There may be a million ways to make $1 million. But when Mark Cuban was asked which one immediately came to mind, he didn’t need much time to think about it.
The billionaire entrepreneur has built and sold companies, invested in startups, and spent years hearing pitches on Shark Tank. Yet when it comes to how ordinary Americans can get ahead financially, his answer wasn’t starting the next billion-dollar tech company or finding the perfect investment. Instead, he offered two simple words: “Sales, man.”
Mark Cuban says sales skills could help you make $1 million
Cuban made the comment during an episode of Sean D. Nelson’s “Let Me Save You 25 Years” podcast.
His argument is that learning how to sell gives you options. You can use the skill to find a job where you make good money, become exceptionally good at selling someone else’s product, and eventually take what you’ve learned and build something yourself.
“If you know how to sell, you can be great at something, find the right job where you can make money, and then if you get really, really, really good at selling that product or service, you can start your own and just crush it,” Cuban said.
Why Mark Cuban believes sales skills are essential to building wealth
Cuban believes the skill is fundamental because even the best business ultimately needs customers.
“There’s never been a company that succeeded without sales,” he emphasized. “And knowing how to sell is the key to making a million dollars every single time.”
Learning how to sell obviously doesn’t guarantee you’ll make $1 million. But Cuban’s point is that the skill can be applied whether you’re working for someone else or trying to build a company yourself.
Mark Cuban sees an opportunity to make money by learning AI
The billionaire entrepreneur also sees a similar opening happening with artificial intelligence. “If I was starting in tech right now, I would do everything that I possibly could to understand as much as I can about AI,” he said.
His advice isn’t simply to learn how to use the latest AI tools. Cuban thinks there’s an opportunity in understanding how technology could make a particular type of business more productive or profitable and then taking that knowledge directly to companies that haven’t figured it out yet.
“Just walk in and say, ‘Okay, I’m your guy,'” he suggested. The former Shark Tank star compared today’s AI opportunity with his own experience when he was in his 20s and personal computers were still unfamiliar to many businesses.
Cuban taught himself about computers and software, then used that knowledge to help companies understand what the technology could do for them. The technology is different today, but the underlying opportunity he describes is similar: learn something businesses need, then figure out how to sell that knowledge.
The three qualities Mark Cuban looks for in successful entrepreneurs
Cuban’s emphasis on sales also comes through when he decides which entrepreneurs are worth backing. When Nelson asked what characteristics he looks for in people he might invest in, Cuban pointed to three things.
“Can they sell? Are they adaptable? Are they curious?” he asked. The investor also noted he values people who reduce stress rather than add to it.
He described strong employees as people who understand what needs to get done, take responsibility for it, and make things easier for those around them.
Why Mark Cuban says making money matters more than raising capital
Cuban also has a warning for people who think building a successful business starts with finding investors.
“They make it about raising money as opposed to making cash,” he warned. Fundraising can give a startup money to hire employees, develop products, and grow. But raising millions of dollars from investors doesn’t necessarily mean the underlying business is successful.
Cuban explained that his priority when starting a company has always been figuring out how it can make money.
“Every single business I’ve ever started, I go into it thinking, how quickly can I be profitable?” he said. “And what can I do to make this business profitable?”
You don’t need to start a company to use Mark Cuban’s advice
Cuban’s path eventually led to entrepreneurship and billions of dollars, but his advice starts somewhere much more accessible: becoming good at selling something.
You could eventually use that experience to start a business, as Cuban suggests, but you don’t have to. The common thread is identifying something people or businesses need and learning how to show them why it’s worth paying for.
Bottom line
Mark Cuban believes sales can open the door to making $1 million, but his advice also highlights the importance of focusing on profitability rather than simply chasing big opportunities.
Whether you’re looking to find an online side hustle or eventually start a business, learning how to attract paying customers could be a valuable place to start. And as Cuban suggests, being curious, adapting to new technologies, and keeping an eye on what actually makes money could help you turn those skills into something more substantial.
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Author Details
Jordan Major is a writer for FinanceBuzz specializing in taxes. With over six years of experience covering financial topics, he helps readers navigate tax decisions that can impact their finances, from steering clear of common filing mistakes to spotting tax breaks that might come with risks.
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