Let's read the room…
How often does your team agree on your:
What Stops the Fun?
5 Questions:
1. Why You? Why trust you now?
2. What Problems You Solve? Do you cause other problems?
3. Who Are You Talking To? Do you REALLY know who cares about that problem?
4. What Should They Do? Your Promise = Your Process
5. Their Other Options? What are the stakes of doing nothing?
Why Your
Brand
Matters
BEFORE
Sales…
- Awareness
- Trust
- Differentiation
Get on their Shortlist.
How NOT to Get on their Short List of Options:
How Do You Earn Trust?
“Feedback Loops For Growth” Flywheel
ai!
Qualify interest in your Unique Value Proposition…
Your Sweet Spot
is where you provide value that others cannot.
hard
hardest
harder
What is your QUALIFYING criteria for individual prospects?
1. Who should you be talking to?
2. Who are THEY talking to?
WHEN?
Who Do You Work With?
Positive, helpful, self-aware, energetic, quick-thinking, curious, fair, hard-working Business Developers
(+ their AI Agents)
who want customer success as much as they want to close more deals.
Demonstrated Across the Entire Buyer Journey?
This is Bigger than Most want to Admit…
- Align Holistic Success
- Strategy Forecasting
- Market Research
- Competitive Analysis
- Strategic Advisor
- Problem Solving
- Relationship Management
- Revenue Generation !!
- Personal Branding
- Career Development
- Training
- Mentoring
- Etc...
Good
BizDev =
Customer
Success
Because
Sales
is More
than just
Revenue…
Even Better
with your
AI Agents!
EatMedia.com
More & Better
Qualify for Smarter Sales Acquisition =
Easier Customer Retention
Do you create demand or harness existing demand?
Discover Your Dynamic Arcs of Engagement
Direct Actions Get Results & Inspire Reactions, Conversations, Ideas!
HOOK
STORY
OFFER
Direct
Prospect Actions
Simplify
Strategy & Tactics
Product
Market
Fit
Buyer
Process !!
Optimizing Insights,
Communications,
Collateral, & campaigns
Closed Sale !?
Customer Success
Lead
Magnets
For Easy
Opt-ins:
Expand
Adjacent
Relations
Manage
Customer
Success
Closed
Sale !?
Product
Market
Fit
Simplify
Strategy
& Tactics
Direct Prospect Actions
Optimizing Insights,
Communications,
Collateral, & Campaigns
Buyer
Process
!!
Discover Your Dynamic Arcs of Engagement
Direct Actions Get Results & Inspire Reactions, Conversations, Ideas!
HOOK
STORY
OFFER
The flow is always non-linear�
Human intuition. AI momentum.
V.A.L.U.E. Selling Now
Verify, Align, Link, Unite, Expand
The Web3 evolution of proven Value Selling methodology - designed for the AI era where 90% of traditional sales roles disappear but VALUE-focused professionals thrive by driving exponential growth through buyer enablement.
Like Web3 networks, buyers enter/exit stages non-linearly based on their distributed decision-making timeline and complexity.
Flip Your Content Funnel
Accommodate decision-makers at each step
of your buyer’s journey
Inform
Connect
How has your company updated your strategy for Buying Networks?
Forrester
The Best Path to your Product-Market Fit
Learn From The Best
My Favorite Infographics Deliver A Story
More inspiration at https://rebrand.ly/Your_Story_Map
Recap
Rule #1: Earn The Next Meeting
Make them FEEL that their company and yours can work together.
You and your entire company will be supporting their success.
Everyone’s goals are aligned into their EXISTING workflows, processes, and systems
Remember:��You’re not selling to a person. You’re selling into a network.
Thirteen stakeholders. Ten outside influencers. That’s the average buying group. Are you mapping them, tracking their signals, and creating value for all of them—or just hoping the "decision-maker" will carry the weight?
AI is not a future colleague. It’s a current competitor.
90% of buyers use GenAI before a vendor call. They’re analyzing you before you say a word. If your team isn't fluent in AI—how it’s used, how it shapes perception—you’re already behind.
