"I'm a little terrified at how fast things are changing"

No one has a crystal ball here.

VP Sales/CEOs lately: "I'm a little terrified at how fast things are changing."

What used to work in sales & leadgen isn't working as well anymore.

SDRs are less effective.

Marketing is less effective.

Salespeople are getting ghosted. Sales cycles are lengthening.

Churn is up.

Sales leaders can feel trapped since everything that used to work seems to be failing, without a clear solution.

I’ve been hearing this from CEOs and founders a lot lately.

They’re feeling the pressure of these rapid changes, and it's tough to know how to respond effectively.

The traditional strategies are falling short, and everyone’s searching for new ways to get results.

In this fast-paced environment, what used to be tried-and-true now feels outdated.

It's not just a decline in the usual methods, but a shift in how buyers respond and engage or, more accurately, DON'T engage.

Business/Sales development reps (xSDRs) call, email, and use LinkedIn but face record levels of ignorance from prospects.

Marketing campaigns, which once pulled in solid leads, are now struggling to break through the noise.

This doesn't just impede pipeline growth; it also hits morale hard with a grinding hopelessness.

Sales executives and CEOs are grappling with how to pivot strategies in market running scared.

The question is: what can we do differently?

It's clear we need to innovate beyond traditional tactics.

Some solutions are obvious but too general... how do we act on these?
- Developing more authentic relationships with prospects (yesss...)
- Find new methods to create genuine value and trust (yes yes yes...)
- Prospects are looking for personalized experiences and real human connection (okkkkk...)
- Engage prospects where they are and in ways they prefer (duh...)

YES YES... but HOW???

Are you in the same boat?

What are you trying?

IS ANYTHING WORKING FOR YOU?

Share your thoughts! (aka comment below / or + you can chat/DM me here on Substack)

THIS is the topic I'm dedicated to right now, as I work on new ideas for a keynote and book.

Soon I'll post about the ideas and plans from the sales leaders I've chatted with. Right now they're scattered on scribbles amongst 20 pieces of paper...

One hypothesis I'm working on with a small # of companies: how to get customers to introduce you to prospects in a systematic way.

It'll be fascinating to see how this all plays out in the noisy, AI-powered, GenZ buyer-driven world.