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In 1997, Tiger Woods dominated his first Masters as a professional and won the tournament by a record 12 strokes.

He was 21. He hit the ball so far that Augusta National had never seen anything like it. Par-5’s where others hit long irons, he was hitting wedges. The course was essentially defenseless. So they did what anyone would do.

They rebuilt the course.

They added over 500 yards of length, tightened fairways, grew the rough. Golf writers called it "Tiger Proofing."

Then something interesting happened. Other courses started doing it too.

Courses around the world began lengthening holes all in anticipation of Tiger showing up. It wasn't just Augusta anymore. The entire sport restructured itself around one player.

But, you know how the story ends.

Tiger won again. And again. And again. 15 majors in total. 83 PGA Tour wins. 5 of those were the coveted “Green jacket” which every winner of The Masters receives.

Tiger didn't just out-muscle the field. He studied his own game relentlessly, adapted his swing not once but multiple times throughout his career, and figured out how to compete differently as the game evolved around him.

The courses changed but he changed with it. That's why he kept winning.

→ Sales is going through its own “Tiger Proofing” moment right now.

AI writes cold emails in seconds.

Automation handles follow-up sequences.

Chatbots qualify leads at 2am.

Buyers have done more research before getting on a call with you than they ever have before in human existence.

The "course" has completely changed.

Are you still playing the old way?

Most founders are worried AI is replacing them.

But it is only replacing the version of you that was winging it.

The template cold email? No longer works.

The generic discovery call? A waste of everyone's time.

The pitch-first approach? Buyers see through it instantly now.

→ What AI can't do is be YOU.

It can't ask the follow-up question that came from genuine curiosity. It can't sit in the silence of a tough moment on a call and let the buyer think without you talking. It can't read the non-verbal cues in the room.

That's where founders who learn to sell absolutely dominate over AI.

Tiger didn't try to out-robot the course.

He out-humaned it.

Then: Volume was the strategy

Now: Precision is

The old playbook said send more emails, make more calls, book more meetings. You might have heard, “It’s a numbers game” or “Spray and pray”. AI has made it cheaper than ever to spray which means inboxes are flooded with garbage, and buyers are more skeptical than ever.

Do it better:

Do two minutes of real research before any outreach. Find one specific thing about their business, their role, or something they've said publicly. There’s a CEO letter, an investor report or a case study. Lead with that. A short, personalized email that proves you actually looked will outperform a hundred templated blasts. Every. Single. Time.

→ Need help getting started: Use my framework here.

Then: Product-heavy demos

Now: Focused-led discussions

Buyers have already read your website. They've looked at your LinkedIn. They may have seen a competitor demo before talking to you. They don't need a feature walkthrough. They need to feel understood. Sometimes that means showing your product. Sometimes it's a deeper conversation about what isn't working. Sometimes it's them sharing their screen while you ask questions.

There is no exact perfect way!

Do it better:

Start every call with a recap of what you've heard so far and confirm it's still accurate. Then ask, “What would make this call a success for you?” Get them talking about the problem in their words, not yours. Then, let the call naturally adapt and flow in order to completely understand where they need the most help and if you are the one to help them.

When you show up with that level of attention, you become a completely different kind of seller. Most of your competitors aren't doing this.

ICYMI: Here’s how to shine bright on your sales demos

Then: Follow-up was optional

Now: It's an essential skill

The old version of follow-up was "just checking in." That's dead. Buyers ignore it because it adds zero value and AI can generate it in three seconds. First, we want to make sure we are leading the next steps anyways with a clear action item or call scheduled on the end of the call we are currently on. We should be walking the path with the buyer, not just waiting for them to get back to us.

Do it better:

Every significant call should have a recap of what was discussed and decided along with a clear understanding that you were listening. If your follow-up email could have been sent to anyone on your prospect list, it's the wrong email. When you and your buyer are walking hand in hand, there are never any awkward “follow-ups”. They are always well intentioned because you’ve already agreed on them.

Ready to crush your post-call follow-up? The control email framework covers this in full.

Tiger didn't win 5 Masters titles by hoping Augusta would change their mind and stop building new tee boxes.

He won because he was relentlessly honest about where his game needed to improve and he put in the work to get there.

Your buyers are more informed. Their inboxes more noisy. Their skepticism is at an all-time high.

That's actually good news for you.

Because if you're willing to show up with genuine curiosity, real preparation, and a process that actually guides buyers, you're already ahead of every AI-generated email they got this week (which is what most of your competitors are sending).

The gap between a founder who adapts with the changing times and one who's still “doing it the old way” has never been wider.

Which seller are you planning to show up as?

Look at your last three pieces of outreach or your last three discovery calls.

Serious question: could AI have done that?

If the answer is yes, pick one of the three shifts above and apply it this week.

Start there.

Reply and tell me which one you're working on. I read every one.

(Extra Credit: review this past issue about removing friction and see if there’s an area you could adapt to make it more human and high-touch.)

Need to get a quick W? Let me roast one of your sales calls so you can get immediate & actionable feedback to use on your very next call → Get Roasted Now

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