Keenan .

Vice President/Regional Sales Leader Emerging Service Providers

Noted Analytics

Chief Executive Officer

A Sales Growth Company

A Sales Growth Company helps organizations solve the ever-changing challenges of revenue growth, long sales cycles, low winning percentages, and unacceptable growth numbers.  Through it's highly sought after Gap Selling methodology, ASG is quickly becoming the leader in revenue generation solutions for B2B companies around the world . . .

and we're just a killer place to work!

CEO/President

Gap Selling

Author

What it once took to be successful no longer works. The 21st century has brought its own set of rules.

Learn how the information age has turned the success game upside down and what it takes for you to win in today's game.

Not Taught

Vail Resorts

Ski Instructor

Forbes

I drop mad wisdom weekly on everything sales, sales leadership and revenue generation. You can check out my profile and follow me here: http://www.forbes.com/sites/jimkeenan/

Contributor

TechStars

Start-up founders let me help them blow it up!

Mentor

Socially Booked

Chock up another start-up failure. I'm learning A LOT!

CEO and Founder

2Wire

Responsible for 2Wires Sales strategy and sales operations including sales reporting, sales vision and strategy, governance, and management

Vice President Sales Strategy and Operations

Avaya

CEO | Author of Gap Selling | Creator of the Problem-Centric OS™ | Driving Predictable, Reliable, Revenue Growth -- Every Time

I’m the CEO of A Sales Growth Company (ASG) and the author of Gap Selling. Over the past decade, I’ve built a body of work that includes the Problem-Centric Operating System™ (PCOS), the Buyer Confidence Model, and the Problem Identification Chart (PIC) — frameworks that rewire how revenue organizations operate, forecast, and grow.

At ASG, we don’t just train salespeople. We help entire organizations transform the way they sell by aligning every GTM function to the problems buyers actually have. That’s why our work has been featured in Harvard Business Review and MIT Sloan Management Review, and why global enterprises and high-growth companies turn to us when they need to fix broken revenue systems.

I’m also a lifelong freestyle and mogul skier. In skiing, success requires precision, rhythm, and adaptability — one mistake throws off the entire run. Revenue is the same. If one part of the GTM system is out of sync, the whole organization feels it: forecasts drift, deals stall, and growth slows. That’s what the Problem-Centric OS solves — it brings clarity, control, and flow back into the system so growth becomes predictable.

ASG exists to help organizations achieve that level of performance. Our clients see higher win rates, more accurate forecasts, shorter sales cycles, and stronger alignment across sales, marketing, and customer success.

Because today’s revenue challenges aren’t about effort or talent — they’re about systems that weren’t built for how modern buyers buy. And fixing those systems is what we do.

EVEYONE WANTS SALES TRAINING 

But no one knows why. 

We see it all the time. 

The request, “We need sales training, we want to upskill our people.”  

Great, 

Why?  

“They don’t do discovery well.”
“We need more leads.”
“We’re behind on our number.” 
“The pipeline isn’t big enough.
 “We keep discounting to get business.”

OK, 

That makes sense. 

But then it happens. 

What’s your win rates? — “We don’t know”
What’s your average time to close? — “We don’t know”
What’s your average contract value? — “We don’t know”
What percentage of the team is at quota, — “Not sure”

Ok, let’s try this. 

What’s your goal for next year?  

“We don’t know exactly, but it’s probably going to be 30% higher.” 

Ok, 

Where are you gonna finish this year.

“Not sure, but maybe 100 million.”  

So you need to get to 130 million next year? 

“Yes!”  

What’s the teams run rate?  

“About One hundred million.”  

So they’re flat? 

“Yes!”  

So if I understand correctly, you want sales training becasue you’re concerned that you are NOT going to make the 2025 number and you believe the problem is the sales teams skills? 

“Yes.”  

What’s the average quota of a sales rep? 

“1 million.” 

OK, but you said you don’t know what percentage of team is at quota, correct? 

“Yes.”  

Welp, there are a lot of unanswered questions here, but it’s going to cost  roughly $3,500 a rep, or $455,000. 

