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*AHA MessagesX
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1Marketing manifests the messaging, direction and consistency. #Sales proves if it's true or false.Share on X
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2#Sales is the best distribution channel for marketing content. Their social network can be up to 20x to that of your company's, making it the most targeted and prolific megaphone for your marketing message. –Kurt Shaver (CSO of Vengreso) via Diane UpdykeShare on X
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3Don't tell prospects (or anyone) why you're great. Learn what they want to hear because it will tie to what they care about. #SalesShare on X
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4Your number one competitive differentiator is the results you drive for your customers. –John Barrows (CEO of JBarrows Sales Training) via Diane UpdykeShare on X
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5Find what captures your prospect's head and heart. What do you want them to know and feel after the meeting? #SalesShare on X
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6People want to be entertained and informed of data, examples, and vision. Are you entertaining and informing your prospects? #SalesShare on X
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7Take a big glug from the reality cup to define your sales goals. Ask yourself the hard question: are you a vitamin or an aspirin? When you have the answer, plan accordingly. –Trish Bertuzzi (President of The Bridge Group, Inc) via Diane UpdykeShare on X
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8Don't let the facts get in the way of a good story. Build a story for them that captures their vision — of what they can become. #SalesShare on X
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9Sales execs want you to sell value, but to sell value you need to know the customer's problem, to know the problem they have to trust you, and to earn trust you have to build a relationship. It's all starts with relationships." –Paul Teshima CEO Nudge.ai via Diane UpdykeShare on X
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10If you act like the founder or a large shareholder in the company, strategic decisions become clearer with respect to your role and impact. –Ryan Floyd (Managing Director of Storm Ventures) via Diane UpdykeShare on X
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11Prospects buy out of hope or fear. Some buy hoping to solve their vision while others buy fearing that they won't be in style if they don’t buy a new product even if they don’t really want to. #SalesShare on X
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12Marketers HOPE you can solve their problem, Technology Buyers DARE you to.Share on X
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13Selling to "hope" is finding the vision on high and fitting it into their current plans and environment. #SalesShare on X
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14Selling to "fear" means a prospect is just "dipping a toe in." They want to try it out with minimal disruption to resources and they need more proof of ROI. #SalesShare on X
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15Selling enterprise deals or into new markets are best served with a two-prong sales approach — one has the strategy while another has the problem. #SalesShare on X
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16Are you a hero to your boss and to your reports? Ask yourself regularly how you can serve others.Share on X
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17Decide on a single priority. Which one is the most important? Is it the customer logo, max revenue, minimal churn, or profit? #SalesShare on X
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18Reconcile how the propect views your solution vs. how you value your need for recurring revenue. Do they see you as a campaign or as an ongoing solution?Share on X
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19Do not count a trial as a deal, it's a POC and not a commitment for long-term customer value.Share on X
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20You can measure many things;but it's hard to manage to more than 5 key metrics. Direct your team to what is most important and not to every measurement you have.Share on X
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21Numbers help you find where you suck so you can evaluate yourself, adjust your goals, and get better! #ProgressShare on X
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22One metric like ARR or CAC does not drive your business - you need to take the time to understand the business. Too many people look for shortcuts - and that leads to a lack of understanding and poor decision making. –Ryan Floyd Managing Director Storm Ventures via Diane UpdykeShare on X
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23Set goals for Customer Acquisition Costs (CAC) once you have repeatable sales and an identifiable Ideal Customer Profile (ICP). Prior to that, you're just arguingabout expenses.Share on X
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24Investors will set goals for startups to produce 5-7x on-target earnings (OTE) per rep. Reality for most early stagers is closer to 3-5x OTE so don't feel down.Share on X
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25Enterprise selling has a fashion pendulum; it gets you named customers and better revenue-for-effort while Small and Midsized businesses (SMB) get you logos. Both are good.Share on X
