A titan in the world of SaaS sales, Brandon Fluharty has carved a niche for himself not just through his impressive seven-figure earnings but also through his profound teachings on achieving professional success without sacrificing personal well-being. Having retired from the corporate world in 2022, Fluharty now dedicates his time to sharing the frameworks and mindset shifts that propelled him to the top of his field. [1][2] His philosophy, centered around "purposeful performance," offers a refreshing and holistic approach to a high-stakes career.

On Sales Philosophy and Strategy

  1. "The best way to sell is to stop selling." [3] This foundational principle encourages a shift from a transactional mindset to one focused on genuine human connection and problem-solving.
  2. "You're not selling a transaction, you're selling a transformation." [4] This quote emphasizes the importance of focusing on the significant, long-term impact your product or service can have on a client's business.
  3. "Be a generalist with your skill set but be a specialist with your outcomes." [5] Fluharty advises having a broad range of skills while being known for delivering specific, high-value results.
  4. "Human first, seller second." [6] A recurring theme in his teachings, this highlights the importance of empathy and understanding the person on the other side of the table.
  5. "I learned that actually the best way to sell was to stop selling and and just talk like a human being speak in normal business language not use jargon." [6]
  6. "Think more like a business operator what are they challenged with and hey if I were in your shoes here's how I think about it." [6]
  7. "You have to get out of the box of being a commodity and talking about features and talking about cost." [5]
  8. "The seven figure earners are going to be talking to really large companies right now who have been forced into this problem what they're going to be talking about don't just solve the issue and put a band-aid on things for the next 6 months. You need to be transforming yourself so you never run into a supply chain issue again that takes transformation." [5]
  9. "Focus on one vertical." [7] Maniacal focus on a specific industry can lead to becoming the gold standard in that niche. [7]
  10. "Become a Category of One Seller - How do you design a buying experience that makes it feel like only you in the world are capable of delivering the best results for your prospects and clients." [7]
  11. "We love talking about money… But we hate talking about making money." [8] This quote from his presentation deck points to the need for more open conversations about achieving financial success in sales. [8]

On Mindset and Personal Growth

  1. "Hustle Doesn't Pay. The Right System Does." [9] Fluharty advocates for smart, strategic systems over relentless, burnout-inducing hustle. [9]
  2. "Growth isn't just quota attainment." [1] True growth is more holistic, encompassing learning from failures and embracing seasonality in one's career. [1][2]
  3. "I look at [impostor syndrome] as maybe a beacon of growth." [1] Feeling like an impostor can be a positive sign that you are challenging yourself and stepping into new, uncomfortable territory. [1]
  4. "Adopt patience, avoid comparison, prioritize purposeful performance." [10] This is a crucial mindset for long-term success and avoiding the pitfalls of "comparison syndrome." [10]
  5. "My journey in (and then out of sales)." [3] Fluharty's career path highlights a progression from learning skills to leveraging them for financial independence and, ultimately, calendar ownership. [3]
  6. "Objective: Apply effort to learn key skills." - This was his focus in the first decade of his career. [3]
  7. "Leveraging skills to earn outsized income." - The second decade of his career was about financial independence. [10]
  8. "Use that Financial Independence to now fully own my calendar." - The third stage of his career is about complete control over his time. [10]
  9. "Extraordinary results require a Great Answer." [11] Successful people actively seek answers and solutions that lie beyond their current comfort zone. [11]
  10. "When we maximize our reach, we maximize our life." [11]
  11. "Turn Intentions Into Income - Design purposeful work to deliver predictable profits." [7]
  12. "I've been on a relentless journey to turn work into play and life into an adventure." [9]
  13. "The path from $0 - $98M ARR (+ an IPO)." [7] Fluharty often uses the story of his friend Juan George at Olo to illustrate the power of long-term dedication and focus. [7]
  14. "Instead of jumping into a VP of Sales role at a startup (where average tenure is <2 years), Juan now has control over how he spends his time and who we gets to work with (hello “Intentional Income”)." [7]