“Oh no, that’s too expensive, we didn’t budget for that.” 

And there it is! 

We see it all the time. 

Sales organizations have no ideas WHY they are not making their number or are unable to scale.

Driven by fear, they look to tools or training, or anything they can to get that quick hit.  

But when push comes to shove, they cry poverty. 

The problem: 

The org is not in control of their critical success measures.
They don’t know the root cause issues behind their problems. (This usually because they haven’t properly diagnosed the problem)

Because of this . . .

They didn’t properly budget to solve the problem and therefore EVERYTHING seems expensive. 

Now they’re in shock. But they shouldn’t be. 

Investing in sales team performance, linked to key sales metrics AND growth goals should be SOP.  But it’s not. 

Unfortunately, too many sales orgs get lost in the quarterly dog fight, heads down, driving towards quota and revenue attainment today, losing sight of the fact that sales is a perpetual engine that needs to be constantly fed and maintained.  

Thinking $3,500 dollars a rep is too expensive to invest in the developement of reps, when you’re 30 million shy of the upcoming goal, and the team lacks the skills you feel are critical to hit that number is as short sighted and pennywise, pound foolish as it could be. 

You’re right, you need sales training. 

Sales rep development is the greatest investment an organization can make when it comes to revenue acceleration and GTM and making the investment is exactly the right decision. 

But not for 50 bucks a rep.

No alternative text description for this image

THE SALES ENABLEMENT LIE -- 

It's . . . 
A subtle one.
Yet, a believable one.

The kind that sounds smart… until you look at your numbers.

It’s the belief that training fixes revenue.

Let me ask you something:
If that were true… wouldn’t your win rates be higher by now?
Wouldn’t more of your team be hitting quota?
Wouldn’t the “we trained them” box actually mean something on the scoreboard?

We’ve been telling ourselves a story:
“Once they learn it… they’ll do it.”
 
But will they? Do they?

Let's be honest — how many times have you said something like:
“They know what to do… they’re just not doing it”?
Doesn’t that tell us everything we need to know?

Somewhere along the way, enablement got built on Learning & Development logic.
 -Learning objectives.
 -Course modules.
 -Knowledge checks.
 -Certifications.

These are great for education. But sales isn’t education.

Sales is performance!

It’s real, live, unscripted, pressure-filled execution.

Knowing something in a training room is one thing.

Doing it in front of a skeptical buyer with a million dollars on the line?
 
That's an entirely different game.

So here’s the question:
 
Do you have a knowledge problem… or a performance problem?

The symptoms don’t lie.
 -Flat win rates.
 -Stalled deals.
 -Mediocre discovery.
 -Reps who “get it” but don’t do it.

That’s not a training issue. That’s a performance issue.

The Sales Enablement Lie is this idea that if we just teach harder…
 if we explain it better…
 if we push more content…
 somehow the numbers will move.

But they won’t.
 
Because content doesn’t change behavior.
 -Practice does.
 -Coaching does.
 -Feedback does.
 -Execution does.

Training is the introduction. Performance is the outcome.

Sales is a performance profession, not different than the NFL, Formula 1 or the Ballet. 

If you want to build a world class sales org, that consistently delivers, build a performance sales enablement engine, not a learning environment. 

HINT: No you're not already doing it.  Just get that out of your head now.

This is absolutely fantastic. Couldn’t have described it better. Perfect description of the roles of sales people wrapped in one.

I recently had a very impactful conversation with Keenan . & Celeste Berke Knisely, MTA from A Sales Growth Company. As I was learning from their amazing expertise and approach for #Gapselling, I surfaced an observation I’ve seen over the years that describes the strengths great sellers often draw on. Keenan suggested I post about this, so here it is.

Sales today asks far more of us than product knowledge and a persuasive pitch. The landscape is faster, more complex, and more competitive. Customers expect clarity, trust, and partnership. To meet those expectations, the best sales professionals I've worked with draw on a mix of different strengths.

The most consistently successful sellers have four distinct archetypes they lean into. Nobody lives in just one. Great sellers know when to switch modes and how to blend them.

