In surfing, setting the line is about positioning yourself before the wave ever breaks. You read the water, commit early, and move with purpose. 

For Arkansas sales teams, first-time account business plays that same role. It is the intentional positioning that creates momentum, growth, and energy before results ever show up on a report.

Driving FTA business is not just a metric. It is Objective 1. And according to Arkansas VP of Sales Cody Simon, it is the difference between moving forward and standing still.

“The only way to grow our business is by bringing on new customers,” Simon says. “If we’re not doing that we’re stagnant, ultimately going backwards and dying.”

Why FTA Is the Engine, Not the Add-On.

FTA business is not a side strategy. It is the growth strategy. Cody is direct about why it matters so much, regardless of territory, market maturity, or existing book size.

“Whether it’s geographic, or market segments, that’s how we grow,” he says. “Not just keeping the ones we have.”
That perspective shapes how Arkansas teams look at their goals. The 20 percent FTA expectation is not a blanket number meant to frustrate reps. It is a diagnostic tool.

“There are different marketplaces. It might be 80 percent needed to hit your number,” Simon explains. “The 20 percent is we have more saturation in a market.”

He encourages reps to use lease upgrade paths as a mirror. When you review what is realistically coming from your existing base, the gap becomes obvious.

“If a rep looks at what their current lease upgrade path looks like, they can see where they are lacking,” he says. “It might be a wakeup call to see this is what I need to gain in new business to make my number.”

Ten Accounts, One Relentless Mindset.

The Seat at the Table campaign and the Raving Fans FTA marketing campaign initiatives tap directly into Datamax culture – ultimately, what we’re asking for is a seat at the table, and an opportunity to Create Raving Fans. What excites Cody is not just the concept, but the discipline behind it.

“It’s a really targeted approach,” he says. “You don’t leave them alone until they tell you verbatim stop calling or you get the meeting.”

That persistence is not random activity. It is focused, intentional follow-up on accounts that matter.

“I think having a focus on 10 accounts that you’re dogmatic about getting into, and not giving up on that,” Simon says. “Go out there, see them. If they are not there, go out there again.”

He connects that mindset directly to Raving Fans. Decision makers are busy, distracted, and overwhelmed.

Breaking through requires consistency and patience.

“I get email after email, and a lot of them I’m just deleting, but eventually they get through,” he says. “These decision makers, they’re busy. They’re not waiting on a phone call to see who can help them with their office equipment. You need to give them a reason to talk to you.”

Discovery That Creates Real Momentum.

Discovery expectations exist for a reason, but Cody wants reps thinking beyond just checking a box. Four discoveries per period is the baseline, not the ceiling.

“I’ve always told reps, I’m a quality over quantity person,” he says. “But I also know it takes quantity to get a few quality calls.”

The goal is not rushed touches or surface-level conversations. It is meaningful time with the right people.

“I’d much rather you have one one hour call than 60 one minute calls,” Simon says. “You’ll get that good conversation.”

For Cody, real discovery is defined by substance. Whether it is a scheduled meeting or an unexpected phone call, value is the deciding factor.

“If you’re getting good information, whether it’s a scheduled appointment or it’s a phone call that a decision maker gave you valuable information, not just speeds and feeds,” he says. “It needs to be what are your business problems you’re having that we can provide a solution that makes your life easier.”

He also cautions against the trap of shallow activity, especially for newer reps.

“We have some new reps going after quantity and that only,” Simon says. “They make a phone call, they make an email, then move on to the next one.”

The difference maker is persistence across channels.

“It’s going after them in multiple ways over and over again,” he says.

Setting the line for new waves is not about chasing everything. It is about committing early, staying disciplined, and trusting that focused effort creates momentum. For Arkansas sales teams, FTA business is the wave. The only question is whether you are positioned to ride it.