On Health and Well-being

  1. "I'm investing a lot in, again, operating like how a world class athlete would operate. Bringing that into to sales." [4] This involves focusing on sleep, nutrition, exercise, and mental preparedness. [4]
  2. "Sleep is the number 1 metric in a sellers' life." [12] Fluharty emphasizes that quality sleep is foundational to managing the stress inherent in a sales role. [12]
  3. "If you focus on those other things [like health and well-being] as the primary, that's what's going to lift the sales metrics and the sales results." [12]
  4. "I tied my self-worth worth to always being at the top of the leaderboard. um and so it was a painful lesson." [1] This realization came after a health scare in his early 30s, which he attributed to overwork and lack of sleep. [1][10]
  5. "Wellness essential for delivering high-quality professional outcomes." [10]
  6. "I kind of found a sweet spot for myself around 7 hours [of sleep]." [1] This allowed him to have the energy to be sharp and deliver his best work. [1]
  7. "I got really consistent about going to bed at the same time and waking up at the same time and that really helped um show that I could deliver uh consistent revenue." [1]
  8. "It's easier to do the bad stuff than the good stuff. so once we get in the cadence the operating rhythm of tracking the things that are easy to track then we've built the skill and a solid foundation to start expanding that into the more nuanced things." [1]
  9. "Start with one main area of your life." [1] When trying to build good habits, it's best to focus on one area at a time rather than trying to change everything at once. [1]
  10. "Meet my personal wellness coach: WHOOP." [3] Fluharty is a proponent of using wearables to track and improve health metrics. [3]

On Personal Operating System and Productivity

  1. "Develop a personal operating system." [5] This is a key component of his framework for achieving seven-figure success. [5]
  2. "Protecting your time, energy, and attention." [10] This is essential for being able to focus on high-value activities. [10]
  3. "I started just using something called the Pomodoro technique." [1] This method of focused work followed by a short break helps to maintain high levels of concentration. [1]
  4. "After that timer goes off just go take a break i would often go for quick walks outside uh step away from my computer let my sort of brain decompress." [1]
  5. "I started tracking things like my sleep... my habits... was I allowing myself to get distracted. And I noticed a few things." [10] This self-tracking experiment during the pandemic was a pivotal moment for him. [10]
  6. "When you're talking seven figure eight figure deals you're going to need help and you should be actually very strategic about that." [5]
  7. "Nothing great is achieved alone." [5]
  8. "Break through perceived personal limitations." [8] He encourages turning perceived weaknesses into superpowers. [5][8]
  9. "I am grateful I am quiet because it makes me a better listener so I can absorb everything that is happening around me, allowing me to pick up on strategic insights." [8] An example of reframing a perceived limitation. [8]
  10. "The 4 S's to track success." [1][2] While the specific four S's are not detailed in the snippets, this is a framework he discusses for tracking success beyond just sales numbers. [1][2]
  11. "Create a standard that nobody else delivers." [8]
  12. "Be strategic about your target account list." [5]
  13. "Get in the right environment." [5] This is the first step in his "7 Steps to 7 Figures" framework, emphasizing the importance of being in a company that is mature enough to support large deals but not so large that you're just a number. [5]
  14. "Rally others inside your organization." [5]
  15. "Learn how to purposefully leverage your tech sales career to retire early from the corporate world." [9] This is the overarching goal of his teachings and personal brand. [9]

Learn more:

  1. Why Health is the Key to Unlocking Your Sales Potential - Outside Sales Talk with Brandon Fluharty - YouTube
  2. Why Health is the Key to Unlocking Your Sales Potential – Outside Sales Talk with Brandon Fluharty
  3. How My Mindset Shifted Over My 20-Year Sales Career - Brandon Fluharty
  4. One of the Best Salespeople I've Ever Known, with Brandon Fluharty [Episode 766]
  5. 7 Steps to Making 7 Figures in Enterprise SaaS Sales | Brandon Fluharty - YouTube
  6. Brandon Fluharty on Being Human First, Professional Second - YouTube
  7. The Enterprise SaaS Sales Vertical Blueprint - Brandon Fluharty
  8. 7 Steps to Earning 7- Figures in SaaS Sales
  9. Turn Tech Sales Into Freedom with Brandon Fluharty
  10. Purposeful Performance with Brandon Fluharty (part 2) - YouTube
  11. The Fast Path To Transforming Your Sales Career Is Thinking Big (And Acting Small)
  12. A Conversation with Brandon Fluharty - Sales Strategy & Enablement by Revenue.io