---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The pitiful effort comes from salespeople…"
description: "\"“The pitiful effort comes from salespeople who actually make their calls, but are so nervous and uncomfortable that they’re completely ineffective. Lac..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef0/mike-weinberg-5754_confidence_the-pitiful-effort-comes-from-salespeopl_2967380.jpg"
---

#  The pitiful effort comes from salespeople who actually…

![“The pitiful effort comes from salespeople who actually make their calls, but are so nervous and uncomfortable that they’re completely ineffective. Lack of confidence ruins their mental state and their voice tone. They sound like, forgive the pun, they’re just phoning it in, dialing away making…” quote by Mike Weinberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef0/mike-weinberg-5754_confidence_the-pitiful-effort-comes-from-salespeopl_2967380.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef0/mike-weinberg-5754_confidence_the-pitiful-effort-comes-from-salespeopl_2967380.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef0/mike-weinberg-5754_confidence_the-pitiful-effort-comes-from-salespeopl_2967380.jpg)

> ““The pitiful effort comes from salespeople who actually make their calls, but are so nervous and uncomfortable that they’re completely ineffective. Lack of confidence ruins their mental state and their voice tone. They sound like, forgive the pun, they’re just phoning it in, dialing away making calls so that they can say they did it.””

[Mike Weinberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-weinberg/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Nervous, ineffective sales calls stem from low confidence, ruining tone and mental state, leading to half‑hearted performance.

**In simple terms:** Lack of confidence makes sales calls sound fake.

Key Takeaway

Build confidence to improve sales communication.

Themes

sales confidence communication performance

Mood

motivational practical

Type

instructional business

When to use this quote

- cold calling
- team meetings
- client presentations
- training sessions

Key Concepts

behavioral economics self‑efficacy voice modulation

Questions to Reflect On

- How can you boost confidence before calls?
- What techniques improve vocal presence?

A Different Perspective

Confidence alone may not fix skill gaps; practice is also needed.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Confidence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/confidence/) [Lack of confidence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lack-of-confidence/) [Mental state](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mental-state/) [Salespeople](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/salespeople/)

## Related quotes

> [There's an idea out there that salespeople have actually been obliterated by the Internet, which is just not supported by the facts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-h-pink/there-s-an-idea-out-there-that-salespeople-have-actually-been/)

[Daniel H. Pink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-h-pink/)

> [I find it very difficult when, due to a lack of confidence, I don't produce and lose matches I could have won.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hendry/i-find-it-very-difficult-when-due-to-a-lack-of-confidence-i-don-t/)

[Stephen Hendry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hendry/)

> [Discouragement &amp; lack of confidence are greatest obstacle on the way of success. The surest way to encounter discouragement &amp; lack of confidence are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dranil-kr-sinha/discouragement-lack-of-confidence-are-greatest-obstacle-on-the-way-of/)

[DrAnil Kr Sinha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dranil-kr-sinha/)

> [I finally made up my mind I wanted to be an actress and I was not going to let my lack of confidence ruin…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-monroe/i-finally-made-up-my-mind-i-wanted-to-be-an-actress-and-i-was-not/)

[Marilyn Monroe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-monroe/)

> [It is always difficult when there is a lack of confidence and a lack of belief but it can be good for me to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-koeman/it-is-always-difficult-when-there-is-a-lack-of-confidence-and-a-lack/)

[Ronald Koeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-koeman/)

> [In my case, the long gaps between my books have got quite a lot to do with lack of confidence. A lot of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-cope/in-my-case-the-long-gaps-between-my-books-have-got-quite-a-lot-to-do/)

[Wendy Cope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-cope/)

> [Some women can feel under-qualified due to a general lack of confidence whereas, in fact, they are uniquely qualified.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosamund-pike/some-women-can-feel-under-qualified-due-to-a-general-lack-of/)

[Rosamund Pike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosamund-pike/)

> [Fear is the result of a lack of confidence. A lack of confidence is the result of not knowing what you can do. A…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-carnegie/fear-is-the-result-of-a-lack-of-confidence-a-lack-of-confidence-is/)

[Dale Carnegie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-carnegie/)

> [Lack of confidence is what makes you want to change somebody else's mind. When you're OK, you don't need to convince anyone else in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jada-pinkett-smith/lack-of-confidence-is-what-makes-you-want-to-change-somebody-else-s/)

[Jada Pinkett Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jada-pinkett-smith/)

> [Take humiliation and keep trying ,earn proper respect for yourself and your soul. Pride only shows lack of confidence, arrogant dirty soul.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-amorelli/take-humiliation-and-keep-trying-earn-proper-respect-for-yourself-and/)

