Stop Chasing Results. Start Managing Behavior.
By Glenn Mattson, Mattson Enterprise Inc.
In sales and leadership, most people obsess over outcomes. Revenue. Quota. Rankings. Year-end numbers. And while results matter, there’s a hard truth I’ve learned from decades in the field and through Sandler Training:
You don’t control results. You control behavior.
And behavior is what produces results.
At Mattson Enterprise, Inc., we teach that sustainable success doesn’t come from hoping for a great month—it comes from executing the right activities, consistently, long before the scoreboard reflects it.
That’s where the idea of a sales “cookbook” comes in.
What Is a Sales Cookbook?
A sales cookbook is a simple, structured plan that defines the daily, weekly, and monthly behaviors required to hit your goals. It’s your recipe for success.
Just like a real cookbook, it doesn’t guarantee a five-star meal if you never turn on the stove. But if you follow the recipe—over and over—you dramatically increase your odds of getting the outcome you want.
Your cookbook answers questions like:
How many prospecting calls do I make each day?
How many conversations do I need each week?
How many discovery meetings, follow-ups, and referrals should I run?
What behaviors must I execute even when I don’t feel like it?
It turns success from a mystery into a process.
Why Behavior Beats Outcomes
One of the core Sandler principles we reinforce is this:
You can’t manage what you can’t control.
You can’t control:
Whether a prospect says yes today
Market shifts
Budget cycles
A competitor undercutting your price
But you can control:
Whether you made the call
Whether you asked the tough question
Whether you followed your process
Whether you showed up prepared
When salespeople only focus on outcomes, they ride an emotional roller coaster—high when deals close, discouraged when they don’t. That leads to inconsistency, burnout, and excuse-making.
When they focus on behavior, they build discipline. And discipline creates momentum.
From Guessing to a Predictable System
Too many sales teams are guessing:
“I think I need more leads.”
“Maybe I should try a new script.”
“Hopefully next month is better.”
Hope is not a strategy.
A cookbook replaces guessing with structure. Instead of asking, “Why aren’t my numbers where I want them?” you ask,
“Am I executing the behaviors required to earn those numbers?”
If the answer is no, the solution is simple: fix the behavior first.
At Mattson Enterprise, we help individuals and teams reverse-engineer their goals into activity:
Revenue goals → opportunities needed
Opportunities → conversations required
Conversations → calls, emails, and touches executed daily
Now success becomes math, not magic.
The Power of Small Wins
One of the hidden benefits of a behavioral cookbook is motivation.
If your only win is closing a deal, you might wait weeks—or months—to feel successful. But when you track behaviors, you get wins every day:
“I made my 25 calls.”
“I booked two meetings.”
“I followed up on every open opportunity.”
Those small wins stack up. They build confidence. They keep you moving forward, even when the big results haven’t shown up yet.
Progress becomes visible. Momentum becomes real.
What Leaders Must Do
This isn’t just a salesperson’s responsibility. It’s a leadership mandate.
Sales leaders shouldn’t just ask:
“Did you hit your number?”
They should also ask:
“Did you follow your cookbook?”
At Sandler, we teach leaders to coach behavior first:
Are your people prospecting consistently?
Are they following the sales process?
Are they preparing for meetings?
Are they having the right conversations?
At Mattson Enterprise, we work with leaders to:
Help each salesperson build a personalized cookbook
Inspect activity, not just results
Coach gaps in execution
Reinforce discipline over drama
Because if the behaviors are right, the results will take care of themselves.
No More Excuses—Only Execution
When someone misses their goal, it’s easy to blame:
The market
The leads
The economy
The competition
But a cookbook forces honesty.
If the behaviors weren’t executed, the outcome isn’t a surprise.
This doesn’t create pressure—it creates clarity. And clarity is empowering. You always know what to do next: go back to the recipe.
Your Recipe for Growth
Whether you’re a new advisor, a seasoned producer, or a sales leader trying to scale a team, the message is the same:
Stop chasing outcomes.
Start mastering behaviors.
Define your cookbook. Execute it daily. Track it relentlessly. Coach it consistently.
That’s how you move from:
Random wins → predictable success
Motivation → discipline
Hope → process
And that’s how real growth happens.
At Mattson Enterprise, Inc., we help individuals and organizations stop guessing and start operating with structure, discipline, and accountability—rooted in Sandler Training principles that drive lasting change.
If you want to build a sales cookbook that actually works, we’re ready to help you write the recipe.