The Engineer

The Engineer understands how things work in the world of their customers. They understand the problem centric world at a deeper level. They ask precise questions, break down complexity, and help customers make sense of problems that are often messy.
This archetype thrives on structure and clarity. They map out problems, identify impacts and expose root causes before defining solutions that actually solve for the root causes.

The Psychologist

The Psychologist reads people as well as they read situations. They create trust by listening with intent and picking up on nuance. They ask the questions that matter and take the time to understand the emotional side of decision making.
This archetype truly understands that buying decisions are never purely rational, and they help customers feel understood and supported in the journey.

The Performer

The Performer brings energy, presence, flair and communication skills that lift the entire conversation. They tell stories that land. They simplify ideas so they stick. They know when to lean in, when to pause, and how to keep momentum in a room.
This archetype can make complex information feel simple and engaging. They carry confidence without arrogance and help customers picture the outcome in a way that feels real.

The Project Manager

The Project Manager ensures everything moves forward. They keep stakeholders aligned, set clear next steps, and handle operational details that transforms interest into results.
This archetype is reliable, organised, and always thinking three steps ahead. They protect timelines, reduce friction, and make it easier for the customer to buy.


Sales is a profession that blends skill, discipline, process and adaptability. Sellers who consistently perform are the ones who can shift gears throughout the sales process.

The Engineer helps us define, expose and sell the Gap.
The Psychologist helps us connect, align and gain trust.
The Performer helps us communicate, inspire and activate.
The Project Manager helps us progress, secure and deliver.

When these four come together, you not only win more, you build long term trust and sustainable growth.

Blue SalesFly LLC

I help CEOS and Sales Leaders untangle the knots stopping growth. Most recently helped grow a healthcare consultancy from $6M to $47M. If you want growth, you need a GUIDE with a Map that knows the terrain. I’ve been turning around territories or product lines my whole career.

“Knots” cause all the sales problems. Not winning, not finding, not opening enough, and not at the right price. I’ll help you untangle the “knots” holding you back. You will gain a selling system customized to your business with the right people doing the right activities in the right sequence to accelerate your growth.

Founder / CEO

Membrain.com

Partner

SpendMend 

Joined to revitalize sales and marketing. I helped grow the company from a low seven-figure to nine-figure validation. I led the development and launch of a new brand, go-to-market strategy, sales process, CRM, and two new websites. I was instrumental in elevating the national accounts strategy that landed nationwide contracts with the two largest group purchasing organizations.

In 2022, after the second Private Equity event, I chose an exit and launched a company to share what I have learned.

Sr. Vice President Growth & Development

Sodexo

Senior Director Business Development

Steelcase Health

Area Healthcare Manager

Johnson Controls

Solutions Sales Executive - Healthcare

Hill-Rom

Area Vice President

Most CEOs I work with have a capable team—but still feel like sales is tangled, random, and not creating margin-rich growth.

After 25+ years fixing broken sales across industries, I’ve built and installed custom growth systems that get teams aligned, qualified, and closing with confidence. One client scaled from $6M to $47M by untangling their “sales knots.”

I help small to mid-market B2B CEOs and Founders:

- Map their Route to Revenue
- Uncover their Strategic Value
- Install the GUIDE Selling System™
- And build a sales process that earns margin, trust, and market share

The problem isn’t your product. It’s how your team sells it—and what your buyers believe when they hear from you.

👉 Ready to fix your broken sales system? Let’s map your Route to Revenue. DM me or visit www.bluesalesfly.com

Michael Koory

Growth isn't a mystery. It's a system.

Most companies stall because they try to fix sales with tactics. 

I fix sales with alignment.

That's why I built the Growth Flywheel - a system that starts with culture and ends with momentum. 

Here's how it works:

Culture sets the tone.

Strategy sets the direction.

Methodology is how you engage.

Process makes it repeatable.

CRM drives execution.

Coaching sharpens performance.

Accountability keeps it honest.

Talent keeps it strong.

Each turn fuels the next.

