Hey Niepodam,

Before we jump in, quick shoutout to this community: Over the past 3 days, 51 new heroes joined The Modern Seller Program with the Q1 Zero Excuses offer.

That tells me one thing: you’re taking this seriously. You’re not here for theory. You’re here to win. And I’m here for it.

If you're ready to commit, I'll wait you on the other side: Join Here!

Let’s get into something that’s breaking a lot of pipelines right now.

A VP of Sales once told me: “Our reps are having great convos… but nothing’s moving.”

I looked into it. They were doing tons of meetings.

But all with Managers.

Smart people. Engaged. Interested.

But no budget. No final say. No ability to sign.

They weren’t selling. They were running a coaching clinic.

So I introduced them to the Power Line Test.

Here’s how it works:

Every company has a Power Line, the invisible line where authority begins.

Below the line = “I’ll pass this along.”
Above the line = “Let’s move forward.”

Your job in prospecting and discovery is to cross that line early.

Try this on your next call:

“Hey, I know a lot of folks in [Manager Title] roles love what we do.

But I also know these decisions usually sit above a certain power line.

Out of curiosity, who owns the final call on budget or direction here?”

It’s respectful. It’s honest. And it tells you exactly where you stand.

Because if you’re below the line?

You’re selling sideways. Not forward.

Extra tip for outbound:

Check titles in your sequence. If 80% are below the line, your sequence isn’t broken, your strategy is.

I’d rather hit 40 Power-level prospects than 200 who need to “loop someone in.”

Recap:

• Always test: am I above or below the power line?
• Don’t fear senior titles—target them.
• Selling low = coaching. Selling high = closing.
• Start higher. Sell faster.

Want more frameworks like this? You’re in the right place.

Alan "Modern Seller" Ruchtein.

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