Full Circle: Working with Our Adult Kids’ Friends

It was bound to happen, a matter of time. It’s simple math. I told myself all the above, and more.

Over the past two weeks, I have worked and met with my Adult kids’ friends in two different cities. With 39 years in Sales, the next generational rotation was bound to come my way. And what a pleasure it was in both scenarios.

First was in San Francisco at the JP Morgan Healthcare conference. En route, I spoke with a friend of 35 years who I attended San Diego State University with. She let me know that her son was working at Salesforce.com in downtown San Francisco, and the next thing I knew, I was on a tour of their gorgeous 61-story building. The top floor is where the attached picture with Ben Cox was taken; he is in Sales in the SMB division at SFDC. What an enthusiastic, knowledgeable, fun young man Ben is-he will go far.

And last week in Houston, while attending a new customer’s Sales Kickoff meeting, Kayla Greibl stepped into the shortened Workshop Manager role as we provided the Executives and Sales Leaders with a half-day overview of their Sales Process. Kayla played volleyball at Brown University with my daughter Hannah, the latter graduates in May. Having seen Kayla play at a high level, and complete a rigorous academic curriculum made it even more enjoyable to work with her in a high-energy session.

Both experiences left me reflecting on something I see more clearly than ever: this generation has extraordinary access to information, but what differentiates them is how they create value in conversations. They don’t default to telling. They listen. They observe. And when they speak, it’s usually grounded in relevance.

Sales processes, tools, and methodologies matter. But they only work when paired with curiosity and respect for the buyer’s perspective. Watching the next generation operate in real business settings reinforced a belief I’ve held for a long time: access opens doors, but value earns trust.

And trust, as it turns out, isn’t generational at all.

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Access and Value: The 2026 Theme for Customers

As we look ahead to 2026, one theme continues to surface in nearly every conversation we have with sales leaders, managers, and sellers:

Access and Value.

Not as slogans. Not as abstract ideas. But as practical, repeatable capabilities sales teams must execute consistently if they expect to win in more complex buying environments.

Every sales process we co-develop with customers is built around core concepts. For 2026, Access and Value sit at the center. Not because they are new, but because most organizations still struggle to operationalize them.

Access: The Foundation for Everything Else

Without access, nothing else matters. And access today is harder to earn, easier to lose, and more tightly controlled than ever.

In the sales processes we build with customers, Access is applied in three specific ways:

  • Access to the top of the funnel while prospecting. High-performing sellers don’t just research; they use insight to earn relevance and credibility in the first conversation.
  • Access to Key Players. Deals rarely stall because solutions fail. They stall because sellers don’t reach the people who own outcomes, budgets, and risk. Access must be intentional and earned.
  • Maintaining Access throughout the buying process. Access is not permanent. It must be reinforced by adding value, advancing clarity, and helping buyers make better decisions.

Value: Created, Not Claimed

Value is not what you say your solution does. Value is what the buyer recognizes, internalizes, and can defend.

Value shows up in three ways:

 

  • In every conversation, each interaction should leave the buyer clearer or better informed.
  • Value from the prospect’s perspective is connecting your capabilities to operational, financial, and motivational impact.
  • When Value is clear, negotiation becomes about tradeoffs, not discounts.

Tactical Execution

To support this 2026 focus, we will provide access to our customers the blog posts aligned to each of these six topics. This allows teams to turn Access and Value from concepts into execution.

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On The Road Again: La Paz, Baja California, Mexico

John traveled to La Paz, Baja California, Mexico where he discussed customer’s kick off meetings for 2026.

 

 

 

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JP Morgan Healthcare Conference SFO Jan 12 – 15

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Each year at the JPMorgan Healthcare Conference, I build additional perspective on the Life Sciences and Biotech industries that we have participated in for 21 years. The range of people I meet, the types of companies they serve or represent, and the breadth of nationalities present make this the most diverse gathering we attend.

In just three days, I cross paths with people from 7 different countries, and leaders and representatives from more than 40 companies engage in dialogue, both formal and informal. These conversations share perspectives that spark curiosity and keep the fire lit.

On my way out of the final reception, I find myself in conversation with a woman from Moscow—a PhD/MD and Managing Director of a global investment fund. She asks me, “What is the key for you to get the most from these events?”

I answer without hesitation: listen.

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