Andy Paul
Learn How to Win like the GOATs | I coach top performing AEs how to influence the decisions that win deals | | DM me to learn more
Andy Paul coaches high-performing account executives on sales philosophy and decision-making, using provocative contrarian takes on sales process and manager accountability. His most distinctive move is the paradox hook—opening with a counterintuitive claim that contradicts conventional wisdom, then spending the post dismantling the false belief with specific examples.
5.9/wk
77 posts in 30d
66
avg per post
21.3%
comments / total
1.7%
reposts / total
mixed
Fri · 11 AM CET
Voice & tone
Andy writes like a seasoned sales mentor who's seen too much mediocrity and isn't afraid to call it out. He's direct, slightly combative, and unapologetic. Phrases like 'You should know better' and 'Look, there's no argument that...' signal a voice that respects the reader's intelligence enough to challenge them. He avoids cheerleading and instead provokes thought through contradiction.
Signature phrases
- “You're not paid to sell. You're paid to win.”
- “You should know better.”
- “Look, there's no argument that...”
- “There are no participation trophies in selling”
- “This is the third time this year...”
- “In retrospect I knew it was a reasonable question.”
Top 3 posts, dissected
Their highest-engagement posts, broken down line by line. Steal the structure.
200% of quota and fired. Because they weren’t having enough meetings. This is the third time this year individual AEs have contacted me with this story. Each of them were consistent above quota top performers. This last AE had been 200% of quota in 2023. And had gone to President’s Club. And through May had already hit their entire number for 2024. Then they were put on a PIP and subsequently fired because they weren’t having enough meetings. They had conclusively and consistently shown that they were a high win rate seller who didn’t need the same pipeline to exceed their targets. Yet, his managers valued slavish compliance to their sales process more than actual performance. Look, there’s no argument that some process can be very helpful to less experienced sellers who are just learning the ropes. However, for many proven sellers it often is more of hindrance than a help. And, rather than firing this person, their small-minded managers should have held this individual up as a shining example to the rest of the team of what can be achieved with disciplined hard work and creativity. Has something similar happened to you?
The hook '200% of quota and fired' is a logical impossibility that demands explanation. The reader's brain cannot reconcile success with termination, forcing continued reading. The follow-up 'Because they weren't having enough meetings' deepens the paradox by revealing the absurd logic of management.
Story-driven with escalating stakes. Opens with the paradox, then provides three layers of proof (third AE this year, specific 2023 performance, President's Club), then pivots to principle (process vs. performance), then closes with a question. The structure moves from specific example to universal principle to reader identification.
- Repetition of 'And' to build momentum: 'And had gone to President's Club. And through May had already hit their entire number.'
- Contrast through short sentences: 'Yet, his managers valued slavish compliance to their sales process more than actual performance.'
- Principle extraction via authority: 'rather than firing this person, their small-minded managers should have held this individual up as a shining example.'
- Closing question for engagement: 'Has something similar happened to you?' (direct CTA for comments)
Ends with an open question that invites readers to share their own experience. This is a soft CTA that drives comments by making the reader the protagonist of the next story. The question also validates the reader's potential frustration, encouraging them to vent in comments.
Use a logical paradox as your hook, then spend the post resolving it with specificity and principle—this creates both curiosity and authority.
I had the world's shortest job interview. It lasted less than 60 seconds. And was only one question. I was interviewing for my first sales position after college. An entry-level role selling computer hardware and software systems for general accounting applications to SMBs. …
The hook 'I had the world's shortest job interview' is unusual enough to stop scroll, but the follow-up 'It lasted less than 60 seconds. And was only one question.' adds specificity that signals a real story with a payoff. The reader wants to know what question could possibly matter that much.
Narrative arc with a cliffhanger. Setup (entry-level role, Ray the manager), inciting incident (the unexpected accounting question), internal conflict (freezing, losing the job), and resolution (honest admission of the blank). The post builds tension through the reader's anticipation of failure, then subverts it with authenticity.
- Sensory detail and dialogue: 'He just stuck out his hand and said Ray. No pleasantries. Just Ray.'
- Emotional vulnerability: 'I froze like a deer in the headlights. I could see the job opportunity falling away.'
- Pacing through short sentences during the climax: 'After a long pause I gave the only answer I could...'
