Sales Stamina: How I Show Up With Business Development Energy
Learn how to bring BDE to every sales and networking event.
Sales stamina is your ability to keep your confidence, energy, and attitude steady for as long as the work demands, whether that’s one Business Development meeting or four days at a conference. I call it BDE, short for Business Development Energy, and it’s the focus of this month’s sales tip.
I always build my sales tips from a personal story or reflection, so let me tell you where this one came from.
What is sales stamina?
Sales stamina is the ability to stay confident, energized, and engaged across long stretches of selling, from back-to-back Business Development meetings to multi-day events. It’s physical and mental. Salespeople who prepare both their bodies and their minds can keep building relationships while everyone else is running out of steam.
Sales can be very physically and mentally demanding, and that’s the part people forget. We talk about scripts, pipelines, and follow-up, but we rarely talk about whether you have the energy to show up well at 4 p.m. on day three. You do have to be physically prepared to sell.
How did a Latto song become my Business Development meeting warm-up?
Not sure if you know this about me, but I’m an excellent rapper. Yes, hip hop. I write my own lyrics, and I also rap other people’s music.
So what does that have to do with sales? When I knew this month’s tip needed to be about sales stamina, I realized the song stuck in my head before Business Development meetings lately is Latto’s "Big Energy." She sings about BDE, and no, I’m not going to get into what that stands for. You can do your own research. For me, though, I sing it as Business Development Energy.
What is BDE (Business Development Energy)?
BDE, or Business Development Energy, is the confidence, enthusiasm, and physical readiness you bring to a sales conversation. It shows up in how you talk, how you carry yourself, and how well you’ve taken care of yourself beforehand. When you have it, people feel it. When you don’t, they feel that too.
Last month, my team and I were at UNBOUND, HubSpot’s big conference. My team was there to learn. I was there to develop relationships. Four days of being ON takes a lot of BDE. A conference like that isn’t one big meeting. It’s a long string of first impressions, and each person you meet deserves the same you at the end of day four as at the start of day one.
Should you go to a networking event if you’re not feeling it?
No. If you’re not feeling it that day, skip the event. Sales is all about energy, vibes, and confidence, and if you don’t have them, you can do more harm than good. Showing up flat can leave a worse impression than not showing up at all.
This is the first rule in the “In Person Networking” segment of our Sales Boot Camp. I teach it because I’d rather you protect your energy on a rough day than spend it making a weak first impression.
Why should salespeople go to the event anyway?
Because if your job is to sell, you have to be in the room. This is the golden rule of in-person networking: you can’t win if you don’t play. If you constantly make excuses not to play, you won’t win. Bring your BDE and go.
Yes, I know it sounds like a wild twist. Rule one says don’t go if you’re not feeling it, and rule two says if your job is to sell, go. Here’s how they fit together. Rule one is for the occasional off day. Rule two is your default. If you’re skipping every event, it’s worth asking what’s really holding you back, and what you’d need to feel like showing up.
How do you display BDE?
You display BDE with three things: wild confidence, strong body language, and real physical energy. Confidence shows you believe in what you sell, body language shows it to the room, and energy keeps it going. Each one is something you can prepare for before you ever walk through the door.
Bring wild amounts of confidence
You will never sell someone something they don’t need. BE CONFIDENT IN YOURSELF. When you believe what you offer solves a real problem, a conversation stops feeling like an imposition and starts feeling like a service. That belief is what lets you walk up to someone new without apologizing for being there.
Let your body language do the talking
Smile. Laugh. Stand with great posture. Put a skip in your step. People read your energy before you say a word, so your body language is often your first pitch. If you’ve ever walked into a room and felt your own shoulders drop, you know how fast it changes how you come across.
Treat sales like the marathon it is
Get sleep! Don’t get drunk! Eat a good breakfast! Drink water! This is an actual marathon, and a marathon runner doesn’t skip breakfast or stay up all night before race day. Your body is part of your sales toolkit, so prepare it like one.
Bring your BDE to the next event
Sales stamina comes down to two rules and three habits. Skip the event only when you truly don’t have it that day. Otherwise, go, because you can’t win if you don’t play. Once you’re there, lead with confidence, body language, and a body that’s ready for the marathon.
Follow along on our socials, and you might catch a little video of me singing my sales rendition of “Big Energy.”
Want the rest of my in-person networking rules, plus a sales roadmap you can actually use? Join me in Sales Boot Camp and bring your BDE.
Frequently Asked Questions
You build sales stamina before a big conference by treating it like a marathon and preparing your body first. Get enough sleep, eat a good breakfast, drink water, and skip the heavy drinking. Walk in confident, too, because physical readiness and mental confidence together are what keep your energy steady through long days.
About Lisa Proeber
Lisa Proeber is the force behind The Middle Six®. With more than 20 years of high-performing sales experience, she brings a breadth and depth of knowledge to her solo venture. The Middle Six® is not a gatekeeper; it opens the gates for anybody to learn how to succeed at sales. Sales is not a dirty word; it's equal parts art and science, starting from the bottom up. Ready to become a salesperson with a roadmap in hand? Join us, and let's make waves together.
