State Of The Commercial Nation
The door is closing. It may never close completely but the ability to squeeze through is only becoming harder and those of us with a responsibility to drive any kind of commercial success for our organisations have been so very slow to wake up to this.
The death of the historic way to do sales is having its boiling the frog moment. People’s behaviour is changing, AI is stuffing our inboxes full of crap, new tactics spread like the speed of light and are over saturated before you’ve had the chance to think about using them.
Most companies had it good in the ZIRP era. The SAAS playbook dominated, there was money to spend and whilst it wasn’t particularly fun for anyone doing sales at the coal face, it was easy for those at the top to hire an army of cheap labour and believe it was making a difference (and for some it did). But that time is over.
The pendulum has swung back and senior teams have been so inward facing that they’ve got no idea what’s going on outside their business or how to cultivate and grow new relationships.
People talk about AI solving the need for sales people but to quote the CEO of Anthropic “we don’t use AI to sell our AI”, so if they’re not doing it then why should you be hoping it will solve all your problems?
We will see a shift for anyone selling a low value product or service but that will likely be to marketing and e-commerce rather than AI sales people. Those of us left trying to peddle high value services (or even enterprise sales) have one last chance to try and get things going, saving our careers and businesses. The old metrics and approaches are out and we all need to accept growth is an energy, not a playbook (perhaps it always has been).
Senior teams (not just business development people) all need to recognise their roles in the commercial success of organisations and everyone needs to be ready to roll up their sleeves. You can’t outsource this. This is now part of your responsibilities whether you like it or not (and you should learn to like it!).
Treat this as part one and over the following months will come a clearer picture of what it actually means to have a commercially competent business.
1. Become Interesting
Cultivate curiosity and cross-pollinate ideas. The most interesting people attract the best work. You can’t just rely on your companies value proposition and brand.
2. Share What’s Frictionless
Publish and signal in ways that feel natural to you. (No forced LinkedIn takes.)
3. Be Where It’s Happening
Get out of the bubble. Talk to clients and peers. Surface demand by showing up. You cannot do this from your kitchen counter alone.
4. Repel Time-Wasting
It's not about being blocked by others, it's about catching yourself. Resist busywork and default process. Focus on what actually moves the needle.
5. Invest in Relationships
No outsourcing. Build trust and compounding connections—by doing, not just saying.
6. Learn to do Deep Work in Motion
Master the art of thinking clearly in transient environments. Make progress without needing perfect conditions and be able to work anywhere. The last place you should be is at your desk.
This all seems so simple but how many you and your senior team could say this is what 70% of your calendar looks like?
(Title inspired by Jules Ehrhardt)