By Steve “The Doctor” Meek | Talk To Th3 Doc Podcast | Fulcrum Group
Podcast Doc-umentary
In Episode 112 of Talk To Th3 Doc, I sat down with Joe English — Managing Partner at 360 Consulting DFW — for a straight-talking deep dive into why most small and mid-sized organizations are flying blind when it comes to outreach and growth. Joe isn't just about the sales pitch. He's about the system. And that system applies whether you're closing a deal, applying for a grant, or engaging your stakeholders.
As I reflected on our conversation, it closely aligns with my weekend passion of playing, watching and coaching basketball. You can have heart, hustle, and high-fives… but if you don't run plays (or at least run some pre-organized actions), you won't score consistently. Business is no different.
Sales Isn’t Magic. It’s Math.
Joe hit us with a stat that made me drop my clipboard: 98% of SMBs don’t use a sales playbook. Think about that. Most companies rely on institutional knowledge, lone-wolf performers, and a healthy dose of hope. Hope is not a system.
But the real eye-opener is that this isn't just a "sales team" problem. If you're running a nonprofit or public sector agency, you're still "selling" something: your mission, your value, your ability to steward resources. Whether it's grants, advocacy, or interdepartmental buy-in, outreach without a framework is just noise.
At Fulcrum, we see the same issue in IT. Great IT requires playbooks, such as how we onboard a new client, how we document networks and organize that information, how we run a quarterly alignment meetings or how we build a strategic roadmap. Without process, IT organizations just do ad hoc fixes or success requires heroic efforts from a key person. That’s why believe many IT challenges at not technology issues, but rather a process problem. In fact, the whole point of ITIL (Information Technology Infrastructure Library) likewise reinforces that systems beat saviors.
Three Vitals That Tell the Truth
Joe shared insights from a 5,000+ SMB survey:
- Pulse: 98% of leaders lack a written sales playbook.
- Heart Rate: 95% rate themselves poor in managing sales methodology (forecasting, CRM usage, etc.).
- Weight: 85% don’t define ideal customer profiles and instead waste energy chasing the wrong business.
We see this in tech too. Sales teams may have systems that do not connect to each other, marketing people using basic ChatGPT without customized projects for their clients and no one at your side willing to facilitate conversations between third parties. While we may not be an expert at your specific tools, we engage with many vendors on many different applications and understand about possible automations. You know what success looks like—and maybe how to measure it. We help you stop guessing and can help guide you to a better path.
Process Isn’t the Enemy. It’s the Escape Plan.
Joe laid out his 4-part playbook:
- Go-to-Market Strategy – Know your ideal client and align your message. This can be used to help program customized marketing efforts.
- People & Organization – Coachability, structure, and talent development matter. Technology is just a tool, it requires great people to ensure great work.
- Sales Process – Don’t skip steps. Define stages and drive mutual action. You can’t get better at a process until it is written down.
- Execution Tools – Dashboards, AI, CRM, and meetings that actually matter. When people don’t have to worry less about trivial busy work, they have time to think critically and better deliver success.
At Fulcrum, we take the same approach. When we audit a client’s IT, we look at the whole system—not just the parts. We look at the people and their skills, the processes and structure, and only then the technology. Structure is how you bring discipline to the chaos of the modern workforce.
AI Won’t Save You If Your Process is Broken
Joe's team uses AI in smart ways—meeting transcription, sales cadences, email sequences. But he was clear: AI can’t fix dysfunction. It can only expose it faster.
Sound familiar? We've told clients the same thing about Microsoft Copilot, ChatGPT, and all the other tools they’re chasing. Without good instructions, current data, defined processes and proper security, AI can accelerate confusion. It sounds complex, but walk before you run is nature’s rule, not mine.
Winning Starts Small
Joe’s parting wisdom: "Find a way to win every single day." That might be a good call with a tough client, a documented SOP, or simply cleaning up your CRM. Small wins compound.
Whether you’re a manufacturing firm trying to scale, a nonprofit proving impact, or a local government aligning departments, a consistent framework builds culture. And culture builds confidence.
That’s why we always say: Every business is a sales business now. Selling solutions to clients, confidence to investors, positive experience to potential employees, budgets to constituents or selling mission to donors.
Bonus Prescriptions From Joe English
- Book Recommendation: New Sales. Simplified. by Mike Weinberg — great intro to crafting your "sales story" (even for those who hate pitching).
- Favorite Metric: Scorecards. Know your numbers. Share them with your team.
- Playbook Tip: Document it. Then build it into your tools and rituals.
The Doctor’s Closing Thought
At Fulcrum Group, we don’t just fix things. We embrace disciplined creativity to help you continue to evolve. Because whether it’s your IT or your outreach, process is what drives progress.
So if your systems are stuck in guesswork mode, let's fix that together.
🎧 Listen to Episode 112 with Joe English:
YouTube: https://youtu.be/s_wob023cXU
Podcast Platforms: https://pod.link/1807560282
📅 Book your free consult:
https://www.fulcrumgroup.net/talk-to-th3-doc-podcast