Each turn adds lift.

Each turn compounds.

This is how you shift "random wins" to predictable revenue.

Not with tactic hacks.

Not with pressure.

But with Your flywheel built to scale.

If you want growth that doesn't stall, build a system that can't stop.

#growthflywheel #salesleadership #ceo

li_at

JSESSIONID

Talks about #sales, #saleshiring, #salesprocess, #salescoaching, and #salestraining

CEO Growth Advisor | Fixing Broken Sales & Untangling Revenue Knots | Creator of the GUIDE Selling System™

I used to think the hardest part of fixing a broken sales process was the technical stuff. The CRM, the scripts, the playbooks. 

But honestly, that's the easy part. 

The real challenge? Getting a team to admit something's actually broken. 

Nobody wants to say it out loud. Everyone's got a story about why the numbers are off, or why that big deal slipped through the cracks. 

But here's the thing. If you can't name the knot, you can't untangle it. 

I've sat in rooms where the tension is so thick you could cut it with a butter knife. People fidgeting, glancing at each other, hoping someone else will speak up first. 

And then, finally, someone does. Usually it's not the loudest voice. It's the one who's tired of pretending. 

That's when the real work starts. 

Because once you admit there's a knot, you can start pulling the right threads. 

You can stop blaming the market, or the product, or the competition. 

You can start asking better questions. 

What are we actually trying to solve here? 

Who needs to be in the room? 

What would "fixed" even look like? 

It's not comfortable. But it's the only way forward. 

So if your sales process feels stuck, ask yourself: are you willing to say what's really broken? Or are you still hoping someone else will do it for you?

I was in a planning session with a manufacturing sales leadership team last month.

Whiteboard. Coffee. Q4 pressure.

They had the usual list:
 - We need to close deals.
 - Pricing is getting squeezed.
- The sales cycle is too long.
- We need better reps.

All true. Also....not the root.

So I asked a simple question:
"𝗕𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝘁𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘀, 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗺𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗳𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴?"

We pulled up the TOPO Map and ran the exercise as a team. 

Within 20 minutes, the room got quiet. 

Because they stopped talking about what they sell...and started naming what their customers are trying to survive. 

𝙏𝙝𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙨 weren't "competitors."

They were the silent killers:
 - late shipments that trigger line shutdowns
 - supplier risk that turns into customer penalties
 - quality escapes that become "we don't trust you anymore."

𝙊𝙗𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙘𝙡𝙚𝙨 weren't "budget."

They were internal friction at the customer:
 - Engineering, Purchasing, Ops all optimizing for different outcomes
 - change requests stuck in approvals
 - fear of supplier changes, because the last one almost broke them.

𝙋𝙧𝙤𝙗𝙡𝙚𝙢𝙨 weren't "they need parts."
 
They were downstream issues and pain:
 - rework, scrap, expediting, missed production windows
 - quoting complexity and requests
 - tribal knowledge living in one person's head.

𝙊𝙥𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙪𝙣𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙚𝙨 weren't "grow revenue."

They were transformations:
 - simplify SKUs, reduce variability, stabilize production
 - redesign for manufacturability
 - turn the supply chain into an advantage instead of a stress headache

Then the sales leader said the line that changed everything:

"𝗪𝗲'𝘃𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗯𝗲𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗹𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝘃𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗼𝗿.... 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘄𝗲'𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗮 𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗸-𝗿𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗻𝗲𝗿."

That one insight rewired their strategy.

They stopped building a plan around:

 - product categories
 - capacity
 - "here's what we can do:

...and started building around 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗰 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲:

 - how they offer uptime protection
 - where they reduce complexity
 - where they prevent quality and delivery surprises
 - how they help teams execute change without chaos.

TOPO didn't just refine their messaging. 

It changed what they pursued, how they qualified, and how they coached. 

Because when you can name the customer's unseen TOPO... you stop selling parts and start guiding outcomes. 

If you're in manufacturing and your sales strategy still starts with your capabilities... run a 𝗧𝗢𝗣𝗢 𝗠𝗮𝗽 𝗲𝘅𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗲.

It'll change the conversation you have with your customers and the market.