[Jennifer Amorelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-amorelli/)

> [Fear creates its own self-fulfilling dynamic- as people give into it, they lose energy and momentum. Their lack of confidence translates into inaction that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-greene/fear-creates-its-own-self-fulfilling-dynamic-as-people-give-into-it/)

[Robert Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-greene/)

> [“The difficulty comes from our lack of confidence.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca/the-difficulty-comes-from-our-lack-of-confidence/)

[Seneca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca/)

> [One of the most powerful concepts, one which is a sure cure for lack of confidence, is the thought that God is with you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-vincent-peale/one-of-the-most-powerful-concepts-one-which-is-a-sure-cure-for-lack/)

[Norman Vincent Peale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-vincent-peale/)

> [Lack of confidence, sometimes alternating with unrealistic dreams of heroic success, often leads to procrastination, and many studies suggest that procrastinators are self-handicappers: rather…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-surowiecki/lack-of-confidence-sometimes-alternating-with-unrealistic-dreams-of/)

[James Surowiecki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-surowiecki/)

> [If you go to any nunnery and ask them what the main obstacle is, they'll always say low self-esteem and lack of confidence. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/if-you-go-to-any-nunnery-and-ask-them-what-the-main-obstacle-is-they/)

[Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/)

## More by Mike Weinberg

> [“Many people in sales are struggling as inbound demand for their services has declined, and those without a reliable process to develop new business…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-weinberg/many-people-in-sales-are-struggling-as-inbound-demand-for-their/)

[Mike Weinberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-weinberg/)

> [“Sales is simple.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-weinberg/sales-is-simple/)

[Mike Weinberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-weinberg/)

> [“Waiting is a key ingredient in the recipe for new business failure.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-weinberg/waiting-is-a-key-ingredient-in-the-recipe-for-new-business-failure/)

[Mike Weinberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-weinberg/)

> [“I encourage you to try the “so what” test. Listen to another salesperson on the phone attempting to earn an appointment with a tough…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-weinberg/i-encourage-you-to-try-the-so-what-test-listen-to-another-salesperson/)

[Mike Weinberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-weinberg/)

> [“people buy from people they like and trust. Part of our job is to ensure we are likable and trustworthy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-weinberg/people-buy-from-people-they-like-and-trust-part-of-our-job-is-to/)

[Mike Weinberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-weinberg/)

> [“There’s a lot of talk about “niceness” today. People are evaluated on how nicely they play with others and what they contribute to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-weinberg/there-s-a-lot-of-talk-about-niceness-today-people-are-evaluated-on/)

[Mike Weinberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-weinberg/)

> [“presenting is not the same thing as selling.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-weinberg/presenting-is-not-the-same-thing-as-selling/)

[Mike Weinberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-weinberg/)

> [“many in sales fail because they fall flat on their face when attempting to conduct the initial face-to-face meeting.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-weinberg/many-in-sales-fail-because-they-fall-flat-on-their-face-when/)

[Mike Weinberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-weinberg/)

> [“experience shows that the most successful new business salespeople tend to be the most active salespeople.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-weinberg/experience-shows-that-the-most-successful-new-business-salespeople/)

[Mike Weinberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-weinberg/)

> [“They Can’t Conduct an Effective Sales Call”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-weinberg/they-can-t-conduct-an-effective-sales-call/)

[Mike Weinberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-weinberg/)

> [“When we’re late to the party, we’re stuck reacting to, rather than leading, our prospects. Their initial opinions may be already formed. They’ve probably…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-weinberg/when-we-re-late-to-the-party-we-re-stuck-reacting-to-rather-than/)

[Mike Weinberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-weinberg/)

> [“They Are “Prisoners of Hope”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-weinberg/they-are-prisoners-of-hope/)

[Mike Weinberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-weinberg/)

> [“Can you name one really successful person who has a negative outlook on life?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-weinberg/can-you-name-one-really-successful-person-who-has-a-negative-outlook/)

[Mike Weinberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-weinberg/)

> [“Most people employed in sales positions today have never truly had to “hunt” for new accounts or new business.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-weinberg/most-people-employed-in-sales-positions-today-have-never-truly-had-to/)

[Mike Weinberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-weinberg/)

> [“we are in a much better position when it was our own proactive sales work that created the opportunity for us to submit a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-weinberg/we-are-in-a-much-better-position-when-it-was-our-own-proactive-sales/)

[Mike Weinberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-weinberg/)

[Explore all 100 Mike Weinberg quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-weinberg/)

