The Invisible Shortlist: Why Most Vendors Never Get a Shot

In B2B sales, many vendors still operate under the outdated assumption that they can jump into the buying process AFTER prospect signals intent. But in today’s digital-first world, that thinking is obsolete. By the time a buyer reaches out ...

In 1913, Henry Ford revolutionized manufacturing with the assembly line, transforming automobile production from a slow, handcrafted endeavor into a relentless, mechanized force. It was efficient. It was scalable. It was genius.

And somewhere along the way, salespeople thought: What if we did that…...

In 2025 and Beyond, Outdated Sales Tactics Are Your Biggest Liability

Tech buyers aren’t making decisions the way they used to — and they certainly don’t make them the way most sales teams expect. If you’re failing to publish thought leadership, waiting for buyer intent signals before engaging, foc...

When you schedule a call with a new prospect, how do you prepare?

Sometimes, I’m tempted to wing it with prospects, especially if they’re the ones who requested the meeting.

But that’s not wise. When I wing it, the calls might be pleasant, but we rarely agree to next steps, and I’m not as likely t...

“No one ever made a difference by being like everyone else.”
― P.T. Barnum

At a recent DirectionsNA conference, Candyce asked an attendee, “What’s your company’s differentiator?” He replied, “We really care about our customers.” 

Candyce gestured to the room filled with Microsoft partners “But tha...

Imagine a world of bots calling bots. Bots emailing bots. Bots commenting on bot-generated posts. Bots pitch-slapping bots.

Bots, bots, bots, bots, bots...

Is this the "utopia" of fully automated AI sales assistants? A Bot-Topia? 

Sure, automating tasks helps to streamline processes. 

But is it...

As a founder, you have unique advantages in driving sales due to your deep knowledge of the product vision and ability to convey passion. Harnessing founder-led sales can be a huge differentiator and can accelerate growth for early-stage startups and small SMBs.

Benefits include: 

• Deeper custome...

"She keeps showing up like a bad rash!"

A CMO told us about a sales person who just would not stop pestering him, even after he clearly told her he was not interested in her offer and was not going to schedule time to meet. 

“She just keeps showing up like a bad rash,” he told us.

Ugghh! What a t...

I lost over $335,000 before figuring out how to build a sales team.

Back in 2002-2005, I built the sales team for a fintech venture I co-founded. 

I was a complete novice when it came to recruiting and leading a sales team. 

I was pretty good at sales and spent 2 years teaching solution selling. ...

Imagine if you could understand your ideal customer better, educate yourself about new industry trends faster, and brainstorm conversation starters all with the help of AI. Sounds too good to be true?

Welcome to the world of AI and ChatGPT. In this blog post, we'll share 7 prompts that can help you...

Specialization is crucial for a software ISV (Independent Software Vendor) to achieve success in the highly competitive tech market. By focusing on a specific industry or domain, ISVs can create products that meet the unique needs and demands of that market. This not only helps the ISV stand out fro...

Is your team using an account-based marketing (ABM) and sales strategy? If you're not using LinkedIn as part of your enterprise account strategy, you're missing out. It's the perfect way to get the entire buying committee on board with your solution.

LinkedIn is an ideal starting point to get your ...