The SalesCycle Strategy: The FRAME Model.

Drawing on more than three decades of real-world experiences – working with small, medium and large companies alike – I am sharing a personal framework I use when developing business development and go to market sales strategies.  The FRAME model (Focus, Refine, Adapt, Model, Evaluate) offers a concise and comprehensive roadmap for sales leaders.

By applying these five pillars, organizations can carve out the right opportunities, streamline processes, foster the right culture, develop innovative business models, and continuously optimize performance.  Here is a breakdown explaining how to implement within your organization.

Focus on the Right Markets

Too many organizations spread themselves too thin, chasing every shiny lead without asking “Is this the right market for us?” It is critical for an organization to define your niche - whether that’s a specific application in medical imaging or a LIDAR based defense project - and to size that addressable market rigorously.  Prioritize segments where your technology delivers a unique competitive advantage, and where customers value the outcomes you deliver. This focus not only concentrates resources, it also builds credibility with distribution channels and end users. 

Refine Your Sales and Budget Processes

A repeatable, transparent sales process is the backbone of profitability. Establish clear stage gates - from lead qualification through proposal, contract negotiation, and project delivery.  When you tie each stage to quantifiable metrics (conversion rates, average deal size, margin thresholds, etc.) management is more likely to approve and encourage investments in expansion. 

Couple this with a disciplined budget review cadence so that forecasts reflect real, not aspirational, pipeline health. Companies learn the hard way that overpromising in forecast accuracy erodes trust and disrupts resource allocation. By refining your funnel visibility and holding regular “reality check” reviews, you ensure both revenue and profit targets remain grounded.

Adapt with Agile Leadership and Culture

Market dynamics shift quickly!  Product roadmaps, competitive strategies, and customer priorities are constantly changing.  A sales leadership team must possess the same flexibility and speed. This means breaking down silos between R&D, marketing, and customer-facing teams; empowering field managers to make timely decisions; and encouraging a culture that engages challenges (including those that others walk away from) is respected but also properly resourced.  A strong, engaged sales culture aligns global channels, drives internal and external engagement, and limits distractions - creating the agility to pivot when markets demand.

Model Innovative Business Approaches

Traditional direct-sell or distributor-only strategies no longer suffice.  Sales leaders in 2025 must look for opportunities “along the entire supply-chain web,” experimenting with co-development agreements, or by launching adjacent services. Build business cases for each new model - detailing cost structures, required resources, and expected returns - and test rapidly in low-risk pilots. The quest for the “proper sales structure” underscores the need to tailor organizational design to the models you pursue, whether that’s channel-led, inside sales, or hybrid partnership ecosystems.

Evaluate Continuously and Optimize Relentlessly

No framework is complete without a commitment to measurement and removal of roadblocks. Map where your process succeeds and where it stalls - be it in lead response time, contract cycles, or post-sale support - and deploy cross-functional “strike teams” to eliminate those bottlenecks.

Regularly benchmark performance against your total addressable market size, review profitability by segment, and adjust go-to-market tactics accordingly. This cycle of evaluate and refining objectives ensures that strategic priorities stay aligned with financial goals.  Routine budget reviews keep growth tied directly to profitable outcomes.

By embedding the FRAME model in your organization—focusing strategically, refining processes, adapting leadership, modeling innovation, and evaluating continuously—you create a self-reinforcing engine for sustainable sales success.  In a year dominated by volatility and uncertainty, this disciplined yet flexible framework empowers sales leaders to hit their targets, build lasting value, and a competitive advantage.