The world has changed, but you haven’t 😱 The #1 sales strategy for 2026 | SalesMates Podcast #93

💸 Friends, hello!

In Episode 93 of the Sales Mates Podcast, we break down how the rules of the game in business will change in 2026. Why the era of endless lead gen is over – and why 57% of your new revenue is now hidden in retaining existing customers.

We unpack where your CRM turns into a “dead wall” that doesn’t generate money – and how to tune it to the max so you can see every customer intent signal. We also talk about the transformation of sales into GTM engineers: why classic outreach is dying and how to build an infrastructure with Clay, Instantly, and AI that stays ahead of competitors.

📌 In this episode:

00:00:00 – Intro

00:00:55 – Why we’re talking strategy right now

00:01:36 – The #1 mission for 2026: customer retention (Customer Success)

00:03:22 – The stat: where 57% of new revenue comes from

00:04:58 – Why an “empty” CRM kills sales

00:06:51 – CRM Policy: data culture and the quality of insights

00:10:30 – Where to find the money: AI trends and why old methods don’t work

00:13:20 – Product & offers: why a simple MVP is no longer enough

00:16:05 – Smart outreach infrastructure (Clay, Instantly)

00:18:42 – Sales Engineering: a new type of specialist in sales

00:21:14 – A global partner network as a source of 40% of revenue

00:22:44 – AI in coding and margin optimization

00:25:32 – Traffic de-anonymization and AI agents on your website

00:26:58 – The Salesmates community and our wishes for 2026

Summary

In this episode, we discuss the business strategy for 2026, the importance of CRM systems, the new opportunities unlocked by AI, and we wrap up the year with key takeaways and New Year wishes.

Takeaways

• Your 2026 strategy must be clear and adaptable.

• Customer retention matters more than acquisition.

• CRM systems are the foundation of sales success.

• AI unlocks new opportunities for business.

• High-quality data is the key to performance.

• Partner channels can significantly increase revenue.

• You must continuously adapt to market changes.

• Using AI in sales can boost efficiency.

• Planning for 2026 includes new initiatives.

• New Year wishes: peace, quiet, and success.

Hosts: Anton Fedulov and Oleksii Sinichenko.

Practical advice from two successful sales leaders who share the secrets behind their results, personal experience, and strategies – plus interesting guests and funny everyday sales stories.

Watch and listen online on our Sales Mates Podcast YouTube channel.

Don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel: Sales Mates Podcast.

Thank you for being with us. Follow us on our social media:

Oleksii Sinichenko:

1. LinkedIn

2. Facebook

Anton Fedulov:

1. LinkedIn

2. Facebook

Sales Label Community:

• Telegram

• Apple Podcast

• Sales Mates Library