17 Things Reps Do on Sales Calls That Instantly Kill Their Status

Most reps think they're building rapport.

No.

They're destroying their credibility.

Because here's what happens:

You get on a call with a prospect.

You want them to like you.

So you apologize for their time.

You ask permission to ask questions.

You say "does that make sense?" after every explanation.

That's low status behavior.

And it's killing your deals before you even get to discovery.

Here's the reality:

Your prospects judge you in the first 30 seconds.

The moment they sense you're beneath them, you lose leverage.

You lose control.

You become just another vendor begging for a meeting.

I've listened to thousands of calls.

The reps who crush it? They show up differently.

They don't apologize.

They don't seek approval.

They guide the conversation like the expert they are.

Real example:

I ran a $190M sales org. 110+ reps.

The top performers never said "sorry for taking your time."

They never asked "did I catch you at a bad time?"

They never filled silence with nervous talking.

They showed up with quiet confidence.

And they closed 2-3x more deals than everyone else.

The framework:

Stop apologizing for existing on the call.

Stop using weak language (I think, maybe, hopefully).

Stop pitching before you've diagnosed the real problem.

Start speaking with conviction.

Start controlling the agenda.

Start making prospects work to keep up with YOU.

The psychology:

Robert Greene talks about this in "48 Laws of Power."

Status is everything in negotiation.

High-status = trusted advisor.

Low-status = desperate vendor.

When you master status, your close rate skyrockets.

17 things to stop doing immediately:

• Apologizing for taking their time

• Asking "did I catch you at a bad time?"

• Over-explaining who you are

• Asking permission to ask questions

• Letting them control the agenda

• Filling every silence with talking

• Saying "to be honest with you..."

• Asking "does that make sense?"

• Pitching too early

• Using weak language (I think, maybe, hopefully)

• Looking down or away on Zoom

• Laughing at your own jokes

• Saying "just checking in..." in follow-ups

• Asking "what's your budget?"

• Talking about features without context

• Getting defensive about objections

• Ending without clear next steps

Goal:

Stop being a dancing monkey on sales calls.

Start being the expert they need.