Sales is hard, and that’s why I’ve dedicated myself to supporting salespeople. It’s unpredictable, emotionally and mentally taxing, and there are just easier ways to make a living.
Though after watching successful salespeople all these years, if someone told me I had to start from scratch in industrial sales tomorrow, here’s how I’d approach it.
Learn the Product Before the Pitch
If I were starting from scratch, I’d pour myself into learning the company and the product line. Instead of memorizing features, talk tracks, and approved corporate language, I’d focus on understanding the value. And get excited about it!
I’d want to understand the customers’ world, the problems we’re solving, and where our solution fits into their process.
Customers expect you to be an expert on your business but are delighted when you have an understanding of their business.
Pick a Market Before Prospects
Most salespeople start with a contact list. I’d start with a market.
Once you know your market, finding prospects becomes much easier. You begin to recognize common challenges, industry terminology, buying patterns, and opportunities.
Then I’d position myself where those people already spend time, whether that’s LinkedIn, industry associations, trade publications, trade shows, or conferences.
Build a Repeatable Process
I wouldn’t rely on motivation or luck. I’d create a simple system with hard rules. A standard process removes decision fatigue.
On the days when motivation is high, you work the process.
On the days when motivation is low, you work the process.
The process doesn’t care how you feel that day.
Every week:
- Find target accounts
- Research the companies to gain an understanding
- Follow on socials
- Interact on socials
- Reach out (with real value first, then make the call to action)
- Follow up (3-3-3 rule)
- Review results
- Adjust and repeat
Every day:
- Review calendar and inbox
- Check LinkedIn for updates or messages
- Prospecting time blocks
- Meeting time blocks
- Research time blocks
- Nurturing time blocks
Consistency always pays off.
Take Better Notes Than Everyone Else
This is a truly underrated skill in sales. Every conversation teaches me something and no, I won’t remember it all in 3 months.
Track:
- Names
- Projects
- Pain points
- Competitors, tools of the trade
- Timing
- Personal details
I think I’ve figured out why so many salespeople dislike CRMs. A CRM remembers everything. The wins, the losses, the missed follow-ups, and the opportunities that slipped through the cracks.
When you’ve gone from using a good CRM to having nothing, you learn very quickly how valuable those notes, the rules, and consistent history really are.
Abbreviations save minutes, good notes today save hours later. Over time I developed my own shorthand:
- TT (Talked To)
- LVM (Left Voicemail)
- CB (Call Back)
- FUP (Follow Up)
- DM (Decision Maker)
- OOO (Out of Office)
Small time savings add up when you’re managing hundreds of interactions.
The biggest mindset shift I’d make is realizing that sales isn’t about finding more people. It’s about finding the right people and having enough high-quality conversations with them over time.
Marketing may help create awareness. Prospecting may help create opportunities.
But sales happen when a real conversation connects a real problem with a real solution.
That’s what I’d focus on if I had to start over tomorrow.
Learn the business. Pick a market. Build a process. Keep good notes. Follow up. Repeat.
See IndustrySelect in Action Every Week
Every Wednesday, Kati hosts a free, 45-minute live demonstration of IndustrySelect, the industrial database for sales, marketing, business development, and recruiting. It is a full tour of the platform, so you can see how it works in practice. You will see how to:
- Build a list of pre-qualified leads by geography, industry, and size
- Export, save, and share lists
- Research company profiles
- Target ideal companies
- See how AI tools like Customer Match and lead scoring work
It is a straightforward walk-through with no sales pitch and no obligation.
Kati McDermith, MNI’s Brand Ambassador, is a sales and growth strategist with over 14 years in B2B manufacturing. She specializes in business development strategy, lead generation, and sales enablement, designing the plays that move markets and build lasting partnerships. Connect with Kati on LinkedIn.