Sometimes I wonder if we make sales harder than it needs to be. Not because the market is tough (it is), or because buyers are more skeptical (they are), but because we get in our own way.

I’ve watched teams spend hours debating the perfect pitch deck, only to stumble when a prospect asks a basic question. I’ve seen leaders obsess over pipeline math, but never actually talk to the people doing the work. It’s like we’re all trying to outsmart the mess, instead of just rolling up our sleeves and sorting it out.

There’s a kind of relief in admitting you don’t have it all figured out. I’ve sat in rooms with CEOs who quietly confess they’re not sure what’s really happening in their sales process. That moment of honesty is usually the start of real progress.

You know what I mean? The moment when you stop pretending and start listening. That’s when things shift.

I’m still learning to do it myself. Some days I get it right. Some days I fall back into old habits. But the more I lean into the mess, the more I find the answers aren’t as complicated as I thought.

Maybe that’s the real trick. Stop trying to be clever. Start being curious.

#salesknot - Confusion

Business Development and Sales are about helping customers move from where they are to where they want to be. 

It's about navigation.

If you're dealing with complex B2B sales, navigation is highly fluid. 

Change is hard. Even moving away from pain is challenging.

Are you giving your customer clear direction?

Or, are you adding to the confusion?

When making a change, there is always fear of the unknown.

And fear shuts down progress. 

It shuts down creativity.

It kills deals. 

Before every call or meeting, ask yourself, "Where is the customer at and where do they need to go?"

Does your meeting agenda get them there?

What threats, obstacles, problems, or opportunities might be in their way?

What milestones do we need to pass to keep them on track?

Eliminate anything in your questioning or presentation that might confuse.

And, if the customer is confused.

Or, you are...

Deal with it immediately.

If things get off track - stop. Redirect, and get everyone moving again.

Complex deals require a competent guide. 

Your customer must be confident in where you are trying to take them.

They must know you are prioritizing their safety and their journey. 

#guide #businessdevelopment #salesleadership #growth

How do you untangle #salesknots?

I'm skilled at untangling #salesknots.

Uncovering what's preventing your growth.

However, Christmas lights? Not so much. 

Fortunately, my wife's skills are next level.

Had this question the other day,

How can I improve my discovery calls?

My answer? Ditch it. Discovery calls need to die. 

Why? Your customers hate discovery calls. 

They've been burned many times before.

They are usually one-sided and provide no value to the customer.

So, what should you do instead?

Show up differently. Seek to add value.

How? Guide them. 

You should be the expert in your product or service domain.

Put yourself in their shoes.

What often trips customers up?

Where do they go off track?

What is commonly missed?

Preplan your call to help them explore what is possible. 

When you seek to understand and help, you begin to add value. 

Ditch the Discovery - Launch Exploration - Add Value

How do you create growth?

I was frustrated and filled with questions.

Why did some engagements work when others didn't?

How can I help CEOs and sales leaders eliminate obstacles to growth?

The Growth Flywheel is the result of that frustration.

Hours spent questioning the wins and losses.

Painful self and project examination.

After the examination and journaling, I found the eight (8) factors.

1. Culture - If culture is bad, you can't grow. Fix this first, or don't start.

2. Strategy - Is the strategy infused with good culture and aligned to the goals?

3. Methodology - Does your method align with your culture? Is it yours?

4. Process - "If you can't describe what you are doing as a process, you don't know what you are doing - W. Edwards Deming.

5. CRM - Your system for making it a habit. It should make your team's job easier.

6. Coaching - How you make your team better.

7. Accountability - How you keep everyone honest. 

8. Talent - How you build the team that wins. 

This is the framework. Each section is vital if you want to build a revenue system and team. 

How's your system?

Take the simple assessment.

How did you do?

Growth Flywheel

Public Speaking is Fun

Ever since my first speech class in High School, I've enjoyed public speaking. 

It's a great way to learn and share ideas.

Here's a short bit about a Leadership Lesson I learned while working in a factory. 

Sometimes, your team teaches you how to lead.

