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Chris Brindle

best reps do this


The reps who come out ahead in negotiations are the ones who can genuinely say no.

INTENTIONAL


FINANCE


It has a job

Your emergency fund isn't sitting there doing nothing

Read time: 2 min


Most sales reps I talk to feel a low-grade discomfort about money sitting in savings.

"It's just doing nothing."

The instinct makes sense. You're aggressive with money. You want it working. But that framing assumes the only way money works is by appreciating. Your emergency fund is working. It's buying you options.

If you're trying to negotiate a new role but you don't have real runway behind you, the other side can feel it. You need the deal. They know it. The reps I work with who come out ahead are the ones who can genuinely say no -- and mean it -- because they have the cash to back it up.

Three things a funded account actually does for you:

  • Lets you walk away from a bad manager or a dead territory without panic-applying to the first thing that comes up
  • Lets you consider a lower base / higher commission structure without fear driving the decision
  • Gives you the ability to be selective, take your time, and wait for the right offer

The reps I've watched make their best moves had one thing in common. They were patient. They could afford to wait, and the other side knew it. That changes every conversation you have about compensation, about offers, about whether to stay or go.

One more thing worth saying: "I'll build it when things are good" is the wrong order. Build it during your best months. You don't get to choose when the down months come.

If this week's emails have you thinking about where your full financial picture actually stands, reply with "plan" and I'll send you what a first step looks like.

-Chris Brindle

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Chris Brindle

I'm a Financial Planner and Investment Advisor for Sales Reps. I create financial content to help people live a better life without the stress that comes with variable income.

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