Pick A Side…
Supply-Side Thinking (Always More Selfish):
Demand-Side Thinking (Always more Successful):
Most Effective Lead Sources:
Where AI Can Amplify Your Sales Efforts:
Why founders must lead sales in blockchain startups:
Don't delegate growth until you've discovered what works
Investors want to see:
Hot Tips …
All 10 “#1 Rules” for Growth
Please Reach Out
To Discuss your Options:
617-331-7852
These Slideas are at:
MORE…
Customize Your Business Model Canvas
This free tool will help you understand business models in a straightforward, structured way. Fill it out to capture the value propositions are offered through what channels, and how your company makes money. Use it for your prospects, clients, partners, and competitors.
Sign up for our weekly email alerts for the next topic, calendar setup link, and summaries
Business Model Canvas
MORE…
Get Your Free Customer Success Report!
Answer 3 Questions to get a personalized insights and direction to optimize your promises and processes for delivering Customer Success.
Customer Success
Report
Reference
Slideas:
Start
Buy
B2B Buying Cycle … It’s Complicated…
Buy
Start
B2B Buying Cycle
The BizDev Dashboard: What Actually Moves Revenue
95% of your market isn't buying today. Track signals, not noise.
BUYER SIGNALS
1
Branded Search Volume
Are buyers looking for you by name?
2
AI Referral Traffic
Are AI tools sending buyers your way?
3
AEO Inclusion / Sentiment
How do AI systems describe you?
4
Account Engagement Score
Which target accounts are warming up?
5
Market Awareness
Aided vs. unaided recall in your segment
PIPELINE QUALITY
1
Qualified Buying Group (QBG)
Do you know who's in the room?
2
Pipeline Velocity
Days from first touch to close
3
Win Rate by ICP Segment
Where you win — and why
4
Deal Efficiency Ratio
Investment $ per pipeline $
5
Average Deal Size
Are you moving up or down market?
RETENTION INTELLIGENCE
1
Net Revenue Retention (NRR)
The only number that proves product-market fit
2
Time to First Value
Speed to the moment they stop second-guessing
3
Customer Expansion Pipeline
What loyalty unlocks
4
Net Promoter Score (NPS)
Signal, not a goal
5
Advocacy & Referenceability
Retention-to-acquisition bridge
Cut to the Chase with David Cutler | DavidCutler.net
More?
Watch a basic introduction to
Creative Business Development
Q: How many Sales Managers does it take to screw in a light bulb?
A: …
www.TrustedChallengers.com = Best Partnerships
Tested:
Calvin says:
Blame
The
Robots
Good products mean customer success. Provide any level of value with feedback loops to understand options. Learn by observing, asking, and collecting data. Then iterate functions towards your best customers.
Focus on the Minimum Viable Product features for Product / Market Fit.
Innovating To Add Value at Each Step
Platforms
D
2
We turned it on …
You can turn it up
B2B2C
Masterclass
2
C
The Problem…
THE PROBLEM is a Disconnect between your Sales and your Buyers
Referral Thinking = Actions/Reactions
- Make their business your business
1) Take Action - you are a referral-based business … Earn it
2) Ask - Be specific - The right stories at the right time
3) Feed the Beasts - Help them do THEIR job by promoting any results
What Used to Convert…. Now Real relationships and Referrals are more important than ever
Sales
Marketing
Business Development
Persuasion
1. Reciprocity: We are obliged to give if we have been given something
2. Scarcity: If it's scarce, we want it more. Use this by highlighting the Benefits, Uniqueness and Possible Loss
3. Authority: We are more likely to comply with a request if it is coming from a perceived authority/expert
4. Consistency: We want to be consistent with our past commitments, even if the initial commitment is much smaller
5. Liking: We like people who are similar, who give us compliments and who cooperate with us
6. Consensus: If others (especially similar others) are doing it, then we are more likely to do it ourselves
Six Principles of Persuasion
Persuasion From:
EatMedia.com
The best thing about AI is that nobody knows your AI
Customer Plan
Market
EatMedia.com
Revenue
Where Your
Goes
Buyer Flows
2 Versions of
Cooperative PARTNER ECOSYSTEM
Developers
Marketers
Salespeople
Agencies
Consultants
Clients
Prospects
Vendors
Partners
Etc…
Assets
Can
Now
Blockchain-Enabled Tools
Let You Program Self-Executing Actions
Digital Passports Optimize 360° Campaigns for Fan Experiences Across Ecosystems
ADD SUPERPOWERS TO YOUR EXISTING SYSTEMS BY GIVING PROGRAMMABLE UTILITY TO ANY ASSET AND CONNECTION = SHARE, EARN, BUY, SELL, GIFT, REWARD, VOTE, INCENTIVIZE, TIME-STAMP, CO-EARN, UNLOCK … ETC.
