06/03/2026
"Increase your time in front of decision makers."
In sales, results are driven by one key factor: proximity to power. You can make all the calls, send all the emails, build the best pitch decks, but if you're not regularly in front of people who can say yes, you're not really selling you're just circling the runway.
This principle is simple but game changing:
1. Activity does not equal productivity
You might have a packed calendar, dozens of follow ups, and hours of CRM notes — but are you spending time with actual decision makers? Or just gatekeepers, assistants, tire kickers, or people who "need to run it by someone else"?
Busy work feels good. But deals do not close unless you are in the room (or Zoom) with the person who can sign the check.
2. Every minute counts more
Spending 30 minutes with a decision maker can be worth more than 10 hours with everyone else. They have pain. They have budget. They have authority. Your job is to get to them sooner, stay in front of them longer, and follow up sharper.
3. Quality of conversations is greater than quantity of contacts
You can talk to 100 people a day, but if none of them are empowered to buy, it is just noise. Prioritize fewer, deeper conversations with the right people.
4. Make it easy to say yes
Once you are in front of the decision maker, the goal is not just to talk it is to connect, understand their problems, and simplify the decision process. Every time you waste a decision maker's time, you make it harder for the next salesperson to even get a meeting.
Action steps to increase your time in front of decision makers:
Prequalify ruthlessly. Do not waste time on the wrong contacts.
Ask early: "Are you the person who makes the final call?"
Use referrals and social proof to get direct introductions.
Leverage video, in person meetings, and high conversion messaging to make your value impossible to ignore.
Audit your calendar weekly and ask: “How much of my time was spent with people who can say yes?”
Bottom line:
Sales is a contact sport but only if the contact is with the right person.
Want to close more deals?
Spend more time in front of decision makers.