Day 1: The skeptic’s creed
I don’t buy into the hype. Never have. Never will. I’ve been in this game too long to fall for another so-called game-changer that turns out to be nothing but bells and whistles, a shiny piece of software designed by people who’ve never actually had to stand in a trade show booth for twelve hours straight, juggling conversations, business cards, and the growing sense that you’re about to lose your voice. AI-driven? Revolutionary? Right. I’ve seen it all before, and you know what? Most of it just makes my job harder. Just give me a scanner, a spreadsheet, and a strong cup of coffee, and I’ll do my job the way I’ve always done it—because at least I know that works.
But then—they made me try something new. Against my will, I should add.
Day 3: The resistance begins
The platform was sleek. Too sleek. The kind of thing a sales rep with zero event experience would dream up in a conference room with a whiteboard and too many buzzwords. “It automates follow-ups, scores leads in real-time, syncs with your CRM,” they promised, eyes gleaming like they’d just discovered fire. “It’ll change the way you work.”
I rolled my eyes. I’d heard it all before. Another tool, another headache. Another pointless distraction from just getting the job done. Did they even realize how much was already on my plate? Now, I had to learn something new? Fantastic. I braced for disappointment.
Day 5: The breaking point
The event was chaos. The kind that leaves you gasping for breath, drowning in conversations, scanning badges like a maniac while trying to keep one ear on the guy asking about pricing and the other on your teammate signaling for help. No time to think. No time to track who was worth a follow-up and who was just there for free swag. My system? Completely breaking down. Too many leads. Too little time.
And then, I saw it out of the corner of my eye—real-time data. A dashboard, updating in front of me, showing me who engaged, what they asked about, who actually cared.
I hesitated. Then, I clicked. An automatic, personalized follow-up went out instantly.
Day 7: The moment of truth
The responses started pouring in—fast, faster than ever. People weren’t just opening emails—they were engaging, booking meetings, following up, and actually remembering who we were.
I sat there, staring at the screen, feeling my entire belief system crack down the middle. Could it really be this easy? Had I been making this more complicated than it needed to be… for years? Was all that manual tracking, note-taking, and spreadsheet-wrangling just some kind of sadistic ritual I’d inflicted on myself out of sheer stubbornness?
Day 10: The conversion
Fine. I’ll say it. I was wrong. There. Are you happy?
The right tech doesn’t slow you down—it clears the path. No more wasted time. No more cold leads. No more frantically scribbling half-legible notes only to forget what they meant two days later. Now? I focus on the ones that actually matter. The ones who were actually interested. The ones who might actually turn into business.
Lesson learned
Tech isn’t the enemy. The wrong tech is. The right one? It changes everything.
And yeah, I still need my coffee. But now? I actually have time to drink it while it’s hot.
