PAT BERRY — DIRECT SALES COMPANION
CHAPTER 17: Choose a small tech stack
Starter worksheet for review — October 19, 2026

Choose the fewest tools that let you keep your promises. A notebook, calendar, and clear email process can be a better starting point than five disconnected subscriptions.

1. Choose one tool for contacts, one for scheduling, and one place for approved drafts and resources.
2. Create a test contact using your own address. Check capture, confirmation, delivery, and next task.
3. Record who owns each account, how to export data, and what happens if a tool stops working. Add automation after the manual path works.

Direct Sales application
Choose tools compatible with company policies. Keep personal customer information out of shared training materials.

Starter stack audit
Job to do:
_______________________________________________________

Chosen tool:
_______________________________________________________

Account owner:
_______________________________________________________

Current plan:
_______________________________________________________

Monthly cost:
_______________________________________________________

Data stored:
_______________________________________________________

Export tested:
_______________________________________________________

Manual fallback:
_______________________________________________________

Review date:
_______________________________________________________

Use verified facts. Personalize examples. Keep private customer records in your own secure system.