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26Historically, Enterprise selling is justified around $50K ARR because it covers the cost and justifies the resources used.Share on X
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27The difference between Enterprise and Midmarket selling is how you prospect, how many people you have to touch, and how the relationships you build expand businesses to other departments.Share on X
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28I've been told by Marketing execs of Enterprise accounts that #Sales has to talk to 15 people in their org to close a deal – from interest to signature.Share on X
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29To close a deal for SMBs, we have to talk to at least 3 contacts in an org. For VSB (Very Small Business), you better close it with 1.Share on X
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30Technology minimizes what a rep has to do. Discipline helps reps focus on the selling activities they should do.Share on X
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31Your two best time investments prior to being in front of a prospect are preparation and practice.Share on X
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32Two-thirds of a representative's time is spent on non-selling activities. Managing a rep's time is a stifling culture. Teach and motivate them to manage their own time. Teach them to fish!Share on X
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33Just like you should inspect your car parts and engine systems every six months; Check your CRM methodology, time management practices, and interdepartmental communication paths. Be ready!Share on X
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34While managers are there to offer strategy and guidance, don't rob your team of the ability to learn from mistakes. It's okay to learn.Share on X
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35What I've learned is the greater your personal awareness, the more effective you are as a Salesperson. Neutrality, listening, connecting to what a customer needs, to do that well requires high EQ. –Joe Hubbard Director of Trainings Thrive Global via Diane UpdykeShare on X
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36Emotional Intelligence is the capability of individuals to recognize their own emotions, those of others, and prioritize how to talk to theirs.Share on X
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37First impressions matter. Invest in a great connection, make sure to research and KNOW who your prospect is BEFORE reaching out. –MariAnne Vanella (CEO of The Vanella Group, Inc.) via Diane UpdykeShare on X
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38Up to 50% of a rep's business are customers that were nurtured 18 months ago. That's a fact that will keep Enterprise reps developing relationships.Share on X
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39Pick up the phone first, email last. Don't be afraid to have an engaging conversation. Warm calls are good, but great sales people love making the cold call. –Neil Callahan Co-founder Pilot Growth Equity via Diane UpdykeShare on X
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40Without an agenda to set the stage for a meeting, the client is in control, you're not. –John Barrows (CEO of JBarrows Sales Training) via Diane UpdykeShare on X
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41If you can teach only one thing, teach the reps how to ask the right questions.Share on X
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42The right questions are those that a) move the deal, b) uncover hidden info, c) find more players, or d) release the Kraken of obstacles.Share on X
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43My favorite question EVER: What of what we talked about today resonated the most? The answer will surprise you 99% of the time.Share on X
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44You can tell how well a rep will do in price negotiation by reviewing the quality of their discovery. –Matt Cameron (Sales Management Program Leader of SaaSy Sales Management) via Diane UpdykeShare on X
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45Discovery is NOT a one-time conversation with one person. Triangulate what you've learned with other key stakeholders. It builds your value proposition, sells larger, and solves real business problems. –Debe Rapson Enterprise Director, Sprinklr via Diane UpdykeShare on X
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46Ask AT LEAST three times in different ways, "what are the challenges keeping you from achieving your initiatives?" It's amazing what you'll uncover when you dig deeper. –Debe Rapson (Enterprise Director at Sprinklr) via Diane UpdykeShare on X
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47Discovery is the art of creating a conversation, never selling, but sharing relevant stories of similar customer experiences while learning what you need to know to bring value to a customer's business. –Debe Rapson Enterprise Director, Sprinklr via Diane UpdykeShare on X
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48Discovery calls are a thing of the past. You can pre-qualify people using BANT with information openly available via internet. Chat bots killed lead forms since you qualify people right there on the spot when you have their attention. –Max Altschuler VPM Outreach.io via http://aha.pub/DianeUpdykeShare on X
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49A methodology is to enlighten prospects and knock aside competition.Share on X
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50How many methodologies do you speak? I've used 6. The Magic is consistency and common language. Eventually, you'll roll your own.Share on X
