Show Notes
AI is making reps faster. But faster is not the same as better. The rep who brings value still wins. The question is how you build that value when the tools are changing. In the Leadership in Manufacturing Podcast, host Sannah Vinding speaks with Hunter Starr, CPMR, President at Performance Technical Sales, to explore how the manufacturers rep role is evolving as AI reshapes research, outreach, and customer engagement in the electronics and component industry. The conversation focuses on practical AI adoption at the field sales level — not theory, but what Hunter's team is actually doing. From using ChatGPT with curated manufacturer data to improve cross-reference accuracy, to building shared industry-specific messaging templates that scale across the team, Hunter shares a grounded view of Phase 1 AI integration in a rep firm. Hunter also gets specific about what AI cannot replace: the judgment call after the research, the follow-through after the meeting, and the trust that builds over time with engineers and purchasing teams. He talks about leading without a formal title, running open Monday team meetings where nothing is off limits, and why persistence is still the most important skill a new rep can develop. This episode is for manufacturers reps, field salespeople, FAEs, and sales leaders in electronics and component distribution who want to understand how to adopt AI tools practically without losing what actually builds business. In this episode, you will learn: Why access to engineers has changed and how to adapt your approach How to use AI for part cross-referencing with better accuracy and less risk Why constraining AI to curated manufacturer data produces more reliable output How to build messaging templates that your whole team can use across verticals What manufacturers are building with AI that will change how reps interact with customers Why follow-through and persistence still outperform speed in technical sales How to lead a team and build trust without relying on a formal title About the guest: Hunter Starr, CPMR, is President of Performance Technical Sales, a manufacturers rep firm serving OEM engineers and purchasing teams across Eastern North and South Carolina. With nearly a decade in manufacturer representation, Hunter supports customers across industrial, off-highway, defense, agricultural, and appliance markets. He is a Certified Professional Manufacturers' Representative and was recognized as a Rising Star by the Electronic Representatives Association. Hosted by: Sannah Vinding is an engineer, B2B marketing strategist, leadership educator, and host of the Leadership in Manufacturing Podcast. She helps leaders across electronics, manufacturing, and supply chain lead technical teams with clarity, trust, and confidence as complexity and AI reshape how work gets done. Listen to more episodes, sign up for the weekly leadership newsletter, and explore insights at: https://leadershipinmanufacturing.com/hello/ Stay curious. Keep learning. Keep leading forward.
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Your company can have the right product for a customer's application and still be overlooked if the customer cannot find the information they need. In this solo episode of Leadership in Manufacturing, Sannah Vinding shares why she wrote Visible or Invisible: How Industrial B2B Companies Win Buyers When AI Builds the Shortlist. She looks at how customers move between AI tools, websites, technical documents, and distributor pages, and how teams can make their knowledge more useful along the way. You will hear: The three buying jobs: Discover, Prove Fit, and De-risk Why product explanations need clear conditions, limitations, and technical review How engineering, product management, product marketing, sales, customer service, reps, and distribution contribute to reliable answers The five Visible GTM foundations: Product Truth, Governed Knowledge, Signal Quality, Workflow Readiness, and Human Trust How to start with one product family and one recurring customer question Where human expertise helps customers check assumptions and make decisions Practical takeaway: Choose a question your team hears repeatedly. Look for the answer where customers research your product. Agree who writes it, who reviews and approves it, and who keeps it current. Check whether it helps before expanding the work. “AI helps prepare, people help customers decide.” Sannah Vinding ABOUT THE BOOK #1 New Release in Industrial Marketing on Amazon. The book includes access to a companion toolkit with interactive templates, worksheets, and scorecards. Access instructions are inside the book. Foreword by Walter Tobin. Learn more: https://visibleorinvisible.com Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0HMFQGWJW Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0HMFCJJKJ
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Colin Strother, Executive Vice President at Rochester Electronics, joins Sannah Vinding to discuss how trust, authenticity, and customer commitment shape leadership across a global electronics business. Colin shares how Rochester supports customers across the semiconductor ecosystem and why customer experience cannot depend on one channel. Some customers want to meet face to face. Others want to pick up the phone or use a digital platform. The leadership challenge is creating an experience that supports all three while keeping trust at the center. The conversation also covers how leaders learn from mistakes, why self-awareness and composure matter, how confidence helps new leaders grow, and what picking up a piece of trash can teach us about doing the right thing when nobody is looking. In this episode, you will learn: Why trust has to come before influence How authenticity helps leaders turn a vision into results through other people Why customers want choice across personal and digital channels How global leaders build local teams and relationships Why self-awareness and composure matter when information moves quickly How confidence and support help new leaders step forward How small visible actions reinforce leadership standards About the guest: Colin Strother is Executive Vice President at Rochester Electronics. He began his career through an electronics apprenticeship in Scotland and has since worked across semiconductor distribution, customer experience, sales, and global team leadership.
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