PASSPORT
WALLET
WEBSITES
DIGITAL INTERACTIVITY
VIRTUAL ENGAGEMENT
ACTIONS�=�DATA
EVENT 1
EVENT 2
EVENT 3
PROMO 1
PROMO 2
COMMUNITY
— CONFIDENTIAL —
Community Growth
Incentives to Share
Co-Earned Experiences
Acquisition
Exclusive Access
& Rewards
Retention
Personalized Journeys
Power of Platforms and Programmable Assets
Web3
Customer
Momentum
Engine
12 Cross-Department AI & Feedback Loops for BOTH Growth and Customer Success
5. Product – solve problems, deliver valuable benefits� AI = Analyze real-world usage, friction points, and feedback loops from sold and renewals� Consider: If Product listens only to prospects or only to customers, growth becomes unstable.
6. Technology (IT + Data + Security) – enable systems, protect data� AI = Automate reliability, access, and insight without slowing frontline conversations� Consider: Technology should increase optionality for Sales - not constrain it.
7. Operations – execute processes, reduce friction� AI = Detect bottlenecks, automate handoffs, and expose where deals or customers stall� Consider: Ops exists to protect momentum, not enforce procedure.
8. Human Resources – hire talent, grow capability� AI = Match skills to real business needs and accelerate learning loops� Consider: Sales capability compounds faster than headcount.
9. Procurement – source vendors, control costs� AI = Compare vendors, monitor performance, and expose hidden cost/complexity� Consider: Cheap tools that break workflows are expensive in lost deals.
10. Finance – manage cash, measure performance� AI = Model scenarios, forecast revenue reality, surface unsustainable growth signals� Consider: Finance should clarify tradeoffs - not just report outcomes.
11. Legal – reduce risk, enable deals� AI = Flag non-standard risk, accelerate review, standardize what shouldn’t slow trust� Consider: Legal that blocks deals harms Customer Success just as much as Sales.
12. Leadership – set direction, communicate strategy� AI = Pressure-test assumptions, synthesize signals, and challenge internal narratives� Consider: Leaders must balance closing now with succeeding later
- visibly and consistently.
The Urgency of Action: Why Waiting Is Not an Option:
The AI Acceleration Imperative
The gap between AI's exponential growth and organizational adaptation isn't just widening,
it's accelerating at an unprecedented rate, creating both existential risk and transformative opportunity. Ready?
Why You Must Act Now…
From Adaptation to Anticipation
The most successful organizations aren't just responding to change—they're designing for adaptability. They're creating systems, teams, and cultures that anticipate acceleration rather than merely react to it.
Remember: In the AI era, the question isn't whether your organization will transform, but whether you'll shape that transformation intentionally or have it forced upon you chaotically.
The time to build your human+AI partnerships is now.
AMP Confidence!
Design for:
Autonomy
Mastery
Purpose
What works
… Now?
David Cutler (partner with altexsoft) - www.DavidCutler.net david@davidcutler.net 617-331-7852
Who are your suppliers, partners,
strategic alliances?
What are your and their motivations for
the partnership?
What resources do you receive from
suppliers?
What activities do you perform to build your product? What every-day activities do you do to solve problems?
What value are you bringing to your customers? What’s unique about your product? What are the different values you bring to different customer segments?
To what extent do you deliver customer care (personal assistance or self-service)? What channels for customer communication do you have?
Who is your customer? What are their problems? What’s their age, location, job? What competitor product are they using?
