Sales Game Changers | Tips from Successful Sales Leaders What Selling Professionals Can Learn from CIA Tradecraft with Craig Bowman
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Jan 13, 2026 
Craig Bowman, former CIA operations and technology professional turned sales leader and author of CRAFT: CIA Tradecraft Meets AI. He explains how intelligence tradecraft maps to enterprise selling. Topics include using research and AI to spot real opportunity, mapping true influence inside organizations, activating partners as allies, and proving value with measurable, risk-reducing plans.
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From 'The Farm' To Sales Discipline
- Craig Bowman describes joining the CIA from a bulletin board interview and training 'on the farm'.
- He connects that clandestine training to disciplined planning later used in enterprise sales teams.
Target Change, Not Just Budgets
- Look for any change in a customer's mission as a signal of opportunity, not only budget increases.
- Score targets using force, leverage, obsession, and window to prioritize outreach efficiently.
Use A Flow Targeting Filter
- Use a flow targeting filter to rank prospects by force, leverage, obsession, and window before spending time on them.
- Begin qualification only after you confirm high-scoring targets to optimize seller effort.
