The first year of developing a new sales territory or establishing new customers is a daunting task—especially in dog-eat-dog industries. The traditional advice is to train quickly on products, grab a customer list, start calling for appointments, discover opportunities, and close deals. In...

American business is dysfunctional. Companies of all sizes follow the mistaken belief that their products and services are best sold through mega-customers with pervasive market reach, such as Amazon and Walmart. Far too many business leaders fail to realize—until it is too late—that the...