What physical, human, and financial resources does your business need? What assets do you need to produce and deliver your product? What resources to perform key activities and use channels?
How do you let your future customers know about your product? How do you make your product reach your customers? Which supply channels are you using? What communication channels are you using?
How is your business monetized?
What revenue models are you using?
What is the pricing strategy?
What payment channels are you using?
What costs do you have to cover to create and deliver your product? How much of your cost structure is allocated for development, marketing, and the staff?
Business Model Canvas
Designed for:
Designed by:
Date:
Version:
Key Partners
Cost Structure
Key Activities
Key Resources
Value Propositions
Customer Relationships
Channels
Customer Segments
Revenue Streams
David Cutler (partner with altexsoft) - www.DavidCutler.net david@davidcutler.net 617-331-7852
Who are your suppliers, partners,
strategic alliances?
What are your and their motivations for
the partnership?
What resources do you receive from
suppliers?
What activities do you perform to build your product? What everyday activities do you do to solve problems?
What value are you bringing to your customers? What’s unique about your product? What are the different values you bring to different customer segments?
To what extent do you deliver customer care (personal assistance or self-service)? What channels for customer communication do you have?
Who is your customer? What are their problems? What’s their age, location, job? What competitor product are they using?
What physical, human, and financial resources does your business need? What assets do you need to produce and deliver your product? What resources to perform key activities and use channels?
How will you communicate?
How do you let your future customers know about your product? How do you make your product reach your customers? Which supply channels are you using? What communication channels are you using?
What can you sell?
How is your business monetized?
What revenue models are you using?
What is the pricing strategy?
What payment channels are you using?
What costs do you have to cover to create and deliver your product? How much of your cost structure is allocated for development, marketing, and the staff?
Business Model Canvas
Designed for:
Designed by:
Date:
Version:
Key Partners
Cost Structure
Key Activities
Key Resources
Value Propositions
Customer Relationships
Channels
Customer Segments
Revenue Streams
Goal-Setting is SMART:
CREATE, MANAGE, & AUTOMATE EXPERIENCES
88
Confidential
Loyalty Engine
DApp/NFT Dev <> GTM <> Account Mgmt - PERT (Project, Evaluation, Review Technique)
NFT Management platform - Loyalty Engine for customer engagement and co-ownership
Ecosystem
Led Growth
Partnerships
& Vendors
Production Mgr
Media Assets
Engage
Prospects
Collateral
Agreement
Launch
Go To Market
Up-Sell
Cross-Sell
User Data Insights
Ideation Sessions
Our
Socials
Sites
Decks
Use-
Cases
Endorse Us
Promo
Stunts
Media
Coverage
Events
Public
Speak
Demos
Articles
Automated
Smart Contracts
Acct Mgmt
New Functions
Niche &
Custom
Ideas
Deliver
Sales
Phase 2, 3, +
Phase 1
AI-Driven Market Research, Branding, Prospect Touchpoints & Content Supporting Every Step
Client
Feedback
ROI
User Support
GTM
Deployment
Assess Report
Optimize
ELG
Design
Inbound
Pull
Referrals
Targets
Outbound
Push
MarCom
Product
AI
Feedback
Loops
Legal
Compliances
AI
"Lifecycle Marketing Optimization - Customer Engagement Paths to Purchase" model, which outlines the customer journey through different stages:
Lifecycle Marketing Optimization" model focused on "Customer Engagement Paths to Purchase…
Outlining a customer's journey through distinct phases: REACH, ACT, CONVERT, and ENGAGE, along with associated marketing activities and customer states.
1. REACH: This initial stage focuses on building brand awareness and generating purchase intent. Activities include traditional media like Television, Radio, Print, and Events, as well as digital channels like Display Ads, Search PPC, SEO, Content Marketing, Influencer Outreach, and Social Media.
2. ACT: In this stage, the goal is to drive engagement and encourage prospects to take initial actions. Activities mentioned include Landing Pages, Home Pages, and Product Pages, all aimed at converting demand generation and purchase intent into a "1st Purchase".
