BrickSeller

This is a common debate among business people. Many think it’s all about the product and many think it’s all about the sales process. I happen to think it’s a mix of both but the real question is what is the mix, what are the ingredients, who does what in the process?

I once had to open up some old text books and relearn statistics again trying to figure out what a Z Score is and what that really means…Did I really need to know that the Z Score is the observation less the mean of the population over the standard deviation or do I need to know what it represents from a business perspective?

Probably not :-)

I think complex sales are like a sports team with different positions and I just need my tackle to block for me so I can run through the hole. Learn the concept and the big picture solution to the problem and leave the details to someone who can figure out the Z Score!

Business always comes back to the basics no matter what you are selling so work on those because we can never be good enough at listening and building meaningful relationships. You don’t have to know what a regression analysis is but you do have to help your client solve their business problem so use your team!

Go team.

Brick

Price is your best lever.  Don't be afraid of it, but make sure you can defend it with vigor.  

Many of us still shy away from price and think a low price strategy is what will win the day...but buyers don't really buy on price, rather value and ROI.  The reality is for most businesses, particularly B2B, you will get less clients than expected and they will pay more because they recognize the value. Price buyers come and go where value buyers tend to stay with you.

Set an appropriate price for your product or service and defend it with conviction.

Brick

Many of us are looking for that silver bullet

...the one approach that will open doors and accelerate demand and pipeline, allow us to hit quota...

In my opinion:

We don't have to throw away all things we are doing. We don't have to end mass emailing and move to just personalized outreach.  We don't have to abandon cold calling for LinkedIn connections and clever videos. We don't have stop going to events and turn everything over to technology.

Yes, we can still do all of these things and we must do all of these things to meet our buyers where they hang out. But, we have to make it count!

I think the challenge is around content...

What do we say when we do top of the funnel outreach?

What do we say when we follow up after the first meeting?

What do we say when we get someone on a cold call?

What do we say when we have that first meeting?

What do we say when we meet someone at an event?

What do we want our prospects to learn when they land on our website?

Content is the answer, not which channel you use or the new shiny sales tool you add to your stack.

Learn your client's business as well as they know it. Understand their challenges, what they think about, where the business is going...and then you will know what to say, what content will resonate. Then you will know what to say, what to send.

Content is king.

Brick

My mother still holds out hope for me to get my professional engineering license. LOL Sorry mom 🙂

The truth is, I took the first half of this exam when I graduated from college, but never finished the second…which was based on practical experience, because I was done with engineering and on to the next branch of my career.

But, it wasn’t a waste, because I still lean heavily on my engineering approach applied to the business world. Yeah, it’s not structural mechanics or civil engineering anymore, it’s process engineering…but the same principles hold true.

I live in the start up world and I have been through the early stages countless times. Building a scalable model with process and laser focus is the only way to manage the moving parts and the onslaught of data, trust me. Regardless of the industry, the process is what allows you to manage chaos and keep the trains running on time.

I was engaged in some debate about rev ops recently and we can argue about when it makes sense to bring someone in to take on this role full time, but no question about it, without process, scaling is really hard.

• Leads fall through the cracks
• Outbound email marketing is unorganized
• Account management is scattered
• Pricing is all over the place
• Projections are missed

Stay focused and build a process to follow and stay on course. Otherwise, navigating without guardrails is treacherous sledding.

Brick

Your good work will be rewarded when you least expect it.

Just because they don't tell you all the time, you can be sure people are listening and passing judgment.  So, my advice is to assume this is the case and act accordingly. 

I was reminded of this truism this month when I was contacted on three separate occasions:

1) Someone I met several years ago at a conference connected seeking some guidance about a new business venture. We didn't speak after that one event, but I was informed that this person was reading my blogs, listening to this podcast, my linkedin posts...I was providing value without knowing this.

2) A former business colleague connected for my help to jump start a new business unit.  I guess I did good work when we were previously engaged so another opportunity surfaced and my name came up.

3) Finally, someone I never did business with recommended me for a role with a fast growing saas company that needed sales leadership.  This was based purely on a couple conversations and my track record.

People are watching you, so do good work. 

• Take a leadership role when you have an opportunity to do so.
• Do more than what's expected. 
• Be a team player. 
• Do all the little things that others won't bother to do.
• Volunteer for special projects.

As Andrew Carnegie famously quoted "My heart is in the work."

Brick

“Nothing ventured, nothing gained!!!” ― Ben Franklin

Most people make decisions based on risk assessment.  No one wants to make what may be viewed as a gamble, so they go with what is seen as a "safe" bet.

