Most salespeople are obsessed with the opening. They practice their hello, their rapport, and their first impression. But as Lukas reveals that, just like in chess, the masters are made in the endgame. Here is why you must practice the checkmate, even when you are losing.

"“Most of us treat sales like a game of chess where we only practice the opening. But the masters also obsess over the endgame.”"

We sat down with Lukas Schmidt to deconstruct the philosophy of the sale, the ethics of conviction, and why most salespeople fail simply because they have never practiced their checkmate.

The ABC Protocol

At its core, Lukas says, every interaction, whether networking or deep discovery, is a diagnostic process. He calls it the ABC Framework:

  • A (Current Situation): Where are they bleeding?
  • B (The Block): What is standing in their way?
  • C (Desired Situation): What does the promised land look like?

Your job is to understand the gap between A and C, and identify the B in the middle.

If you can help someone cross that gap, you make an offer.

If you can’t, you don’t.

That’s it.

The ethical question: are we helping… or just selling?

I asked him something I used to struggle with:

If a salesperson can sell Offer A today, then tomorrow sell Offer B (the competitor) with the same conviction…

Is sales really about helping people choose the best option?

Or is it just pushing them toward “your boat”?

His answer was simple:

Good salespeople make the base case of how what they sell is the best option for a specific type of person.

Not “best for everyone.”

Best for someone with certain priorities.

So, ethical sales isn’t pretending you’re perfect.

It’s being honest about what you’re best at — and selling to the people who value that.

The “new surgeon vs experienced surgeon” example

I gave him a harder scenario:

You’re a knee surgeon at the beginning of your career.
Bob, your competitor, has been doing it for 5 years.

Same price.

Shouldn’t you just send the client to Bob?

Lukas disagreed.

His reasoning: experience matters, but so does attention, and other variables.

Bob is more experienced. But might be overloaded, tired, rushing cases.

A newer surgeon might be more focused, more prepared, and treat that case like the most important thing that day.

So the best decision isn’t always “most experienced.”

The Chess Endgame

The most profound insight from our conversation was the Chess Analogy.

In chess, most players memorize openings.

They know exactly how to move their pawns in the first three turns. But very few study the endgame — the final, brutal moments where the board is empty and precise execution is required to checkmate.

“Salespeople blunder their Queen early in the call, and they just quit,” Lukas notes.

But remember – the other person can “blunder” too.
Chess isn’t about who doesn’t blunder; but it’s about not being the one who blunders last.

Practical Takeaway: Practice endgames, relentlessly.

The Game (with Lukas Schmidt)

Sales isn’t a solo sport.

If you want to get better faster, you need reps, feedback, and people who actually play at your level.

Lukas is building The Game — a training environment where Creators, Marketers and Salespeople can network together.

Apply / join here: https://www.skool.com/game

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