1.What inspired you to write Master Sales in 15 Minutes? Was there a moment or experience that sparked the idea?
Yes. It was during a workshop that I attended in 2019. I met a sales guy at the workshop who was not at all interested in joining that workshop. He felt that in all workshops same things were told with new presentation slides. He was confident that it was just a waste of time and energy. That moment stuck in my mind. I came to understand that the new sales world does not need more information. They need faster and sharper execution tools. Master sales in 15- Minutes exists for the professionals, who are not looking for information or theories but pragmatic approaches that can help them to excel their skills.
2.In a world flooded with sales books, what makes your book different—and why did you choose the ’15-minute’ format?
Main difference I believe is its intentional format itself. People are not looking for any new sales technique or strategy, they only want to know which technique is most practical for them and how to approach with that strategy. So, the 15 Minutes format is the key differentiator. Each chapter is self-contained module that can be read and understood in about a quarter of an hour. This format is built for modern professional’s attention span and busy schedule. The 15-minute concept is not about speed or hurrying up—it’s about clarity, action, and retention of the facts. Readers can digest a core strategy during breakfast and use it before lunch.
3.You mention that even seasoned pros can become “unstoppable sales machines.” What’s one thing even experienced salespeople often overlook?
It’s the Basics. I’ll tell you this with an example. Suppose a guy wants to drive. He has no previous experience. When he sits on the driving seat for the first time, he is not aware about any system. He is not bothered about rear view mirror or the position of the steering wheel. When he starts moving the car, he is not aware where exactly the car is going. Let’s call this stage as unfocused and unequipped. After some practice, the guy now knows to control the steering but still not aware who’s approaching as he is not able to judge the images in rear view and side view mirrors. We call this stage unfocused and equipped. After some more experience, he adjusts the view mirrors appropriately before hitting the accelerator. the guy has become a good driver and can drive easily through tough roads. This stage is called focused and equipped. But as some more time passes by, the guy becomes a seasoned driver. Now while driving, he holds the steering with one hand while he’s holding his phone in other and talking to his friends about how he took a sharp cut at the square last night and avoided a big accident. The guy now again at the stage 2 which is unfocused and equipped. I hope you understood my point. Veteran reps often rely on instinct, which works—until it doesn’t. Over time, they can drift into “autopilot mode.” My book encourages a return to basics, structured conversations that convert. Just one small tweak—like reframing objections or forecasting or say pre-empting price concerns—can reignite results. An “unstoppable sales machine” can’t only be reactive, it has to be pro- active.
4.Which chapter or strategy in the book do you think will have the most immediate impact for readers?
Well, I have written all the chapters as they are relevant and impactful but still the Chapter by name “Mastering the sales journey” shall have maximum impact on the readers as this chapter talks about best ways of generating leads, engaging customers, and driving the conversation beyond the price tags. A sales professional often gets overwhelmed by the pressure as he feels that he’s putting all the efforts and still no results are visible. In this chapter, I have talked about the techniques to aim all your efforts into the right directions, so it can yield maximum results and no chaos.
5.You talk about controlling customer conversations. Can you explain why this skill is so crucial in modern sales?
OK, most of the sales professionals will agree to this. Many times, we are stuck in a conversation or moving in a circle. Like customer agrees that our solution is suitable and workable, but the price is more than he expects. When he raises questions about us being expensive, we explain how good our solution is. He again agrees but again asks for cheaper offerings. And the circle goes on. Similarly, sometimes customers ask for a feature in your presented solution, which is not really required for customers’ job but still they want it under influence of market or your competitor. You are not able to provide that feature and the conversation is stuck at that point.
If you don’t guide the conversation, they’ll take it in circles—or worse, nowhere. Controlling the dialogue isn’t about being pushy or needy—it’s about being intentional, helping the customer make a clear, confident decision.
6.Negotiation vs. Bargaining—what’s the difference, and why do most sellers get it wrong?
Most sellers get involve into price wars, discounting as a USP of their solution. That’s bargaining. In contrast, real negotiation is about positioning value for customers. When bargaining takes place, it is obvious that on of the party is going to feel like they’ve lost. But negotiation is there for creating a win- win situation. My book teaches sales professionals to shift the focus from price to outcomes. It’s not “how cheap can I sell this?”—it’s “how much is the solution worth to solve the customer’s problem?”