3. CONVERT: This phase centers on transforming prospects into customers by facilitating the first purchase and subsequent transactions. Key activities are Remarketing, CRO (Conversion Rate Optimization), Merchandising, Marketing Automation, Personalisation, and Multichannel Selling. The customer journey branches here, addressing "Indecisive Customer" and encouraging "Repeat Customer".
4. ENGAGE: The final stage emphasizes building long-term customer relationships and fostering loyalty and advocacy. Activities include UGC (User Generated Content), Customer Onboarding, Personalized Loyalty Programs, Personalisation, Remarketing, and Re-engage Email Programs. This stage aims to cultivate "Loyal Customer" while also addressing and re-engaging "Lapsed Customer".
Underlying Principles:
Your 5 P’s (actually 16) with Web3 - https://rebrand.ly/Lots_of_Ps
How the 5 P’s Support Founder-Led Growth for Blockchain Startups
1. Product
2. Price
3. Promotion
4. Place
5. People
Current
Marketing:
Spray
&
Pray
New AI
Marketing:
Deploy
&
Annoy
Design
&
Align
EatMedia.com
Smarter
Marketing:
You
YOUR AI SYMPHONY AWAITS YOUR DIRECTION
The AI revolution is building momentum... you can hear the crescendo!
But who conducts this technological orchestra?
YOU are the Maestro...
Do not be a passive consumer of AI. Your responsibility isn't just to implement these tools, but to orchestrate them with purpose and vision.
DO NOT WAIT FOR OTHERS TO DICTATE YOUR PART.
The greatest symphonies weren't created by individual musicians playing whatever notes they wanted …
They were guided by conductors with clear direction and harmonious intent.
Are you ready to step onto the podium and conduct yourself with this new mindset?
$
Sailing Through the AI Storm:
How Top B2B Sales Teams Are Charting a New Course to Success
Revenue
Where Your
Goes
Buyer Flows
Your own
Show Services:
Multimedia Presence
Share Market Insights…
Example:
5 AI Opportunities +
5 AI Questions & Answers
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/cutler_mit-imaginationinaction-ai-activity-7318689809462382592-YaH2
Join us as we engage the integrated culture of activity, play, and work.
We unite this exceptional community at any location of:
Aspiring entrepreneurs, tech hackers, and business mentors
gather to share, learn & collaborate with proven methods of match-making for results.
Activate The Smartest Destinations
Sales Game Itinerary:
- Listen & Iterate
Us
Them
Final Personal Thoughts:
Persistent Enthusiastic Iteration
Earn Respect:
For Yourself, Your Team, Partners, Vendors, Clients, THEIR Clients
Mentor Profile: David Cutler
Sales and Marketing Consultant
… Willing to Put the Fun in Function
And…
Thanks
for the inspiration!
(MY INTERNAL NOTES TO UPDATE THIS PRESENTATION)
Right core thesis about buyer-side AI disruption is well-researched and the 90% job elimination statistic creates necessary urgency. The transition from "persuasion to proof" framework is compelling, and your pivot strategies (Trusted Challenger, Revenue Enablement, etc.) offer concrete pathways forward.
Major Issues Need Addressing
1. You're Overstating AI Buyer Sophistication Your materials assume buyers have already deployed sophisticated "buyer bots" that pre-screen vendors and analyze product-market fit. But consider: if this were already widespread, wouldn't we see more evidence of it? Most B2B buyers are still struggling with basic CRM implementation. You're projecting capabilities that may be 3-5 years away as if they're current reality.
Critical question: Are you selling fear of a future that may unfold more slowly than predicted?
2. The Causal Impact Standard Is Problematic You repeatedly emphasize proving "causal impact" over correlation, but consider this: Many successful B2B relationships are built on complex, multi-factor outcomes that resist simple causal attribution. A marketing campaign's success might depend on timing, market conditions, competitive moves, and internal execution—not just the vendor's solution.
Alternative perspective: Maybe the shift is toward "transparent correlation with context" rather than pure causal proof, which may be impossible or misleading in complex B2B environments.
