Wired for Sales

Allow me to stake my claim to the title of America’s No. 1 de-motivational speaker. Not because I enjoy discouraging people, but because someone needs to say the things everyone else avoids. As we find ourselves in early 2026, I refuse to slap a smiley-face sticker on a year that’s going to be full of challenges.

Ten years ago, a customer appreciated a salesperson who could find answers. Now they expect a seller who already knows the answers. AI-driven searches, peer groups, and manufacturer videos have moved customer expectations from “help me learn” to “don’t waste my time.” Sad to say, but your old baseline of skills probably “ain’t going to cut it.”

The great news is there are things a salesperson can do to buff up their product knowledge. First, you don’t need to memorize every factoid in that six-foot-tall stack of catalogs. Instead, learn about what you already sell. A good start would be the top five items sold to your top five customers. Understand what the product is and then ask your customers a simple question: Why did you select this product for your application? Let them help train you.

For new products, use AI to fight AI. Time is of the essence, so you don’t have time to wait till the next factory school. Use AI to learn the nuances of your product that would be valuable for a customer – and be able to speak fluently in the technologies most important to your customer. Remember, every recurring question (and you will soon discover what they are) requires and deserves a polished answer. When the answer is just too complicated, lean on your own product specialists and knowledgeable supplier reps. Expertise is no longer optional; it’s the price of admission.

REPLACED BY AUTOMATION?

Customers are beginning their buying process online. They’re configuring products before you enter the conversation. Whether we approve or not, most are bypassing entry-level sales guys and going straight to digital tools.

The top of the old sales funnel where new sales guys used to cut their teeth has been automated. If you are an experienced guy who hasn’t polished their product expertise, you too may soon find this year harder than ever.

2026 is the time to start prospecting laterally, not earlier. Identify new applications at existing customers, then look for other accounts with similar needs for that same application and accounts your competitors ignore.

It might appear that AI is your worst enemy, but it could be your best friend as well. Aside from using AI as a training tool, it works well to pre-qualify prospects. Territory intelligence is a productivity force multiplier. Instead of simply “Googling” a prospective account, AI can provide you with other useful information. We can stop confusing activity with progress. Five high-quality conversations beat 50 unqualified dials. Your value begins where all this automated searching ends.

THE BAR FOR SERVICE RISES . . . AGAIN

I have yet to meet a distributor who doesn’t claim great service. Here’s the “turd in the punchbowl”: Most of them are still providing the same level as they did 10 years ago. Perhaps driven by personal experience with Amazon or business conducted with one of the mega distributors online, in 2026 customer expectations will change. Customers are looking for these: same-day quotes; real-time order tracking; inventory certainty; fast help determining replacement options; consistency in service regardless of who they connect with.

The problem is most distributors aren’t staffed or trained to consistently deliver on those expectations. Salespeople need to stop promising what can’t be delivered. While they would never lie about a product, some will overextend on promises tied to their team’s ability to constantly provide quotes, order tracking, and committed inventory.

If you are dealing with customers, stop promising what your organization can’t consistently deliver. Credibility is your most valuable currency. Whenever possible, become your customer’s secret project manager. Keep them updated before they ask.

The sales department must push for internal improvements even if the task belongs to administration, operations, IT, or purchasing. Sales has the unquestionable responsibility to advocate for better tools and processes if they impact the customer.

Yes, 2026 will be harder. But the salespeople who rise above the noise will do so for one reason: They didn’t hope for an easier year; they prepared for a harder one.

If that describes you, then discouragement isn’t the message here. Being prepared is part of being Wired for Sales.