Welcome to Nothing Happens Until Somebody Sells Something

Hi, my name is Dave Speed and I have been involved in business development and the process of selling for over 25 years. I am a mechanical engineer by training and, with one exception, over my career have been involved with companies who have developed and sold some type of technology, including mechanical process equipment, specialty chemical water treatment programs and design-build infrastructure services.

When I graduated from engineering school in the early 1980s becoming involved in sales was not part of my career plan. My goal was to become involved in cool engineering design work and write technical papers. However, I quickly realized that the most interesting part of the company I was working with was not doing the actual engineering work but going out and getting the projects for the company to work on. I quickly decided this is where I wanted to work, so I quit my engineering job and embarked on what has turned out to be an unconventional but successful career in making things happen, building long-term relationships and solving customer problems.


Since embarking on my sales career in the mid 1980s I have recruited and led sales teams; sold personal services; developed an alumni outreach and fundraising program for a major university; and, worked for a manufacturer’s representative firm selling mechanical process equipment.  I have sold ongoing technical service programs at large industrial accounts such as paper mills and petrochemical plants, and municipal accounts such as large water and wastewater treatment facilities. Finally, I created a business unit at a utility company, from the vision stage to a successful operating unit with over $50 million in revenue and over a dozen team members reporting directly to me.

Over my career I have seen just about every sales situation possible and learned the right way and the wrong way of generating profitable new business. I’ve started this blog to share some of my insights about the sales process. Future posts will walk you through the sales process using my personal experiences and stories. Regardless of your experience and knowledge of sales I hope that you will find this blog thought provoking and interesting.

Nothing Happens Until Somebody Sells Something!


Dave Speed