I read a post today from a self-proclaimed "sales expert" that honestly beggars belief

If this person were a doctor, they’d be struck off for malpractice

But I suppose when the barrier to entry for being an "expert" is zero, this is what we’re stuck with

Here is why his advice made my blood boil:

1. Messaging Without Relationships is Just Spam

He claimed the first step to success is "getting your messaging right." Wrong

You can have the most polished prose in the world, but without a relationship, you’re just more noise in an already crowded inbox

Every week, I’m bombarded by pitches starting with, "I help business leaders..." They don’t know me, they don’t know my business, yet they’re certain they have the "best" methodology

When I need help, I don’t turn to a clever cold DM; I turn to the people I know, like, and trust 

Sales and marketing must lead with relationships

With a proper social selling methodology, you can build those connections faster than a cold script ever could

2. "Ruthless Qualification" is a Symptom of a Starving Pipeline

Next, he suggested "qualifying ruthlessly." 

Let’s call that what it is: a coping mechanism for people who can't generate enough leads

If you're leading with messaging alone, your pipeline is probably anemic, so you feel you have to fight for every scrap

Contrast that with a high-performing team

While the "average" SDR might scrape together 5 ICP meetings a week, our top SDR hits 35 high-quality meetings

When you have that kind of volume, you don't need to be “ruthless”, you get to be selective

Why bother with difficult, low-margin customers when you can leave them for your competition to choke on?

3. AI is a Strategy, Not a Magic Wand for "Admin Drag"

Finally, he touched on "Admin Drag" and suggested AI as the cure-all. Typical

What he conveniently ignored is that every AI project fails if your data is trash

Whether it's Finance or Sales, you can’t just "plug in" AI and hope for the best

Where is the strategy?

What is the underlying data structure required to actually answer your business questions

Without a data strategy, you’re just doing what everyone else is doing, a 1:1 draw with zero competitive advantage

AI isn't just about working faster; it’s about finally having the intelligence to work smarter

Conclusion

The "expert" circuit loves to sell quick fixes and flashy scripts, but they ignore the foundational pillars of modern business: genuine relationships, high-volume social prospecting, and data-driven strategy

If you’re still following the old playbook of "messaging first" and "AI as a band-aid," you aren't just falling behind, you’re handing your market share to the people who actually know how to build a pipeline