hesitate, but they also don’t act recklessly.
• Invest in both personal growth and team success. A leader’s job is to grow themselves first, then multiply that growth across their team.

Great leaders don’t just win today—they build a foundation for long-term success.

At FPG, we coach sales leaders who refuse to be average. If you’re ready to turn the page on outdated sales tactics and step into elite, revenue-driving leadership, it starts with investing in continuous growth.

The next chapter in your leadership journey starts today. Are you ready to write it?

At FPG We’ll Recruit, Coach, And Train Your Sales Team Like They’re Our Own

Gain a competitive edge with FPG’s expert solutions in Sales Recruiting, Sales Training, and Sales Management Training. Experience rigorous candidate screening, process-driven training that resonates, and transformative leadership that drives significant revenue increases. Give yourself an advantage and start your journey to higher sales and unparalleled success with FPG. Reach out to us today!