The Eight Laws

Law	Principle	Time Allocation
1. Relationships Trump Everything	Trust beats technical specs	60% relationships, 30% technical, 10% admin
2. Face-Time is Non-Negotiable	100% bandwidth vs. 7% (email)	20+ visits/year, $15-20K travel budget
3. Speed Wins	30min response = 48x advantage	Whale: under 30min, Active: under 2hr, All: same day
4. Long Game Pays	9-18mo first deal, 2-4yr domination	Will this matter in Year 3?
5. Integrity is Your Weapon	One lie = done everywhere	”Let me verify and get back in 2hr”
6. 80/20 is Brutal	20% customers = 80% revenue	Tier 1: 50%, Tier 2: 30%, Tier 3: 20%
7. Vendors are Force Multipliers	40% opps from vendor referrals	Weekly sync: “What are you working on?“
8. Registration is First Blood	First to register = 70% win rate	Train customers to call you early

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The Math That Guarantees Success

Capture Rate Formula

Target: 0.15-0.20% of account's total category spend

Example:
5 accounts × $10M spend each = $50M addressable
0.15% × $50M = $75K revenue
15% margin = $11.25K GP
At scale: $750K revenue = $112.5K GP

Account Tier Calculation

Total Potential = (Current Revenue × Retention %) + (Growth Potential × Capture %)

Tier 1 (Whales):     $500K+ GP  → 50% time
Tier 2 (Growth):     $100-500K  → 30% time  
Tier 3 (All Others): under $100K → 20% time

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Account Maturity Stages

Stage	Revenue	Focus	Timeline
0: Cold	$0	Get first meeting	Warm intro (40-60% vs 2% cold)
1: Foothold	$0-500K	Expand beyond first contact	Ask: “Who else might benefit?“
2: Expansion	$500K-3M	Multiple products/departments	Speed + face-time critical
3: Domination	$3-5M	Multi-location, multi-budget	Add Technical Account Manager
4: Partnership	$5-10M+	C-level, strategic planning	Competitor-proof, 3-5yr build

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Deal Flow Phases

Phase	Customer State	Your Job	Key Tactic
1. Awareness	Has problem, no solution	Educate, don’t pitch	”Is it equipment, process, or people?“
2. Exploration	Knows need, exploring options	Register immediately, facilitate demos	Frame evaluation criteria
3. Evaluation	Comparing 2-3 vendors	Make their life easy	Build ROI for them, address all buyers
4. Procurement	Decision made, navigating bureaucracy	Speed + precision	Excel quotes, 24hr early submission
5. Fulfillment	Order placed, implementing	Over-communicate	Proactive updates, same-day issue resolution
6. Expansion	Project complete	Leverage success	”What went well? Who else should know?”

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The Trust Equation

Trust = (Credibility + Reliability + Intimacy) ÷ Self-Orientation

Building Each Element

Credibility = Do you know what you’re talking about?

• Deep product AND industry knowledge
• Understanding of customer operations
• Awareness of competitive alternatives

Reliability = Do you do what you say?

• Deliver 10% early (promise Friday → deliver Thursday)
• Never reschedule meetings last minute
• Always follow up on “I’ll look into it”

Intimacy = Do you care about them as a person?

• Track spouse, kids, interests, hobbies in CRM
• Pre-call ritual: review personal info, pick 2-3 topics
• Help with problems outside your scope

Self-Orientation = How focused on YOUR agenda?

• Lower = higher trust = more business
• “What works for your timeline?” not “I need this deal”
• Putting their interests first = paradoxically more revenue

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Relationship Levels

Level	Characteristics	How to Advance
1: Contact	Know your name	Provide value without asking
2: Connection	Takes your calls	Solve problems, be responsive
3: Trusted Resource	First call for your area	Be proactive, bring ideas
4: Trusted Advisor	Strategic planning, leadership access	Think outcomes not products
5: Strategic Partner	Part of their team, competitor-proof	3-5 years of flawless execution

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Meeting Frameworks

Discovery Meeting (60min)

