In Sales, I Can't Control Results!

Written by Jack Derby, Management Coach, Tufts Professor, Entrepreneur, Author | Fri, Mar 27, 2026

Today, we're speeding down the highway with only 3 more days left in the Q to do everything that we can to get to the finish line. For those of you who are ahead in the laps, congratulations! Max out your time making sure that you still have gas in the tank to jump start Q2. For those of you who are behind where you need to be, there's still time enough time left to push on the accelerator.

Being involved in 1,000s of these races for decades, what I do know...no matter how hard I try...is that:

- I cannot control the results of any monthly or quarterly Quota!

- I cannot control the long list of Q1 Objectives related to account expansion or development!

- Finally, I can't control the long list of Metrics related to $/days/pipeline or CAC and LTV.

All I can control are ACTIONS

The Science Behind the Simple Truth

This isn't just motivational talk this Friday morning. There's real science here, and it's the same discipline I teach in my course The Science of Sales at Tufts. The research is clear: top performers don't obsess over quota attainment...they obsess over the behaviors and activities that predictably produce results. They focus relentlessly on what they can execute today.

Think of yourself not just as a salesperson or a sales manager, but as a professional car mechanic. A great mechanic doesn't curse the engine for not running. They open the hood, diagnose systematically, and reach for the right tools in the right sequence. Sales is exactly the same discipline.

So What Are the Actions Right Now?

Whether you're closing out Q1 strong or pivoting hard to Q2 readiness, here are the actions that matter most in the next 3 days:

To close out Q1:

Make the next call, send the next email, schedule the next meeting ...today, before noon.
Re-engage every deal in your pipeline that has gone quiet in the last 2 weeks.
Ask directly for the order. Not a hint. Not a nudge. Ask: "What does it take to close today?"
Get commitments in writing...even informal ones...before the quarter closes.

To jumpstart Q2:

Tomorrow morning before the kids wake up, block out the first week of April on your calendar for outbound prospecting. Do this now before all the internal early April meetings fill in your available time.
Review your Q1 wins: What worked? Which buyer personas converted fastest? What messaging landed? Which Value Propositions worked?
Build or refresh your Top 10 target account list before Tuesday morning.
Confirm that every deal in your pipeline has a next ACTION step scheduled: not "TBD".
Clean, vacuum out, get rid of the junk and polish your CRM.

Success Is a Multitasking of Actions!

I love sales, selling, and deal-making. Every day, every month, and every quarter is a personal test! Not against the quota. Not against the market. Against the discipline of my own daily actions and behaviors.

The best sales professionals I've worked with over the decades share one common trait: they are relentlessly action-oriented. They don't wait for clarity. They don't wait for the perfect moment. They act, adjust, and act again.

The quarter ends on Tuesday. Q2 starts Wednesday!

What actions are you taking today?

Jack Derby is a salesguy, sales manager and sales mentor. He's the founder of the Derby Entrepreneurship Center at Tufts University, Managing Partner of Derby Management, a firm deep into the science of architecting and building sales processes and tech tools, and author of numerous resources for sales professionals and entrepreneurs.

Now's THE Time to dive into your Sales planning for what lies ahead in 2026!

Think about taking a full day in April to commit to updating your Sales Playbook for the balance of 2026. Just connect with me at jack@derbymanagement.com, or give me a call, and we can discuss a few ideas.

"Writing the Winning Sales Plan"
"Writing the Winning Business Plan"
www.derbymanagement.com
Derby Entrepreneurship Center at Tufts.

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