Operational Authority

Insights From the Field.

Operator-authored perspectives on how the economics of custom software have fundamentally changed. Real insights on designing and deploying infrastructure around how your business actually operates.

Most Companies Don't Need AI… Yet

Most Companies Don't Need AI… Yet

Over the last year, I've had more conversations about AI than any other topic. CEOs are talking about it. Boards are talking about it. Investors are talking about it. Every software vendor seems to be adding AI capabilities to their platform, and every company is trying to figure out where AI fits into their business. In many ways, it feels similar to the early days of cloud computing when organizations knew the technology was important but weren't entirely sure how to apply it.

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What Is Operational Modernization?

What Is Operational Modernization?

Over the past several years, I've had the opportunity to work with companies across a wide range of industries and stages of growth. While the challenges are often different on the surface, I've noticed something remarkably consistent underneath.

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The Build vs. Buy Conversation Has Moved Downstream

The Build vs. Buy Conversation Has Moved Downstream

For most of my career, the build versus buy conversation was reserved for large enterprises. If you were a Fortune 500 company with a massive IT budget and an internal development team, building custom software was a realistic option. You had unique workflows, complex requirements, and enough scale to justify the investment. Everyone else bought software.

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Check Out Brian on the Forged for Growth Podcast!

Check Out Brian on the Forged for Growth Podcast!

In the podcast, Brian is interviewed by Sho Rust and Thomas Belhacene, who are founders of SHO.ai, a tech startup in the branding industry. They discuss Brian's background and the sales profession as a whole.

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Mastering Sales in the AI Era: Secrets Nobody Tells You

Mastering Sales in the AI Era: Secrets Nobody Tells You

In a world where technology evolves at lightning speed, sales is undergoing a dramatic transformation driven by artificial intelligence. These advancements are not just reshaping processes—they're redefining how sales professionals engage with prospects. Let's explore how to thrive in this new era of sales and make AI work for you.

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4 Things COVID-19 Has Taught Us About Data

4 Things COVID-19 Has Taught Us About Data

We live in the age of information. It is literally, at our fingertips. You can pull many data sets from multiple data sources with a few taps on your phone. We are all learning a lot during this pandemic. One thing that has become clear over the past few weeks is the importance of data. Regardless of your profession or which industry you're in, you've probably heard your co-workers or bosses talking about "data-driven" this or that. Here are 4 takeaways about how data is used from our experience

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Every Sales Organization Must Eventually Make This Transformation

Every Sales Organization Must Eventually Make This Transformation

One of Henry Ford's greatest contributions to the world of industry was the development of the assembly line. The core concept of the assembly line is that the specialization of job functions leads to increased productivity and efficiency. Rather than having an individual own a process from start to finish, you have individuals specialize in smaller, specific micro-processes.

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What the Hell is a Sales Playbook?

What the Hell is a Sales Playbook?

Simply put, a sales playbook should be a sales rep's bible. They should sleep with it, eat next to it, and read it every night. A sales playbook is an aggregation of lots of different documents that will support the sales rep throughout the sales process. It should assist in all stages of a seller's journey from prospecting, cold calling, demonstrating, to overcoming objections, negotiation, and closing the deal.

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The Next Big Movement in Sales Strategy

The Next Big Movement in Sales Strategy

I'm writing this article in the downtime between sessions at a conference for wealth management representatives. I had an interesting conversation with one of the reps in attendance. He told me a story about a friend of his that had a very successful wealth management firm that he grew from the ground up to multi-billions in assets under management. It was built on gritty cold calling and aggressive selling techniques 30 years ago.

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