## More Confidence quotes

> [The CIA has concluded in a secret assessment that Russia intervened in the 2016 election to help Donald Trump win the presidency rather than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-maddow/the-cia-has-concluded-in-a-secret-assessment-that-russia-intervened/)

[Rachel Maddow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-maddow/)

> [I was just confident my work was good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bunny-yeager/i-was-just-confident-my-work-was-good/)

[Bunny Yeager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bunny-yeager/)

> [I am confident when I take the penalty otherwise I would pass for somebody else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruno-fernandes/i-am-confident-when-i-take-the-penalty-otherwise-i-would-pass-for/)

[Bruno Fernandes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruno-fernandes/)

> [I started out dancing on a reality TV show, but always with the intention of making my way over to film. I transitioned into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-hough/i-started-out-dancing-on-a-reality-tv-show-but-always-with-the/)

[Julianne Hough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-hough/)

> [One of the ways that I discovered my confidence and my ability to overpower is becoming a mother. Suddenly, my world wasn't about myself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lights/one-of-the-ways-that-i-discovered-my-confidence-and-my-ability-to/)

[Lights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lights/)

> [My friend made me a leather dress for the MTV awards. It gives you confidence, wearing something you love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cat-deeley/my-friend-made-me-a-leather-dress-for-the-mtv-awards-it-gives-you/)

[Cat Deeley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cat-deeley/)

> [Confidence comes from cutting yourself some slack.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tess-daly/confidence-comes-from-cutting-yourself-some-slack/)

[Tess Daly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tess-daly/)

> [I would rather regret the things that I have done than the things that I have not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucille-ball/i-would-rather-regret-the-things-that-i-have-done-than-the-things/)

[Lucille Ball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucille-ball/)

> [You want to remain hungry and stay in a good place as a competitor; at the same time, you want to be confident but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lamar-odom/you-want-to-remain-hungry-and-stay-in-a-good-place-as-a-competitor-at/)

[Lamar Odom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lamar-odom/)

> [Get to know yourself well enough to not only expect, but also control, your response to the unexpected challenges in life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/senoraroy/get-to-know-yourself-well-enough-to-not-only-expect-but-also-control/)

Senoraroy

> [The four Cs of making dreams come true: Curiosity, Courage, Consistency, Confidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-disney/the-four-cs-of-making-dreams-come-true-curiosity-courage-consistency/)

[Walt Disney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-disney/)

> [I look for someone who has confidence. Also someone whose energetic, cause I'm NOT that energetic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-jonas/i-look-for-someone-who-has-confidence-also-someone-whose-energetic/)

[Nick Jonas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-jonas/)

> [Why shouldn't I be confident? I'm well educated, I can deliver a line, and I have more than three expressions. That's good right?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonakshi-sinha/why-shouldn-t-i-be-confident-i-m-well-educated-i-can-deliver-a-line/)

[Sonakshi Sinha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonakshi-sinha/)

> [I was very confident on the stage, and I stood out in a red gown.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-johnson/i-was-very-confident-on-the-stage-and-i-stood-out-in-a-red-gown/)

[Nicole Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-johnson/)

> [If you go to any nunnery and ask them what the main obstacle is, they'll always say low self-esteem and lack of confidence. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/if-you-go-to-any-nunnery-and-ask-them-what-the-main-obstacle-is-they/)

[Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/)

[Browse all 11,290 Confidence quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/confidence/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“The pitiful effort comes from salespeople who actually make their calls, but are so nervous and uncomfortable that they’re completely ineffective. Lack of confidence ruins their mental state and their voice tone. They sound like, forgive the pun, they’re just phoning it in, dialing away making calls so that they can say they did it.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Mike Weinberg"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-weinberg/the-pitiful-effort-comes-from-salespeople-who-actually-make-their/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Confidence"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-weinberg/the-pitiful-effort-comes-from-salespeople-who-actually-make-their/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef0/mike-weinberg-5754_confidence_the-pitiful-effort-comes-from-salespeopl_2967380.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef0/mike-weinberg-5754_confidence_the-pitiful-effort-comes-from-salespeopl_2967380.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef0/mike-weinberg-5754_confidence_the-pitiful-effort-comes-from-salespeopl_2967380.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“The pitiful effort comes from salespeople who actually make their calls, but are so nervous and…” — Mike Weinberg",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Mike Weinberg",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-weinberg/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“The pitiful effort comes from salespeople...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-weinberg/the-pitiful-effort-comes-from-salespeople-who-actually-make-their/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-weinberg/the-pitiful-effort-comes-from-salespeople-who-actually-make-their/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