3. Missing the Human Psychology Element Your analysis focuses heavily on technological capabilities but largely ignores human psychology. Even if buyer-side AI becomes sophisticated, executives making million-dollar decisions may still prefer human validation, especially for:
Blind spot: You assume rational decision-making will prevail, but B2B buying often involves emotion, politics, and risk aversion that AI can't fully address.
Missing …
1. Implementation Reality Check Your 90-day transformation timeline assumes salespeople can quickly pivot to technical roles (AI integration, data analytics). But consider: if someone's spent 15 years in traditional sales, can they realistically become an "AI Sales Integration Specialist" in 3 months? This seems overly optimistic.
2. Economic Counterforces You don't address potential economic pushback. If 90% of B2B sales jobs disappear, that's massive unemployment in a politically influential sector. Regulatory intervention, professional associations fighting back, or companies deliberately maintaining human touchpoints for competitive advantage could all slow this transition.
3. The Trust Paradox While emphasizing AI-driven transparency, you may be missing that increased automation might actually increase demand for human trust-building in high-stakes situations. When everything else is automated, human judgment becomes more valuable, not less.
Making Your Presentation More Valuable
Add These Elements:
1. Timeline Reality Check Instead of presenting 2028 as inevitable, acknowledge uncertainty: "If current trends accelerate..." This builds credibility and lets you address different scenarios.
2. Industry Segmentation Not all B2B sectors will transform equally. Complex enterprise software sales might resist AI longer than commodity purchasing. Give your audience frameworks to assess their specific situation.
3. The Contrarian Case Dedicate 2-3 slides to "Why This Might Be Wrong" - covering potential delays, pushback, and alternative scenarios. This shows sophisticated thinking and helps you address skeptical audience members.
4. Practical Assessment Tools Instead of just prescribing solutions, give them diagnostic questions:
Strengthen Your Value Proposition
Replace: Generic transformation advice With: Specific intelligence about what's actually happening in their industries right now
Add: Real examples of companies already experiencing buyer-side AI (if they exist) or honest acknowledgment that this is largely predictive
Include: A "readiness assessment" framework that helps them determine their urgency level based on their specific market conditions
The Biggest Risk to Your Credibility
You're positioning yourself as having definitive knowledge about a rapidly evolving situation. But consider: if buyer-side AI becomes as sophisticated as you predict, won't that same AI quickly identify consultants who are making transformation promises they can't necessarily deliver?
Better approach: Position yourself as a guide who helps them monitor and adapt to changes as they actually unfold, rather than someone who has all the answers to an uncertain future.
Your research is thorough and your strategic thinking is sound, but tempering the certainty and adding more nuanced analysis will likely make your presentation more credible and valuable to skeptical B2B professionals who've seen many "revolution" predictions before.
AI is solving Top-of-Funnel, But Closing Deals is still the challenge
Al is transforming how we prospect, but winning still comes down to delivering Customer Success
Lead Generation innovation is becoming top-of-funnel “AI Slop” because win rates haven’t Improved.
- A 2023 Gartner study found that average B2B win rates are still hovering around 26% - the same as a decade ago.
- Top-performing companies only close 35% of deals, while the rest struggle to convert conversations into revenue.
- McKinsey reports that while AI-driven prospecting can increase lead generation by 50%, closing rates haven’t followed.
More pipeline is great … But more closed deals are better.
Sales grow for companies that pair Al-driven pipeline generation with mid-funnel and bottom-funnel
Mid-Funnel: Engage, Don't Just Nurture
Multi-thread early - Al can help map out the buying committee, but reps need to bring in decision-makers from the start.
Personalize beyond outreach - Use Al-driven insights (buyer intent, psychographics) to tailor proposals and business cases.
Build trust with proof - Leverage customer stories, references, and ROI data to reinforce value.
Bottom-Funnel: De-Risk the Decision
Make buying easy - Flexible contracts, implementation roadmaps, and low-friction onboarding win deals.
Objection handling with Al - Tools like Gong. Attention Chorus, Clari. Outreach and Salesloft can analyze deal risks, but reps must address them proactively.
Use urgency, not pressure - Economic uncertainty makes buyers cautious. Reframe urgency around solving a critical problem, not just end-of-quarter discounts.