In this short episode of the "On a Roll" series, host Mike Michalowicz introduces the segment with sponsor shout‑outs before diving into the core topic: the two archetypes of salespeople. He describes the first type as a charismatic self‑promoter who can sell himself but lacks proven sales results, and the second type as a results‑driven professional who can actually sell the product and back up claims with numbers. Mike advises hiring managers to prioritize the latter, recommending they request references and verify past sales performance, warning that the self‑selling type will eventually burn out and leave. The segment ends with a prompt for a mock sales pitch to illustrate the point. The tone is informal, conversational, and slightly humorous, with a clear bias toward data‑driven hiring decisions.
Welcome to On a Roll, and now here's your host, Mike Michalowicz.
Welcome, welcome, welcome to On a Roll. You can tell how much I love this little program we film here just by the way I knock stuff around. And this other special effect I have when it comes to thanking my sponsors. We want to welcome our newest premiere sponsor, Nextiva. Ah! Thank you for this little bag that I'll use at the beach or something. But cool, Nextiva, I want to thank you for being a sponsor. American Express, I want to thank you for being a sponsor. DexDigital, I want to thank you for being a sponsor. Skype, love that you're a sponsor. And Preventis Group, ah, thank you for being a sponsor. Today we're going to talk about the two types of salespeople. I don't know which camera to look at, so I'm going to look at you because I feel like I've got to tell you something.
One type of salesperson can only sell himself.
That's the salesperson you don't want to hire. The other salesperson is the person that can sell your stuff. Now you've got to distinguish these two. The person that can sell himself, very smooth, very charming, comes walking in the office, how great he is, but he doesn't have the numbers to back it. The guy or gal who can move the numbers, who can really sell, they don't stride in the office, they just pull out a sheet and show you what they've sold. God, I'm violent today. So, who's the salesperson you wanna hire? Of course it's the person that can sell the stuff. Ask for references and get the numbers from them. The guy that can sell himself, he'll stick somewhere else for a year or two before he can't hold it out any longer 'cause he's not selling and then he'll have to go elsewhere, but you don't want him. It's that simple. Nothing fell down that time.
Okay, Mike— Mitchell, as soon as you're ready, give me your best sales pitch.
Everything I do is— is superior. Mike? Yeah, but can this guy sell anything? Alright, Mitchell. Numbers are hogwash. It's all about your presence. Mitchell. The only thing that matters to me, numbers. When it comes to acquiring, it's about your attiring. I could bang out 1, 2, 3 bills like this. Hey! It's not how much you sell, it's how good you smell. Mitchell, you're fired.