Time	Activity	Objective
0-5min	Rapport building	Personal connection, warm up
5-10min	Frame conversation	Set expectations: learning not pitching
10-45min	Their story (80% listen)	Deep understanding via open questions
45-55min	Relevant insights	2-3 case studies/patterns, demonstrate value
55-60min	Next steps	Specific action, specific date, calendar invite

Follow-Up:

• Within 1hr: Thank-you text
• Within 24hr: Summary email + meeting invite

Technical Briefing (90min)

Your role: Facilitator, not presenter

• Brief vendor SE thoroughly beforehand
• Bridge vendor language to customer context
• Read the room, surface unasked questions
• Close on specific next steps

Quarterly Business Review (60min)

Prepare 1-page executive summary:

• Projects delivered
• Value delivered (quantified)
• Challenges + resolutions
• Upcoming opportunities
• Strategic recommendations

Meeting flow: 10min summary → 15min past quarter → 15min roadmap → 15min new capabilities → 5min next steps

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The Relationship Database

Track for every contact (use CRM):

• Spouse name
• Kids’ names and ages
• Hobbies and interests
• Sports teams they follow
• College they attended
• Upcoming vacations
• Recent promotions/changes
• Communication preferences
• Best times to reach

Pre-Call Ritual:

1. Open CRM record
2. Review personal information
3. Pick 2-3 topics to ask about
4. Start call with something personal

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Do Their Job For Them (Ultimate Stickiness)

They Need	You Provide	Frequency
Order status	Excel report: Order #, Item, Status, ETA	Weekly Monday AM
Spend tracking	Quarterly spend by category + YoY trends	Quarterly
Budget tracking	”You’ve spent $X of $Y budget (Z%)“	Monthly
Vendor consolidation	”You buy from 15 vendors, here’s consolidation savings”	Annual
Compliance docs	All certs, warranties, SLAs in one folder	Real-time updates

Result: They think “Why would I use anyone else? This rep makes my life easier.”

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Objection Handling (4-Step Framework)

1. Acknowledge - “That’s a fair concern…”
2. Clarify - “Help me understand what specifically…”
3. Respond - Provide evidence, logic, alternative frame
4. Confirm - “Does that address your concern?”

Common Objections Decoded

They Say	They Mean	Response Framework
”Price is too high"	"Can’t justify to CFO”	Show TCO over 5yr, not acquisition cost
”Happy with current vendor"	"Don’t see enough difference”	Don’t attack. Offer to complement, not replace
”Need to think about it"	"I have unspoken concern”	Clarify specific issue, set follow-up meeting

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ROI Analysis Template

CURRENT STATE COSTS (Annual):
• Labor: [hrs/wk] × [$/hr] × 52 = $____
• Equipment: [depreciation + maintenance + energy] = $____
• Quality issues: [scrap + rework + returns] = $____
• Opportunity cost: [delayed projects] = $____
Total Current: $____

FUTURE STATE COSTS (Annual):
• New solution: [depreciation + maintenance + energy] = $____
• Reduced labor: [fewer hrs] × [$/hr] × 52 = $____
• Reduced quality issues: [improved scrap + rework] = $____
Total Future: $____

IMPLEMENTATION (One-Time):
• Equipment/software: $____
• Installation/integration: $____
• Training: $____
Total Implementation: $____

ANALYSIS:
• Annual savings: [Current - Future] = $____
• Payback period: [Implementation ÷ Annual Savings] = ____ months
• 5-year ROI: [(Savings × 5 - Implementation) ÷ Implementation] = ____%

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12-Month Targets

Milestone	Revenue	Key Metrics
Month 6	$200-300K	System trusted, flywheel spinning
Month 12	$750K-1M	3-5 anchor accounts, $112-150K GP
Year 2	$1.5-2M	Stage 1→2, new deals close faster
Year 3-5	Eight figures	Competitor-proof, team built

Weekly Non-Negotiables (52 weeks)

1. Update CRM daily
2. Contact 5 customers with value
3. Have 2 vendor conversations
4. Move 3 deals forward
5. Create 1 new opportunity
6. Make 1 in-person visit (or 2-4/month)
7. Learn 1 new technical thing
8. Ask for 1 introduction
9. Follow up on 1 stalled deal
10. Review your goals

