Fundamentals, Risk and Differentiation - Season 5: Episode # 88

In this episode of the Cheat Code + Friends podcast, Hannah Ajikawo shares what actually drives sales performance in competitive markets. As CEO and founder of Revenue Funnel, she explains why most teams focus too much on internal process and not enough on how buyers make decisions, which ultimately creates a gap that stalls growth.In her experience, sales fundamentals are getting ignored and buyers are getting harder to convince. Hannah shares how credibility is built, why borrowing trust can accelerate deals, and how strong execution often matters more than product differentiation. She also covers hiring, consultative selling, and the role of AI in shaping modern go-to-market without replacing the fundamentals.Looking for advice on partnerships, customer experience, and why helping buyers make confident decisions is the real job of sales? This episode has you covered. Chapters00:00 The Unsexy Fundamentals of Sales05:53 Understanding Buyer Dynamics09:02 Building Credibility in Sales12:09 Navigating Competitive Markets14:49 The Importance of Customer Experience17:55 The Role of AI in Sales Strategy20:49 The Power of Partnerships in B2B24:23 Innovative Go-to-Market Strategies25:19 Leveraging AI in Consulting28:10 The Importance of Authenticity in Sales30:49 Hiring the Right Sales Reps39:45 Revenue Funnel's Unique ApproachReferences in the Show:https://www.fastcompany.com/91464721/2026-will-be-the-year-marketers-rediscover-the-basics https://www.forbes.com/councils/forbesagencycouncil/2026/02/10/the-b2b-buyer-journey-isnt-what-it-used-to-be Quote of the Show:“When we think about the fundamentals, particularly wrapping it around the startup world, it's, who are you selling to? What problem are you solving? It's so unsexy that people cannot believe that's the conversation that we're starting with.” - Hannah AjikawoWays to Tune In:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5GpM8myxsUinc5bfLIbjJz?si=0af576adfb8e49f8 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-cheat-code/id1692445190 Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/cb0b3afa-063f-4f3b-96be-b98214c74912 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CheatCodePodcast