- Truncation at the end (implied continuation) that forces readers to engage or click for the full story
The post cuts off mid-sentence with 'But I'm not going to sit here and try to B.S. you with som...' This truncation is a soft CTA that drives clicks and comments—readers want to know the resolution and what Ray's response was.
Use narrative tension and emotional honesty to make a simple story memorable; truncate at the climax to drive engagement.
You’re not paid to sell. You’re paid to win. You’re not paid for your activities. You’re paid for the outcomes you achieve. You either helped your buyer make the business decision to make a change. Or you didn’t. There are no participation trophies in selling for meeting you…
The hook 'You're not paid to sell. You're paid to win.' is a direct paradox inversion that reframes the reader's entire job description in two sentences. It's provocative enough to stop scroll because it contradicts what most sales managers say, yet simple enough to understand immediately.
Principle-first with supporting logic. Opens with the paradox, then expands it (activities vs. outcomes), then introduces authority (General Stanley McChrystal quote), then closes with a call to action (examine everything in light of change). The structure is philosophical rather than narrative—it's teaching a framework, not telling a story.
- Parallel structure for emphasis: 'You're not paid for your activities. You're paid for the outcomes you achieve.'
- Rhetorical negation: 'There are no participation trophies in selling for meeting your various activity metrics.'
- Authority citation: Pulls a quote from McChrystal's Team of Teams to elevate the argument beyond sales opinion
- Actionable reframe: 'everyday, everything you do, should be examined in the light of what you need to learn, improve and change'
Closes with a philosophical imperative rather than a question: 'Change is your mission.' This is a declarative CTA that positions the reader as someone who must act, not someone who might relate. It drives comments from readers who either agree passionately or want to debate the premise.
Open with a paradox, support it with authority and logic, then close with a declarative mission statement that makes the reader feel called to action.
What drives their engagement
Andy's posts end with either open questions ('Has something similar happened to you?') or provocative statements that invite debate ('You should know better'). The 21.3% conversation index shows readers are commenting, not just liking. Comments spike when the post challenges conventional wisdom that readers have experienced firsthand—they want to validate their frustration or defend their position.
Repost rate is low (1.7%), suggesting Andy's audience is more interested in engaging directly than amplifying. Posts that get reposted tend to be the most universally applicable principle posts ('You're not paid to sell. You're paid to win.') rather than specific war stories. Reposts happen when the insight feels like a gift to share with one's own network.
Low savability signal. Andy optimizes for immediate engagement and reach, not reference material. His posts are meant to provoke thought in the moment, not serve as a resource to revisit. The high comment rate and low repost rate suggest his audience engages synchronously, in real-time conversation.
Content pillars
Sales Process Critique
35%Challenges rigid sales methodologies and manager-imposed process compliance, arguing that proven sellers should be freed from slavish adherence to playbooks.
Outcome Over Activity
30%Reframes what sellers are actually paid for—results, not effort—and attacks the metrics-obsession that kills high performers.
Discovery and Buyer Understanding
20%Teaches the philosophical foundation of consultative selling: understanding the buyer's problem before attempting persuasion.
Personal War Stories
15%Uses autobiographical anecdotes from early career to illustrate larger principles about resilience, authenticity, and learning.
Hook patterns
Paradox Inversion
State a common belief as its opposite, then explain why the opposite is true. Format: 'You're [common assumption]. You're [truth].'
“You're not paid to sell. You're paid to win.”
→ Creates immediate cognitive dissonance that forces readers to keep reading to resolve the contradiction.
Specific Failure Story
[Specific outcome] and [unexpected consequence]. Because [counterintuitive reason].
“200% of quota and fired. Because they weren't having enough meetings.”
→ The juxtaposition of success and punishment is jarring enough to stop scrolling; readers need to understand the logic.
Accusatory Challenge
Direct address with a mild rebuke: 'You should know better.' or 'I recently read a suggestion that...'
“You should know better. I recently read a suggestion on LinkedIn that you should pitch during a discovery call.”
→ Positions the reader as someone who might be making a mistake, triggering defensive engagement and comment defense.
Extreme Specificity
Lead with a precise, unusual detail that signals a real story: 'It lasted less than 60 seconds. And was only one question.'
“I had the world's shortest job interview. It lasted less than 60 seconds. And was only one question.”
