SALES LEADERSHIP

A Question That Took 20 Years to Answer

A long time ago, when I was a director at an equipment company, my Sales VP asked me a question that I couldn’t shake: “How do we get our sales team in first? Because if we can be first, we can set the parameters of the deal in our favor.“

He was right. And I spent the next 20 years with that question stuck in my mind. I could see the problem clearly. I just couldn’t solve it. Until now.

Three numbers. That's all it takes to see how big the gap is for your team.

THE MATH:

Your rep manages 150 accounts. With only 28% of their time available for actual selling (Salesforce State of Sales, 2024), they’re having maybe 20-25 real conversations a week. That means 125 of their 150 accounts get zero proactive contact this week. Not because your rep doesn’t care — because there aren’t enough hours in the day.

What Happens in the Silence:

Those 125 customers still have needs. Leases are expiring and they’re researching replacements. Fleets are aging and they’re comparing new vs. used. A warehouse is expanding and they need additional units. But your rep didn’t call this week. So the customer does what everyone does now — they pull out their phone. They Google the problem. They ask AI. They see multiple solutions. They pick one. Maybe yours. Maybe not. You can’t control that.

The Answer:

What if one of the things on that customer’s phone — before Google, before AI — was YOUR branded app? Not a generic vendor tool. YOUR company’s name. YOUR brand. When they have a need, you’re already there. And when they’re ready to act, your rep gets a Customer Intent signal. Not a guess from scraped internet data. A real signal from a real customer, raising their hand, telling you what they want through their actions. Your rep is now first. Before the customer Googles. Before they ask AI. Before your competitor even knows there’s a deal. That’s how you set the parameters.