What Sales Taught Me About Product (and Vice Versa)

Introduction

When I first moved from business development into product management, I expected the worlds to be completely different. But the more time I spent building products, the more I realized how much sales had already prepared me.

Sales gave me the grit, the empathy, and the obsession with outcomes that now define my product approach. And in return, product taught me how to go beyond the short-term win and focus on long-term value.

This post is a reflection on how the two disciplines shaped each other—and why great product leaders should embrace their inner salesperson.

Sales Trains You to Listen

Good sales isn’t about pushing. It’s about listening. In my time managing B2B portfolios worth over €60M across FedEx, UPS, and Samsung SDS, I learned to hear the real problems behind the client's words.

The best insights came not from discovery calls or pitches, but from side comments, frustrations, and unanswered questions. That same listening skill is crucial in product. Whether you're interviewing users or sitting in a feedback session, being able to read between the lines is a superpower.

Solving Real Problems, Not Just Shipping Features

In sales, you learn quickly that no one cares about the product unless it solves their problem. I carried that mindset into product.

Every feature we prioritize, every iteration we release, I ask: would someone pay for this? Would they care if we removed it? Sales keeps you grounded in reality.

It’s not about how clever the tech is. It’s about whether the customer sees the value.

Sales Gave Me a Bias for Action

Sales teaches you to move fast, follow up, and keep momentum. You learn to juggle multiple opportunities, prioritize ruthlessly, and stay focused on outcomes.

In product, that bias for action helped me cut through endless discussions and bring clarity. I’m a big believer in launching fast, learning early, and iterating often. Sales gave me the confidence to be decisive.

Product Gave Me the Long View

While sales trained me to close deals, product taught me to build relationships. It’s not just about hitting this quarter’s numbers; it’s about shaping a roadmap that delivers compounding value over time.

As a product leader, I started thinking in systems. In onboarding funnels, UX friction points, and technical dependencies. That mindset helped me support sales teams in a deeper way—building tools and experiences that made their jobs easier.

Cross-Functional Confidence

One of the biggest benefits of my hybrid background is the ability to speak everyone's language. I understand what commercial teams need, what dev teams care about, and how to mediate when tensions arise.

This has helped me build trust across departments, lead OKR alignment workshops, and get buy-in for big product bets. In environments where silos slow things down, this kind of hybrid fluency is a huge asset.

Closing Thought

I used to think I had to leave my sales background behind to become a serious product leader. Now I know better.

That experience taught me how to connect, how to move fast, and how to stay outcome-focused. Product sharpened my strategic thinking and helped me go deeper. Together, they’ve made me stronger.

So if you're transitioning from one to the other—embrace it. It might just be your unfair advantage.