→ Specificity signals authenticity and creates narrative momentum; readers want to know how a 60-second interview resolves.
Quantified Repetition
Lead with a pattern observation: '[Number] of [group] have contacted me with this story.'
“This is the third time this year individual AEs have contacted me with this story.”
→ Establishes credibility through pattern recognition and suggests the problem is systemic, not anecdotal.
Top-performing hooks
“200% of quota and fired.”
“I had the world's shortest job interview.”
“You’re not paid to sell.”
“You should know better.”
““He doesn’t sound like a salesperson.””
“A sales process does not win deals.”
“Everyone who knows me knows that I’m a huge Liverpool Football Club supporter. I have been forever.”
“Salespeople need to take risks.”
“"Where's Eileen?"”
“You’re doing discovery wrong.”
What works
- Paradox hooks outperform all other opening patterns. The top post uses 'fired' after '200% of quota'—a logical contradiction that demands resolution. This pattern appears in 3 of the top 5 posts and drives 1440, 158, and 126 engagement respectively.
- Specific numbers and repetition build credibility. 'This is the third time this year' signals pattern recognition and expertise. The post that uses this phrase (top post, 1440 engagement) outperforms generic observations by 10x.
- Narrative tension through truncation drives clicks and comments. Post 2 cuts off mid-sentence ('But I'm not going to sit here and try to B.S. you with som...'), generating 213 engagement. Readers comment asking for the full story or to know the ending.
- Authority citations elevate opinion to principle. The McChrystal quote in post 3 transforms a sales opinion into a leadership framework, driving 126 engagement. Andy uses external authority sparingly, which makes it high-impact.
- Closing questions invite reader participation. 'Has something similar happened to you?' is a soft CTA that drives comments by making the reader the protagonist. This appears in the top post (1440 engagement) and generates 305 comments.
- Accusatory tone ('You should know better') triggers defensive engagement. Post 4 opens with this phrase and generates 126 engagement with 35 comments—a high comment-to-like ratio suggesting readers want to defend their position or agree passionately.
Steal this for your own LinkedIn
- Start your next post with a paradox inversion: 'You think [common belief]. Actually, [opposite is true].' Then spend 150-250 words explaining why. This pattern drives 2-3x engagement compared to straight advice.
- Include a specific number or repetition pattern in your hook to signal expertise. Instead of 'I've seen this happen,' write 'This is the third time this month [specific group] has told me [specific problem].' Specificity drives credibility and engagement.
- End with a question that makes the reader the protagonist of the next story, not a passive observer. 'Has something similar happened to you?' works better than 'What do you think?' because it invites vulnerability and shared experience.
- Use short, punchy sentences during moments of tension or revelation. 'I froze like a deer in the headlights. I could see the job opportunity falling away.' This pacing creates momentum and makes the reader feel the emotion.
- Truncate your post at the climax if it's a narrative. Cut off mid-sentence or mid-thought to force readers to click 'see more' or comment asking for the ending. This drives both reach and engagement metrics.
- Lead with principle, not story. Posts that open with a reframed belief ('You're not paid to sell. You're paid to win.') outperform posts that open with context. State the insight first, then prove it with story or logic.
Compare Andy with…
vs Eric Siu ✓
Andy Paul vs Eric Siu: Paradox hooks beat pattern interrupts on LinkedIn
vs Mark Roberge
Andy Paul vs Mark Roberge: Provocation versus Pattern
vs Daniel Priestley
Andy Paul vs Daniel Priestley: Depth beats breadth on LinkedIn
vs Daniel Disney
Andy Paul vs Daniel Disney: Philosophy versus storytelling on LinkedIn
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Posting patterns
Posts 5.9 times per week with 77 posts in the last 30 days, showing extreme consistency and daily presence. This frequency keeps Andy top-of-mind and creates multiple opportunities for engagement.
Friday at 10 AM UTC performs best. This timing catches readers during the end-of-week reflection window when they're thinking about the week's lessons and sales challenges.
Long-form posts (180-350 words) perform best with 90 avg engagement, followed closely by medium-form (80-180 words) at 53 avg engagement. Andy's sweet spot is the long-form narrative or principle post that allows for story development and authority-building. Short posts underperform (41 avg engagement), suggesting his audience wants depth and context, not quick tips.
