Staying Grounded at 45,000 Feet

A sleek private jet soars above the vast, rugged landscape, showcasing the elegance and power of modern aviation against a backdrop of sprawling, untouched terrain.

One of the most consistent patterns I’ve seen across the 22 years that I’ve been involved with coaching business jet sales professionals has very little to do with product knowledge, negotiation skill, or market timing, (although integral). It has a lot to do with sheer hard work and no ego.

Business aviation places salespeople in close proximity to extraordinary lifestyles. Ultra-high-net-worth individuals. Global mobility. Assets measured in tens of millions. Access that few industries offer. Over time, for some, this environment can quietly distort perspective.

When Big Numbers Blur Judgment

It doesn’t happen overnight. It develops subtly as salespeople spend more time around wealth, power, and privilege. The amounts of money involved becomes normalised. The lifestyle starts to feel familiar. And slowly—almost imperceptibly—the salesperson’s mindset can begin to shift. They stop seeing themselves as serving the client and start seeing themselves as part of the client’s world.

This can be where challenges begin.

• Conversations become more about impressing than understanding

• Listening is replaced by assuming

• Confidence drifts into entitlement

• Service gives way to self-importance

The salesperson starts to believe they are the centre of the transaction. They aren’t.

A Golden Rule of Business Jet Sales

As I have observed, there is a simple principle that separates the most successful business jet sales professionals from the rest:

It’s the client that takes off you must remain grounded.

The aircraft exists to serve the client’s mission, lifestyle, business, and priorities—not the salesperson’s ego. As I have observed the best salespeople never forget this.

Why Humility Wins

Ultra-high-net-worth clients are acutely perceptive. They don’t need to be impressed by money, access, or proximity to luxury—they already live there. What they value instead is:

• Discretion

• Emotional intelligence

• Impeccable service

• Reliability

• Respect for their time and intent

• A calm, centered presence

Salespeople who “act like the client” are often the least trusted. Those who remain humble, curious, and genuinely of service build long-term credibility—and repeat business.

Staying Grounded

The irony of business jet sales is that the higher you sell, the more grounded you must become. That means:

• Remembering your role is advisor and servant, not peer

• Asking better questions instead of making statements

• Detaching your self-worth from deal size

• Respecting that the aircraft is their freedom, not your status

• Measuring success by client outcomes, not personal validation

The most accomplished sales professionals in this industry are often the least flashy. They don’t talk about themselves. They don’t name-drop. They don’t confuse access with importance.

Final Thought

Business jet sales is a privilege. It offers rare access and significant financial reward. But those rewards come with a responsibility: to remain clear-eyed, humble, and service-driven.

Ego clouds judgment. Service builds trust. And trust is what closes deals—again and again.

At 45,000 feet, humility still matters.