Always Be ClosingThat scene from Glengarry Glen Ross where an aggressive Alec Baldwin shouts out a - motivational mantra - to exhausted sales reps? I used to believe that nonsense.My career began inside a Volvo truck factory. After bouncing from call center jobs, I landed a door-to-door sales gig. High daily targets - 3 strikes you’re out - badly paid and doors slamming in my face “we’re not interested” - I knew this was for me. Unlimited opportunities behind every closed door, only fear and rejection to deal with. I’m curious by nature and love to learn. This never materialized in a college degree - I dropped out. Luckily, this has never held me back. The power of books and experience helped me discover an autodidact nature inside myself. And this humble curiosity has led me to look at my work and life through the lens of systems and mental models.Once landing in the IT sector I generated 11 million euros during a 10-year-stint and received a few awards along the way. Commission cheques weren’t earning much in a savings account, so I looked into stock markets and investing mindsets. Learning “how to buy low and sell high” from audiobooks and podcasts that filled the hours of my daily commutes. Geeky stuff. Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger are great sources of inspiration and showed me some parallels between investing in stocks and yourself. My days are spent building sales systems, investing in young and mature business ventures, mentoring, and dreaming. I try to show people that selling oneself is more about serving than selling. Through my company HINAS I’m working with tech CEOs to design and execute sales performance strategies. “Always-Be-Closing” is not a strategy I recommend.Outside of work, you can find me on a flight simulator, hiking trails or buried in a book. I’m always willing to lend a hand and if I can’t help you, I’d be happy to find someone who will. -David