Useful Concepts for 2026

Down the years I've blogged aplenty on ideas for slots at end-of-year or SKO events around this time on the calendar [see footer for a selection].

Amid the rush to announce cutting edge analysis of the twelve months past and stunning predictions to rank alongside Nostradamus for the year ahead, I'm always happy to come across a different slant.

Like one as packaged by 'Gurwinder', aka GS Bhogal. With his 26 useful concepts for 2026.

Hats off. As I sense the diligence required to produce such a piece.

Also in the mould of trend angles such as the 'of central importance this new year' Rory Sutherland styling.

Highlights with reference to our Enterprise selling world include these half-dozen warnings and paths on which I riff below.

Slopaganda
I'm awash with this. AI produced Sales and Marketing collateral is not an answer. Not yet and probably not for a long while. It just sucks. I've listened to the podcast, scrolled the deck, chatted with the bot. Yes, we know the 'stat' akin to '90pc of the buying research is done before you're even contacted'. So do not offer up slop to those you wish to nurture towards prospect. After all, Slop In, Slop Out.

Amara's Law
File with the classic 'we overestimate what we can do in a year, yet underestimate what we can do in ten'. Buyers demand instant payback. And this applies especially to us selling a new product. We must understand which horizon drives their decision yet not lose site of how we manage the overall legacy of what we bring.

Zombie Theories
What to do in the face of competitors' misleading claims? The more unscrupulous - of which there are sadly far too many - do and shall give such a Zombie Pitch. Testimonials that are a real stretch at best. Spec boasts that are merely plain wishes. Metrics simply made up. We must be ready and guard against them, laying our traps as required.

The Politician’s Syllogism
As the writer reminds of this peril; “We must do something. This is something. Therefore, we must do this.” We can turn this to our advantage. Switch out that 'something' to our unique fix. Pinpoint the difference for them and drum it in.

Pronoia
A bit life-coachy but still valid. How is that selling knockback actually to be harnessed as fuel for our quota-busting journey?

Munger’s Latticework (aka Theoretical Pluralism)
Don't restrict yourself to solely one model when defining what you do, how you investigate the prospect's worldview, or propose your unique solution. Yes, for power you might end up alighting on one alone to encapsulate your pitch. But bringing your prospect with you through multiple to get to that point will set you truly apart.

As a sizeable chunk of these stem from all things tech given the author's career as web developer, I'll add one more.

10x Refinement
"You can see the computer age everywhere but in the productivity statistics" Robert Solow's 1987 Productivity Paradox. Swap in 'AI' for 'computer' and that's where we're at today. So many chase this 10x vibe. I know one crack coder who has managed it (in his case, paying ChatGPT business subs). Yet he was already a top programmer. The key to his success? Knowing what to automate, but then how to refine. This applies to so much of our Sales tasks too.

2024-01-04
salespodder.com/new-year-build/

2024-01-01
salespodder.com/new-you-resolution-septet/

2023-12-31
salespodder.com/ten-mindsets-to-swerve-in-24/

2023-12-26
salespodder.com/fire-extinguisher-emoji/

2023-06-30
salespodder.com/google-i-o-conference-23-keynote-slides/

2022-01-22
salespodder.com/team-good-better-best-exercise/

2022-01-20
salespodder.com/the-start-of-something-good/

2022-01-03
salespodder.com/how-many-habits-to-break-this-year/

2021-12-30
salespodder.com/belief-barriers-breather/

2021-12-31
salespodder.com/ingredient-of-the-year/

2021-12-29
salespodder.com/new-totems/

2021-12-28
salespodder.com/your-annual-predictions-slide/

2021-12-17
salespodder.com/soaring-annual-switchover/

2021-12-15
salespodder.com/team-wide-seasonal-rah-rah-over-video/

2020-01-07
salespodder.com/ingredient-x-lifecoach-stand-out-strength/

2019-01-11
salespodder.com/does-annual-billionaire-founder-new-year-resolution-match-your-sales-aims/

2019-01-09
salespodder.com/new-year-emulation-presentation/

2019-01-08
salespodder.com/curated-bizarrerie-for-the-kick-off-deck/

2018-10-31
salespodder.com/taskmaster-mini-conference-mood-shifter/

2012-07-17
salespodder.com/get-blood-flowing/