Tim Sullivan's Critical Sales Advice for Selling Professionals

In this special episode of the Sales Game Changers Podcast, Fred Diamond sits down with Tim Sullivan for what will be his final interview as he officially retires this week after a remarkable career in sales.

Tim has spent more than four decades shaping how sales professionals think about relationships, value creation, and reality in complex selling environments. From his early days in software sales to leadership roles at Sales Performance International and Richardson, Tim has influenced tens of thousands of sales professionals around the world.

In this conversation, Tim shares the three most important lessons he wants every sales professional to remember as he steps into retirement, including:

• Why people still buy from people they trust
• Why top performers always talk to customers when things get weird
• Why reality always wins—and how great sellers face it honestly
• The critical role of presence, coaching, and interpersonal skills in modern sales
• Advice for sales leaders—and for early- and mid-career sellers navigating today’s tech-driven world

As Tim puts it:

“People still buy from people they trust. That was true in 1981, and it’s true today.”

This episode is a thoughtful, experience-backed reflection on what truly drives sales success—past, present, and future.

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