If you are willing to listen. 

This is from a DisruptHR Talk.

https://lnkd.in/gS2KeiyM

#leadership

disrupthr.co

LIGHT: Leadership Lessons at 2 AM | Michael Koory | DisruptHR Talks - DisruptHR

#SalesKnot - How do you get through a slump?

Sometimes, everything you try misses the mark.

Nothing seems to work, and you feel like you're falling behind.

And, maybe you are falling behind.

"It's not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters."
 - Epictetus

So what do you do?

I've been there many times. 

One bad call derails the day.

One bad week turns into a month.

What helped me was to depersonalize everything. 

Step outside yourself and view your activity and attitude.

What are you saying to yourself?

What are you believing?

Is your activity on point?

Activity begets more activity. Not just for motion's sake...

Sometimes, to get through a slump, you have to keep moving. 

Getting outside your head can give you a new perspective.

Stop and look at everything from the outside.

You'll see it, then start moving again.

Movement gives you a new perspective.

If you are doing the right things, movement gets you through. 

If you're not doing the right things, move to what works. 

Ask for help. 

Getting outside yourself and your ego gives you clarity.

Find someone who's been there, and if you're in business long enough...

Everyone has been there. 

Ask for help. Find a Guide.

#navigation #growthmindset #guide

In Grand Rapids, the wind is howling and cold.

Lake Effect snow is predicted up to 5" - 8" over the weekend. 

What does this have to do with growth?

Storms are a constant in life.

They cause noise, pain, and distraction.

You can be knocked off course from your desired destination.

It happens to all of us.

Leaders focus on what they can control and on the goal.

Leaders navigate threats, obstacles, and problems.

Leaders grab opportunities. 

So, when the noise level rises, and, the winds howl.

Focus on what is in your control. 

What you can do next. 

Smile and press on. We're on an amazing journey.


A

There’s a moment in every project where I wonder if I’ve bitten off more than I can chew. The process looks simple on paper, but then you get into the guts of it and realize—wow, this is tangled.

I used to see that as a sign I was in over my head. Now, I see it as a sign I’m in the right place. If it was easy, someone else would have fixed it already.

The hardest part isn’t the technical stuff. It’s the people stuff. The conversations that haven’t happened. The assumptions that have calcified into habits. The quiet frustrations nobody wants to say out loud.

I’ve learned to look for the moment when someone finally admits, I don’t know how this is supposed to work. That’s when things start to move.

It’s not comfortable. But it’s real. And it’s usually the beginning of something better.

If you’re staring at a mess right now, maybe that’s a good sign. Maybe you’re closer to a breakthrough than you think.

Or maybe you just need a strong cup of coffee and a little more patience than you thought you had.

I caught myself the other day, giving advice I barely follow myself. Slow down, I said. Don’t rush to fix the first thing you see. Let the problem breathe a little.

But if I’m honest, I hate slowing down. I want to jump in, untangle the #salesknot, get the win. There’s a kind of impatience that comes with experience, like you’ve seen this movie before and you know how it ends.

Except, sometimes you don’t. Sometimes the knot is different. Sometimes the team is tired, or the market’s shifted, or the old playbook just doesn’t land anymore.

That’s when I remember: the best fixes come from the questions you almost don’t want to ask. The ones that make you squirm a little. Why did we lose that deal, really? Who’s actually leading this project? What are we pretending isn’t broken?

It’s uncomfortable. But it’s also where the real work happens.

I’m still working on it. Still learning to pause, to listen, to let the mess show itself before I try to clean it up.

Funny how the advice you give is often the advice you need most.

I’ve been thinking about the word alignment. It gets tossed around a lot in sales meetings, but most days, it feels more like wishful thinking than reality.

You can have the best strategy in the world, but if your team isn’t actually pulling in the same direction, it’s just noise. I’ve seen teams with all the right tools, all the right talk, and still—nothing moves.

Sometimes, alignment is less about big speeches and more about small, honest conversations. The kind where someone admits they’re confused, or frustrated, or just plain tired.

