There is a misconception about "unglamorous" industries.
People look at a company like Restaurant Technologies (RTI). They see trucks delivering cooking oil. They see waste removal. They assume the business model is simple.
They are wrong.
Simplicity is a veneer. Underneath the surface of any high-performing organization is a web of logistical complexity. RTI manages 50,000 customers. They handle hazardous materials. They navigate tight delivery windows. They operate in a market with thin margins.
RTI CEO Jeff Kiesel did not build a market leader by relying on instinct. He did not rely on the "gut feeling" of his sales managers.
He built a data-driven powerhouse.
He recognized a fundamental truth about modern Go-to-Market strategy.
“Human intuition has flatlined.”
The complexity of today's market exceeds the processing power of the human brain. If you rely on instinct to guide your territory planning, you will fail. If you rely on "hustle" to drive route density, you will lose margin.
Here is how RTI replaced instinct with intelligence to drive consistent, mid-teens growth.
1. Route Density is Profit: Stop Guessing
In a logistics-heavy business, distance is the enemy of margin.
Every mile costs money. Every wasted stop bleeds profit.
Years ago, RTI managed routes with spreadsheets. This was the "cowboy" era of logistics. It was manual. It was inefficient. It relied on human memory.
They replaced the spreadsheets with routing software. They integrated data. They optimized the specific mix of fresh oil and waste oil on every truck.
The result was a 30 percent reduction in distribution costs.
This is not just operational improvement. This is commercial strategy.
When you remove 30 percent of your cost base, you gain pricing leverage. You can pass savings to the customer. You can protect your margin against inflation.
You cannot achieve this by asking drivers to "drive faster." You achieve it through rigorous data analysis.
Stop guessing. Start calculating.
2. Micro-Segmentation: The End of "Spraying and Praying"
Direct sales teams are expensive.
Sending a high-cost seller to a low-probability prospect is a capital crime. Yet, most organizations do this daily. They send reps into the field with a stack of business cards. They rely on hope.
RTI stopped this practice.
They used AI to analyze their best customers. They looked beyond the obvious Quick Service Restaurants (QSR). They identified micro-segments. They found success in grocery stores. They found value in hotels and casinos.
They drilled deeper. They used AI to find independent Mexican restaurants with specific menu items. They looked for high oil usage.
They did not ask sales reps to "find leads." They handed the reps a target list with a high probability of conversion.
Stop sending your reps to do discovery. Use data to do the discovery for them.
3. Talent Profiles: Match the Player to the Position
You cannot put a 118-pound sprinter in a linebacker position. They will fail.
The system does not matter if the talent does not fit the role.
RTI used data to dismantle the myth of the "generic salesperson."
They analyzed their top performers. They found a distinct difference between a "Hunter" and an "Account Manager."
A pure Hunter closes the deal. They move on. They often ignore the relationship. This leads to churn.
RTI found that a blended profile worked best for their mid-market segment. They needed sellers who could close and maintain the relationship.
They adjusted their recruiting. They stopped hiring based on "charisma." They started hiring based on a specific, data-backed profile.
Do not guess. Define the profile. Hire to the profile.
4. The New Standard: Start at Stage Three
The traditional sales cycle is slow.
It involves painful discovery calls. The rep asks basic questions. The buyer gets annoyed.
Jeff Kiesel flipped this model.
With AI-driven insights, RTI reps know the prospect’s volume before they walk in the door. They know the pain points. They know the operational bottlenecks.
They do not start at Stage One. They do not waste time on basic discovery.
They start at Stage Three. They start with the Value Proposition.
This respects the buyer's time. It accelerates deal velocity. It proves competence immediately.
Do not ask the buyer to explain their business to you. Tell them how you will fix it.
What Now
If you are a CEO or Revenue Leader, you must accept a hard truth.
The "art" of sales is dying. The "science" of sales is the only path forward.
You must reflect on these four areas:
- Audit Your Logistics: Do not let humans plan routes or territories manually. The margin for error is zero. You are losing money on every inefficient mile.
- Kill the "Cold Call": Do not force expensive reps to prospect blindly. It is a waste of capital. Build a data engine. Feed them high-probability targets.
- Define Your Talent: Stop hiring "good salespeople." Define the specific attributes of your top performers. Hire to that profile. Use data to assess fit.
- Embrace AI: Complexity is your reality. You cannot out-think the market. You must out-compute it.
🎧 Want to Go Deeper?
Listen to my full conversation with Jeff Kiesel, CEO of Restaurant Technologies. We discuss the specific mechanics of using AI to transform a logistics business into a high-growth tech leader.
Listen to the Podcast Episode
Final Word
Instinct is a liability.
It feels good. It feels heroic. But it is not scalable.
The market is too complex for gut feelings. The future belongs to leaders who submit their intuition to the rigor of data.
Stop guessing. Start calculating.