7.You’ve simplified complex sales management concepts—how did you approach breaking down these ideas into practical, real-world tools?
Most of the sales management concepts are based on a review mechanism process that a manger must present to the head of sales. The sales pipelines, stages of a deal all these are reviewed in terms of getting maximised revenue for the company. I mean to say, if a company has a target of making X revenue in a year. They will break it down into how many sales will be required for getting that revenue. Further, how many sales shall be done by a salesperson that year to get the targeted numbers then the number of sales in a month, then in a week and in a day. I personally feel this mechanism should be aborted now. Because in this mechanism, the focus is only on getting revenue and for that the only regulator managers or heads have is the salesperson. If they’re getting numbers at par, they’ll keep motivating the salesperson to perform better and if numbers get down, they’ll grill the salesperson. It is like that because they do not have control over other things like brand value and brand perceptions.
When you reverse this approach and understand that it is the salesperson who is driving your organisation’s image in the market, you start getting a better control on your numbers and revenue. When sales pipelines are reviewed not just in terms of numbers but also in context of quality of leads. When manager does not observe only the numbers of cases present in the stages but also how smoothly and quickly a stage change is occurring, they’ll understand the market and the strength of the salesperson and area of improvement. In such approaches, delivering results becomes a collaborative effort of the whole organisation and helps the whole organisation to thrive rapidly.
8.In the age of digital overload, how important is emotional intelligence and rapport-building in sales success?
More important than ever. Emotional intelligence and rapport-building are not just important, they are the superpower of a modern salesperson. We are over flooded with data, automated emails, and impersonal messages. This saturation has made human connection a scarce and highly valued commodity.
Rapport-building is the bridge that connects your solution to their needs. Without it, your message is just one more beep sound as notification. With it, you become a trusted consultant. This book provides simple, repeatable techniques to build this rapport quickly and authentically.
9.What are some of the biggest myths about sales that your book challenges or debunks?
This question is articulated so beautifully. Biggest myth about sales is Great salespeople are “born, not made”. My entire book is built on the concept that sales is a skill—a set of repeatable, learnable actions. Anyone, whatever their background is, can master these skills with the right guidance and practice.
Then comes Sales is about talking more and more. My book debunks this by emphasizing that the most successful salespeople are the best listeners. We focus heavily on the art of asking powerful questions and truly understanding the customer’s needs.
The third one is a legendry one. This is often quoted by many pioneers in sales. It is, the customer is always right. Not really. The customer is often misinformed. Great salespeople guide, educate, and lead customers to better decisions.
10.How can sales professionals use sales analytics not just to track performance—but to grow faster?
Most salespeople use analytics as a scorecard, a report card from their manager. My book reframes this. We teach readers to use analytics as a diagnostic tool. Track behaviour, not just outcomes. Instead of obsessing over closed deals, analyse what led there, talk time, question-to-talk ratio, objection types. The goal is to understand the patterns, what’s working, what’s holding and adapt faster. Analytics isn’t just a scoreboard, it’s a diagnostic tool for growth.
11.What would be your advice to someone just starting out in sales and feeling overwhelmed by targets, pressure, and rejection?
Follow the process. Focus on consistency over pressure. Do not keep thinking about the big targets. Instead look for small wins daily. The target is for whole year not just today. For today, your target is to go for three high quality meetings, making worthy cold calls. You may face rejections and that is obvious. But remember, rejections are never personal. Rejection is part of our job, it’s not a reflection of our worth. Your success in sales is never determined by how many rejections you faced but on how beautifully you handled every rejection. Always keep this in your mind that Sales is all about consistency and continuous learning.
12.If a reader implements just one principle from this book consistently, which one should it be—and why?
Keep a watch on your quality, quantity, and direction. Understand your niche. Meeting as much customers as you can in the niche daily and most importantly, focus on quality of every meeting. Quality improves when you know well about your products and solutions and the business of your customer. It’s about what you talk not how much you talk.