I used to avoid those moments. Now, I look for them. Because that’s where the real work happens. That’s where trust gets built, and the knots start to loosen.

It’s not always pretty. Sometimes it’s awkward. But it’s real.

And in the end, I’d take a messy, honest team over a perfectly polished one any day.

#salesknot - The "Update your CRM!"

You know the drill, you get the call - "Update your CRM!"

Your sales leader is presenting to leadership or the board.

They want an updated forecast.

So, you schedule the time to update all your deals.

Usually, you see the opportunities you missed, or forgot about...

"How long has it been since I was in here?"

It doesn't have to be that way.

CRMs don't have to suck even though most do.

The right ones can help you sell better. 

"𝗪𝗶𝗽𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗮 𝗖𝗥𝗠 𝗶𝘀."

Check out this case study. 

https://lnkd.in/ezt6d3Da

#crm #ceo #revenuegrowth

Open article: Worksighted Case Study by membrain.com

#salesknot - How do I get my sales team to use the tools we have?

"A bad system beats a good person, every time."

Your tech stack or tech knot won't save you.

But it might drag you down. 

Simplicity wins. It's leadership job to provide tools that help people succeed.

Untangle the knot.

If you need help? I untangle #salesknots

#CEO #Sales #Marketing, #B2BSales, #CRM, #LeadGeneration, #SalesTips, #SalesStrategy

Ever felt like you’re piloting your company through a thick, relentless fog?
You can’t see more than a few feet ahead.
You question every move.
You wonder if you’re still heading north or drifting in circles.

Every midmarket CEO I’ve met has hit this wall.
It’s the same story:
→ A capable team
→ A strong offering
→ But sales results that feel tangled, random, and—honestly—frustratingly fragile.

They want margin rich growth, not a rollercoaster.
But the path forward seems hidden.
Unseen hazards everywhere.

So how do you navigate?
How do you lead your team out of the fog without running aground?

Here’s what years of guiding companies through this taught me:
Trust the process—even if you can’t see the whole journey.
Change brings discomfort.
You’ll want to rush, double back, or freeze up.
But real transformation isn’t a straight line (and if someone says it is, run.)
You need a system.
One that you can rely on when visibility drops to zero.
Stay alert for clues and signals.
The best CEOs don’t wait for the fog to lift.
They look for:
→ Customer signals (What are they really buying? Where do they hesitate?)
→ Team feedback (Who’s confused? Who’s stuck?)
→ Pipeline friction (Where do deals stall or vanish?)
→ Market shifts (Are you chasing the wrong fish?)
Every little sign is a breadcrumb.
Follow them relentlessly.
Stop chasing new tactics for every gust of wind.
Your people crave consistency.
They want to believe the route you’ve mapped is worth following.
If you change course every quarter, you train them to ignore your compass.
Reframe sales as a strategic journey—not a tactical transaction.
You’re not just closing deals.
You’re building a reputation.
Earning trust.
Claiming space in your customer’s mind.
Strategic selling means:
↳ Mapping a Route to Revenue that everyone gets
↳ Aligning leadership, marketing, and sales around the same landmarks
↳ Installing a guide rail—a process that keeps you on track even when things get murky
Remind the team: the fog isn’t permanent.
Momentum comes from movement.
Every step forward reveals a little more.
You don’t need perfect clarity to make the next right move.
What you need is conviction that the path exists.
And the humility to adjust as you go.

Here’s the bottom line:
Your product isn’t the problem.
The real challenge is how your team sells it—and what your buyers believe when they hear from you.
If your sales process feels like wandering in circles, it’s time for a new map.
Not just for you, but for everyone rowing with you.

You want margin, trust, and predictable growth?

→ Slow down.

→ Listen for the signals.

→ Trust the process.

→ And keep moving.

I’ve seen teams go from lost in the fog to landing on new territory—without discounting away their value or chasing shiny objects.

Want to talk about mapping your own Route to Revenue?
Drop a comment if you’ve ever felt stuck in the fog—I’ll share one clue that’s helped dozens of leaders find their way.

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Michael Koory

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