The Math: 10 activities × 50 weeks = 500 activities = 20-25 closed deals = $750K-1M

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Response Time Targets

Account Tier	Response Time	Impact
Whale (Top 5)	under 30 minutes	Creates “always there” perception
Active Opportunities	under 2 hours	48x more responsiveness impressions
All Others	Same day	Separates you from lazy competitors

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Vendor Relationship Leverage

Weekly Vendor Sync Questions

• “What are you working on at [Account X]?”
• “What opportunities do you need help with?”
• “What’s your biggest problem right now?”
• “Who should I know at [Account Y]?”

Make Their Life Easy

• Respond within hours to quote requests
• Quote accurately (no multiple revisions)
• Never ghost on opportunities
• Build joint proposal architecture diagrams
• Close deals efficiently for their credit

ROI: 15min conversation can generate $100K+ in pipeline

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Key Success Formulas

Communication Bandwidth

• Email: 7% (words only)
• Phone: 45% (words + tone)
• Face-to-face: 100% (words + tone + body language)

ROI Example: $5M account built with $30K travel over 2 years = $750K GP = 25x return

Speed Compounding

50 touchpoints × 47.5hr advantage (30min vs 24hr) = 48x more responsiveness impressions → Customer feeling: “This person is always there when I need them” → Feeling becomes preference becomes loyalty becomes business

The Stickiness Calculation

Switching Cost = Price Difference + Lost Service Value + Rebuild Relationship Cost

Your Goal: Make "Lost Service Value" > any competitor price advantage
How: Do their job for them + be irreplaceable resource

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Red Flags to Avoid

Trust Destroyers:

• Lying (even “white lies”) in small world = done everywhere
• Overpromising on capabilities you haven’t verified
• Disappearing after order placement
• Showing up only when you want something
• Spreading time evenly vs. 80/20 prioritization

Deal Killers:

• Pitching before understanding (roof before foundation)
• Ignoring political dynamics in buying committee
• Generic outreach (5% response vs 40% for personalized)
• Missing follow-through on small commitments
• Forgetting personal details you should have logged

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Month 1 Foundation Checklist

Week -2 (Preparation):

• CRM setup with custom fields
• LinkedIn profile optimization
• Target account research (narrow to 3-5 whales)
• Technical deep-dive on 2-3 specialties
• 30-second elevator pitch (practice until natural)

Week -1 (Relationships):

• Identify 5 core vendor partners
• Schedule vendor intro calls
• Draft 3 customer outreach emails
• Set 12-month goals (written by hand)
• Block calendar for Week 1 activities

Week 1 (Activation):

• 5 vendor intro calls completed
• 3 customer outreach emails sent
• Daily routine established
• CRM updated daily
• Friday afternoon week review

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Troubleshooting Guide

Symptom	Diagnosis	30-Day Recovery
Month 6: $150K (target $200K+)	Pipeline weak	Audit top 5 opps → 2x activity → vendor surge → close 2-3 fast
Month 9: $1.5M pipeline (target $3M+)	Future revenue gap	Mine existing accounts → vendor deep-dive → 20 new contacts
Lost to “cheaper” competitor	Sold price not value	Build TCO model showing 5yr total cost
Deals stalling in evaluation	Unspoken concern	Identify all buying committee members, address each

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Key Takeaways

1. Math is certain: 0.15% capture rate × disciplined execution = $750K-1M Year 1
2. Relationships beat specs: Trust equation beats technical perfection every time
3. Speed compounds: 30min response × 50 touchpoints = 48x advantage
4. Long game pays: Months 1-3 plant, 4-6 harvest, 7-12 scale, Year 2-5 dominate
5. Do their job: Make yourself irreplaceable through systematic service
6. Face-time is non-negotiable: 20+ visits/year, 100% bandwidth vs 7% email
7. 80/20 is brutal: Top 20% accounts get 50% of your time
8. System beats talent: Consistent execution of these principles = inevitable success