Really?  Does that make good sense?  Is it a "safe bet" to go with the same 'ole thing?

Let me give you some examples to think about:

• In a fast changing world that means change and innovation,  is it a safe bet to hire someone that looks exactly like everyone else in your organization?
• Is it a better bet to hire someone with "industry experience" when you are in a hyper growth mode and that person has never seen a start up before?
• Is it a better decision to not try a new and disruptive product that has the potential to win dramatically more business?
• Is it a good decision to reject an added resource just because there isn't any room in the budget when the result could bring big gains?
• Should you devote some time in your week to listen to new product ideas?

I would argue the world is moving way too fast to stand still and not push the envelope with innovation and diversity. You're gonna get run over if you're standing still.

The skill set of this decade is the ability to pivot and adapt quickly to change.

I have been running this solo podcast series for several months now...so I was curious to review the stats and see what themes are resonating.

No surprise, anything that has to do with being better at selling, learning new approaches to fill the pipeline, is what people want to hear. The rest is nice to hear but secondary.  Kind of like sales itself...your clients only care about things that will help them become better, do more, make more money...the rest is noise.

If you aren't addressing what matters to your prospects it's noise. As much as we want to believe there is some new tactic that will open up the flood gates, sorry, there's no magic formula other than getting to know your client's business and solving their problems. Think about that when you push the send button or when you leave a voice mail. 

The silver bullet is persistence. Do you have the endurance to finish the race?

I have a lucite paper weight on my desk with these three simple words "1st Things 1st".

I received this as a gift from a former business colleague years ago and it has traveled with me as I have moved around.

Simple, yes, but it's a constant reminder for me as I go through each day. 

It reminds me to:

• Focus on activities that have the most impact
• Take care of the most important things first before anything else
• These are things that are time sensitive and/or move the ball forward.

1st Things 1st

Does your solution integrate seamlessly into your client's environment?

Will your client have to change their workflow to use your solution? 

Will your solution take up more real estate on your client's desktop?

I have to tell you, unless you are solving a major problem, if you don't fit neatly into your prospect's workflow you will have a challenge. The change management may not be worth the marginal efficiency gains.

I think deals are lost many times based on inertia to change, not because you don't have a good solution that ostensibly offers ROI. Think about this as you present your solution. How easy is it to implement and adopt? The benefit has to greater than the change by a noticeable margin or no deal.

What do you think?

You can't spend enough time honing your messaging so it's tight and compelling.

You know when you have it right when your prospects start engaging more and want to hear more about your offering.  The correct messaging really is the magic key that leads to opportunities.

But, it takes time to get it right. It takes time to listen and pay close attention to what is resonating. It takes time to continue refining your questions and your talking points. It takes time to make sure your messaging is consistent throughout all channels.

But, the time will be well spent and will result in more engagement and more business. Slow down the volume and make your messaging count.

I am obviously simplifying things, but I honestly believe if you just remain active you will see results. It's easy to sit back and rely on technology or wait for things to happen, but your success will be limited. 

If you are focused on meaningful activities or simply continuing to mix it up, talk to lots of people, good things will happen. 

It's uncanny how one things leads to another when you least expect it. What may seem like a random conversation or maybe a less than perfect meeting, often times will lead to something that was unexpected.  That's the magic if you remain engaged.

Activity leads to Business.

There  are so many amazing technology platforms, but we are abusing them in lieu of the basics.

Why do we outsource so many basic functions to technology when we know that short term savings come at the expense of a great client experience?

Blocking & Tackling, as I like to call these basics, are timeless. They are hard to execute day in and day out, which means you have a competitive advantage if you do these little things well.

If you want to be successful as a salesperson or in any client facing role, know your business!

Immerse yourself in the business so you truly understand what matter, the issues and trends. You should know what your prospects do as well as they do or how can you possibly have a meaningful conversation? 

Regardless of all the slick sales tools that bring someone to your front door, you better know what to say when they show up. Otherwise, you are just another rote sales head sending generic emails that have little impact.

There is no better form of lead generation than great client service, hands down.

Yet, great customer service seems hard to find. How come?

I would rather spend a little more money on travel or taking care of my clients, rather than trying to squeeze out a little more margin. This investment will return lots.

Business is all about relationships so build them daily with a long view, because they will serve you well when you least expect it.  Business is a marathon – broken up with a lot of speed work – so conditioning is critical if you want to finish the race.

The SDR role should be strategic, yet it is too often delegated to the new kid on the block that wants to get to the next role. Therefore, the SDR function is minimized and not maximized for results. Done correctly, this role will bring more and more qualified opportunities.