As Matt Slonaker, founder of M. Allen LLC and a revenue strategist with over 30 years in financial services, I’ve channeled my experience driving $1 billion in revenue and landing deals like a $33 million contract with a top-five U.S. bank into three books: The Art & Science of Selling, Key to Market Mastery, and my latest, The AI Ledger: Unleashing Revenue Mastery with Agentic Intelligence. These are no-fluff playbooks for CEOs, CROs, and revenue teams looking to dominate in today’s cutthroat markets. Below, I’m summarizing each book, diving deeper into The AI Ledger as the newest, adding ten mini POVs drawn from their core ideas, and wrapping up with ten key self-assessment questions inspired by the books to help leaders gauge their readiness to win.

The Art & Science of Selling: A Guide to Boost Revenue

This book is my battle-tested blueprint for B2B sales, built from driving 65% ARR growth at M. Allen LLC. Sales isn’t just closing deals—it’s a disciplined mix of strategy, empathy, and data. I lay out frameworks for pipeline optimization, team alignment, and turning prospects into long-term partners. It’s for revenue leaders who want to stop relying on gut and start stacking wins with precision.

Mini POVs:

1. Sales is a machine, not magic: Use data to drive decisions—my teams boosted conversions by 25% with predictive analytics, per CRM data.
2. Trust is your currency: In financial services, 80% of revenue comes from repeat clients. Build relationships, not just quotas.
3. Alignment kills chaos: Misaligned sales and marketing teams bleed 10% of revenue yearly, per Forrester. Sync them with shared goals.

Key to Market Mastery

Through the fictional journey of Marcus Hale, CEO of FinPulse, this book delivers my “Golden Ledger” framework for scaling startups and fixing stalled teams. It’s a narrative-driven guide to aligning go-to-market strategies, streamlining execution, and driving sustainable growth. Paired with the Keys to Mastery workbook, it’s for leaders who need to diagnose issues and move fast.

Mini POVs:
4. Stories cut through noise: Marcus’s struggles mirror 60% of CEOs facing misalignment, per McKinsey. Use narratives to unite teams.
5. Execution trumps vision: A killer strategy fails without disciplined delivery—focus on process to scale.
6. Diagnose first, act second: The Keys to Mastery workbook helps spot revenue leaks before they sink you.

The AI Ledger: Unleashing Revenue Mastery with Agentic Intelligence

My latest book is a wake-up call for revenue leaders in banking, fintech, and beyond. Drawing from my work at Sourcepoint, and M. Allen LLC—where we’ve driven over $200 million in new revenue—it shows how Agentic AI, systems that act autonomously, can transform customer experiences, streamline operations, and skyrocket revenue. Marcus Hale returns, navigating a 2025 financial services landscape rocked by economic shifts and regulatory pressures. I blend his story with real-world case studies, like Sourcepoint’s 30% cost reduction via AI, and outline ten actionable steps to harness AI while keeping the human element front and center.

Deeper Dive into The AI Ledger:
Agentic AI isn’t just automation—it’s a revenue game-changer that anticipates needs and executes decisions in real time. For instance, I detail how predictive analytics cut churn by 20% by flagging at-risk customers early, based on Sourcepoint’s data. The book tackles 2025’s challenges—rising interest rates, CFPB compliance, and consumer skepticism (68% prioritize trust over tech, per Fannie Mae)—while offering a roadmap for integrating AI into sales, lending, and retention. Key actions include personalizing customer journeys, auditing legacy tech (70% of banks are stuck with it, per KPMG), and measuring ROI relentlessly. Pitfalls? Over-relying on black-box AI, skimping on cybersecurity (AI-driven fraud detection can cut losses by 25%), or neglecting team training. The AI Ledger is about building a smarter, faster revenue engine that thrives in disruption.

Mini POVs:
7. Agentic AI is your wingman: Automate low-value tasks like data entry to free teams for high-stakes deals.
8. Personalization drives loyalty: AI-tailored offers, like real-time loan adjustments, boost retention by 15%, per Accenture.
9. Compliance isn’t optional: GDPR or CFPB missteps can cost millions—embed compliance in AI from the start.
10. Upskill or lose: Train teams to work with AI, or get outpaced in a market where 70% of banks lag, per KPMG.

These books reflect my no-BS approach, shaped as a U.S. Military Combat Veteran and honed with giants like Morgan Stanley, JP Morgan Chase, and Firstsource. They’re not just reads—they’re roadmaps for winning in high-stakes markets.

Ten Key Self-Assessment Questions from the Books

These questions, inspired by the core ideas in my books, are for revenue leaders to evaluate their strategies and readiness for today’s challenges. Answer them honestly to spot gaps and take action.

1. From The Art & Science of Selling: Are my sales processes data-driven, or am I relying on instinct? (Test: Can I quantify my pipeline conversion rates?)
2. From The Art & Science of Selling: Do my sales and marketing teams share KPIs, or are they working in silos? (Check: Is there a 10%+ revenue leak due to misalignment?)
3. From The Art & Science of Selling: Am I building long-term client relationships, or chasing one-off deals? (Metric: What percentage of revenue comes from repeat clients?)
4. From Key to Market Mastery: Can I clearly articulate my go-to-market strategy, and is my team aligned on it? (Test: Run a quick survey—do all leaders agree on priorities?)
5. From Key to Market Mastery: Have I audited my revenue engine for gaps in execution? (Use the Keys to Mastery workbook to diagnose.)
6. From Key to Market Mastery: Am I prioritizing process over vision to ensure consistent growth? (Check: Are my team’s daily actions tied to strategic goals?)
7. From The AI Ledger: Is my organization leveraging Agentic AI to personalize customer experiences? (Example: Can I offer real-time solutions like loan adjustments?)
8. From The AI Ledger: Have I audited my tech stack to replace legacy systems slowing us down? (Stat: 70% of banks are hindered by outdated tech, per KPMG.)
9. From The AI Ledger: Are my AI initiatives compliant with regulations like GDPR and CFPB? (Test: Do I have a compliance checklist for AI deployments?)
10. From The AI Ledger: Am I training my team to collaborate with AI, or are they resistant to change? (Metric: What percentage of staff are AI-proficient?)

Answer these, and you’ll know where you stand. If the gaps sting, good—that’s where growth starts. Check my blog or LinkedIn for more tools and insights to close them.

Grab your copies here: https://slonakerbooks.com