Your Prospecting Strategy Is a War Plan — And Most of You Are Marching Blind

As we celebrate the Fourth of July — a time to honor the courage, discipline, and sacrifice of those who served — I’ve been reflecting on how their actions didn’t just win battles. They built the foundation for the freedoms we live and work with today.

  • The freedom to speak

  • The freedom to choose our path

  • And for those of us in business — the freedom to build something of our own

That’s not something I take lightly.

Because for me, this runs deep.

When I was a kid, once a month, my father — a Green Beret who served in Korea and completed three tours in Vietnam — would turn our dining room table into a battlefield.

He and his Army buddies would gather to play Kriegsspiel — a Prussian military wargame originally developed to train 19th-century officers in battlefield tactics. They’d spend two days simulating combat scenarios, flanking imaginary enemies, anticipating counterattacks, and coordinating their moves with precision and purpose.

I didn’t understand all the mechanics, but I understood the mindset:
Strategy before movement. Discipline before action. Clarity before chaos.

That memory is burned into my brain.

And now, decades later, I see those same principles play out — or get ignored — in clinical research sales.

Sales Is a Battlefield — So Where’s Your Campaign Plan?

Most sellers in our space are stuck in what I call activity chaos:

  • Random cold calls with no strategy

  • Spray-and-pray email blasts

  • Shallow follow-ups with no narrative or pressure

That’s not a campaign. That’s desperation.

When I work with vendors, CROs, and site networks, we flip that. Here’s how we build strategic sales campaigns:

  • Know the terrain: Who actually makes the decision — and when?

  • Define the mission: Expansion? New logos? Share of wallet? Each requires its own campaign.

  • Choose the right weapon: Cold outbound? Warm intros? Conference plays? Decide with intention.

  • Strike at the right time: Success doesn't go to the first to call — it goes to the one who shows up when it matters.

  • Siege > Skirmish: Most deals close between touches 4 and 10 — if those touches build pressure and relevance.

You can’t execute that kind of plan with scattered activity. You need a strategy. You need leadership.

Think of Me as Your Part-Time General and Field Commander

I don’t deliver pep talks or passive advice.
I build real sales strategy — and I help lead the charge.

As your part-time general and field commander, I:

  • Architect a prospecting strategy that fits your market, goals, and bandwidth

  • Focus your team on the highest-probability targets — and teach them how to win

  • Transform your CRM into a command center, not a black hole

  • Coach your reps to engage with insight, urgency, and discipline

I work with clinical research organizations that are ready to grow — but don’t have internal commercial horsepower or can’t afford to waste another quarter guessing.

Because here’s the truth:

In a market driven by relationships, timing, and execution — sales success is earned.
And like freedom, it’s earned through discipline.

What Happens If You Don’t?

You stay stuck in the cycle:

  • Teams “stay busy” with low-yield activity

  • Leads get chased based on convenience, not fit

  • Conferences and cold emails become your only real plays

Meanwhile, your competitors are:

  • Refining their positioning

  • Starting earlier in the sponsor decision cycle

  • Building multi-channel campaigns with strategic follow-up

They’re not working harder. They’re working smarter.
And they’re winning studies and partnerships that could — and should — be yours.

Your Next Move

You’ve got two options:
Keep guessing.
Or bring in someone who’s led these campaigns before — and can do it with you.

→ I’ll send a quick intake. No fluff, no pressure.
→ Just a focused conversation to identify gaps and see how quickly we can turn things around.

This Fourth of July, I’m reminded that the freedom to build something of your own came at a cost.
So don’t waste it chasing leads. Win with purpose.
Let’s build your campaign — and go on offense.

Next
Next

The Dog Days of Summer: When Clinical Research Sales Hit the Beach (And What Smart Teams Do Instead)