Speed vs Control

Posted on January 30, 2026 by directimpact
I sat in on a software demo this afternoon and we uncovered quiet a few pain points. The prospect was at a lower level, but when pitching Enterprise/Software products, you need to build the narrative from the ground up. I know for a fact that the CEO at ABC wants to leave it up to his people to bring him the pain points that a new solution will solve. With that said, I thought the following post communicates some good points:
Here you go:
SMB sales is speed. Enterprise sales is strategy.

Same product. Completely different game.

Here’s what most people get wrong:

They try to sell to enterprises like they’re SMBs.
Fast pitches. Quick closes. One conversation.

That’s not how big deals work.

SMB motion:
→ Talk to the CEO or problem owner directly
→ Win on timing (catch them when it hurts)
→ Close fast or walk away
→ One decision maker, one conversation

Enterprise motion:
→ No single buyer exists
→ Multiple stakeholders with partial authority
→ Decisions move through layers
→ You need context before you need a champion

The real difference?

SMBs reward you for showing up at the right moment.
Enterprises reward you for bringing the right information.

When you sell to SMBs:
Timing beats everything. If the pain isn’t fresh, move on.

When you sell to enterprises:
Start at the bottom. Talk to operators and managers first.
Build the narrative from the ground up.
Then bring it to decision makers with proof.

Bottom line:

SMB = speed wins
Enterprise = control wins

Know which game you’re playing.

When talking to Membership Coordinators and Managers ask Simple questions like, Is renewing your membership easy? Is generating a report easy? Is joining easy?
Finally, I heard a preacher say this week, Most people don’t fear Public Speaking, they fear Social Judgement.
Stay warm, but not comfortable. That’s how things get done- outside your comfort zone.
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Human Connection

Posted on November 14, 2025 by directimpact
You cannot automate human connection. You cannot AI your way into trust. You can build follow up systems that make people feel seen, heard, and valued. Simplify the process. Ask more questions. Be a Guide or as I like to say a Concierge. You are the differentiator.
Have you thought about what you are going to send your customers and prospects this Thanksgiving? If not, just send me something;)
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Ben Franklin Quote

Posted on November 7, 2025 by directimpact
Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn. Ben Franklin.
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Lead with the Phone

Posted on October 31, 2025 by directimpact
Good afternoon,
There have been challenges getting to yes, this week, but leading with the phone helps me get the intelligence I need in a timely manner and breaks through other forms of media. The following email from Rose Ingrande illustrates my point.
This ten-minute podcast from Sales Gravy really drove home the importance of picking up the phone-  https://salesgravy.com/what-surprises-salespeople-the-most-when-they-pick-up-the-phone-money-monday/
Here’s an excerpt from the podcast that really caught my attention:
A “How AI Will Replace You” Reality Check
Rather than picking up the phone and talking with people, sales professionals everywhere have replaced this beautiful, synchronous sales communication tool with email. This aversion to talking with people by phone has become so acute that at least half of Sales Gravy’s training and consulting engagements have focused on one thing: Teaching and compelling salespeople to pick up the damn phone and just have real-time human conversations. 
So, let’s start with a reality check: The telephone is not old school. Talking in real time with your prospects and customers on the phone is not old school. Pay attention: Talking with people is THE School with a capital THE. 
That’s what you get paid to do. The more people you talk with, the more you will sell. And the easiest, fastest, lowest-friction means of talking with people is by phone. 
Last Monday, I discussed the reasons why AI will not be displacing sales professionals any time soon. I made the argument that sales is the most human-centric career choice in the age of AI. But there is a caveat. If you choose to keep your customers and prospects and digital arm’s length or if you avoid engaging in synchronous conversations by phone, in-person, or video, AI can and will replace you. 
With all this said, picking up the phone takes energy & courage. For me, I block out my phone work in the morning when I have the most energy and my will power muscle is still looking to move the world.
One last thought, I really dislike being interrupted during the day. It takes me out of my game. Funny thing is, in my role as BDR, I get paid to interrupt other people.
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Character Credit

Posted on October 24, 2025 by directimpact

Lord help me to watch my thoughts,  for they become my words.

Watch my words for they become my actions.

Watch my actions for they become my habits.

Watch my habits for they become my character.

Watch me character, for it becomes my destiny.

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Don’t Want to Bother You

Posted on October 17, 2025 by directimpact

Have you ever thought to yourself during prospecting, “I don’t want to bother you again.” Well, I have and I usually give a month between each outreach. This thinking may be wrong. The problem is not the number of attempts but the spacing. When I leave a voicemail and wait a month to “give them space” I lose momentum and start from scratch. Jeb Blount says, “The winning sales strategy is persistence with velocity. That means touching base every few days or weekly. When you maintain momentum, prospects remember you. The real failure is letting quality leads die because you are afraid to pick up the phone and risk hearing “No.” I need to decrease my spacing. Every No gets me closer to a Yes.

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Sales Fundamentals

Posted on October 10, 2025 by directimpact
Good afternoon,
I thought I would share a few sales fundamentals. For me, it is not that we don’t know but we need to always be reminded.
Build rapport– The best way to build rapport is to know something about the person on the other side before the call. LinkedIn makes it so easy to build rapport. When you are meeting a new prospect, colleague or customer make sure you do your homework. You will set yourself apart.
 
Discipline– You have to show up every day and do a certain number of activities. Every. Single. Day. Consistently. If you need to work on prospecting, start blocking out an hour each day on your calendar. From the book Atomic Habits- What you want is a “gateway habit” that naturally leads you down a productive path. For example, Doing Prospecting becomes making just 5 calls a day for the first week. This will get you going and you will build up your discipline to do more. Will power can be like a muscle and the more you use it the bigger it gets.
 
Find Your Carrot– The carrot needs to be tangible and specific. This will get you through the grind and negativity than can creep into your mindset. My carrot changes over the course of the year.  Right now, Teri and I are focusing on taking a trip to Hawaii early next year. Keeping a picture of the islands right next my computer.
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Involvement

Posted on October 3, 2025 by directimpact
Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn.
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Can you do me a favor?

Posted on September 26, 2025 by directimpact
ust a quick tip to help with prospects that you have had dialog with in the past, but ghosting then rears its ugly head. I don’t recommend this with prospects you have not had communicated with in the past.
I have had success using the Subject Line: Can you do me a favor? It works for psychological reasons. Here’s what AI says, “Unlike subject lines that command immediate action or over-promise, asking for a favor is a human-to-human request that removes pressure and invites a conversation. It respects the recipient’s autonomy by giving them the option to help or pass, which paradoxically makes them more likely to agree.”
Just a thought- Being grateful for what you have today boxes out anxious feelings about tomorrow.
Can you do me a favor? Be grateful!
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Invest the Time

Posted on September 19, 2025 by directimpact
Finally, from Sales Gravy, “The most insatiable human need is the need to feel important and significant. When you demonstrate that you invested even minimal time researching them, you instantly make them feel like they matter.”
Want to know the fastest way to get permanently blocked? Send a message that screams “I know nothing about you or your business.”
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