Let’s talk about Arsenal Football Club.
Yes, the team that has been so close yet so far — for what feels like three seasons in a row.
They’ve had great squads. Brilliant football.
Moments that made fans shout, “This is our year!”
But somehow…
It’s always second place.
The bridesmaid. Never the bride.
Always almost. Never actually.
Sound familiar?
The Arsenal Salesperson: Big Pipeline, Zero Closures
You’ve seen them in your company.
Their CRM is so full it looks like a WhatsApp broadcast list.
They’re always “about to close something big.”
“Boss, this one is $250k. Just waiting for the CEO to come back from Dubai.”
“It’s cooking. It’s just on low heat.”
“I had a great meeting. They love us.”
Weeks go by.
Then months.
Still nothing signed. Nothing invoiced.
These are the Arsenal of sales.
Great on paper. Zero on the scoreboard.
Potential Without Results Is Useless
You don’t get a trophy for almost winning the league.
You don’t pay salaries with pending deals.
You can’t feed your family on “it’s looking good.”
Arsenal’s potential didn’t win them the title.
And your pipeline doesn’t matter if it’s not converting into profit.
The world doesn’t reward number 2.
No one builds a statue for “The Almost Guy.”
Stop Celebrating Almosts
Too many salespeople confuse activity with achievement.
They celebrate meetings instead of conversions.
Momentum instead of milestones.
● Always “in talks.”
● Always “waiting for feedback.”
● Always “about to send the quote.”
But here’s the truth:
Movement isn’t progress.
Only one thing matters — Did you close?
Be Like Haaland. Not Havertz.
Haaland doesn’t care about flair.
He cares about finishing.
He shows up. He scores. He wins.
That’s the mindset every salesperson should have:
Less drama. More deals.
Less “I’m about to.” More “I just did.”
Let’s Debate:
Are we raising a generation of “almost” performers?
Is potential enough in the real world?
Should companies penalize non-performing salespeople who hide behind pipeline reports?
See you at the top.