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51Your methodology will improve EVERY TIME you run into a repeated obstacle.Share on X
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52Use what you know about your prospect and be relevant & personal in your quest for the pain. Don't forget to twist the knife when setting up the business case on why they should do business with you. –Debe Rapson Enterprise Director, Sprinklr via Diane UpdykeShare on X
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53The Goal is a repeatable sales model. Again, the Goal is a repeatable sales model NOT religious purity.Share on X
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54The sales process starts with finding your ICP and tiering your low hanging fruit. The best sales pitch in the world on the wrong audience will fall flat. ICP is the #1 most important piece of your process. –Max Altschuler VPM Outreach.io via Diane UpdykeShare on X
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55The sales model works when you can get to quota with B players. Everyone wants A-only players. That luxury doesn't last if you continue to grow and test.Share on X
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56The #1 mistake sales development leaders make when building compensation plans is forcing their reps to choose between what's good for the rep and what's good for the company. –Taft Love (Global Director of SmartRecruiters) via Diane UpdykeShare on X
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57Companies that “peanut butter spread” quotas across similar roles see 14% less quota attainment than those that stagger quotas according to territory opportunity. (make it a fair fight) –Chris Cabrera CEO, Xactly Corp. via Diane UpdykeShare on X
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58Which comes first, the model or the sales plays? The models are tested formats for selling. The sales plays are company-specific words for your industry, product, prospect, and competitive landscape.Share on X
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59Across multiple SaaS organizations, sales teams close approx. 30% of the deals forecasted to close in any given quarter. The spread has been 28% - 33%. It's a tight cluster.Share on X
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60Practically, I have found Enterprise Sales Reps can manage about 15 deals at various stages in any given quarter. Xactly shows data that Enterprise reps will close 13 deals per year.Share on X
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61Most businesses are seasonal. Your quotas should be too. A typical example for SaaS quarterly quotas is 27%-29%-23%-31%. Just kidding, that's 110% which is what a leader hopes for. It's really more like: 25%-27%-19%-29% assuming a calendar year.Share on X
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62You may get up to 50% of your current business from companies you prospected to 18 months ago. A true statistic. Happened to my team at a large Martech company.Share on X
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63We are 31% more productive when we are in a positive mindset. Look for people who are motivated by positivity, they will absolutely produce more! –Joe Hubbard (Director of Trainings at Thrive Global) via Diane UpdykeShare on X
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64Always Have a Plan B. When do you EVER get to finish a month or quarter with Plan A? Plan B = backup deals that started at least 2 months ago.Share on X
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65Compensation Plans that have 3 measures to it outperform plans with fewer or more. –Chris Cabrera CEO, Xactly Corp. via Diane UpdykeShare on X
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66There are over 700 vendors in the salestech landscape. Pick no more than YOU or SalesOPS can manage + a limit of spend/rep. Likely, 5 to start, don't grow past 10.Share on X
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67What's more important than the tech or a feature set is whether it integrates with your CRM. You and your team will not go to more than 1-2 portals.Share on X
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68The goal is to balance the cost per rep of technology investment to the decrease in time spent for non-selling activities. No right answer but you'll get a baseline and learn how much your ops team can tolerate.Share on X
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69Divide what you measure and what you manage. You can measure anything you put in CRM. You can dashboard to 15 graphs, reasonably. However, you will likely only manage to 5 points.Share on X
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70Sales stats should be open and viewable to all on your team and to those that support team. It forms a common language and allows conversations to talk about improvements vs arguing facts.Share on X
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71Ensure that all your hard work in building your lead funnel doesn't crash on the front lines from lack of process and consistency. Roll up your sleeves to monitor and structure the last mile of engagement. –MariAnne Vanella (CEO The Vanella Group, Inc.) via Diane UpdykeShare on X
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72There are lies, damn lies, and statistics. –Mark Twain. Don't underestimate a good gut check as a bumper.Share on X
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73We all run out of GEO territories as the sales team grows. What's Next? Named Accts/Revenue/Verticals/Deal Size/ABC Grades. It WILL hurt. It won't be even. Reps will grumble. Make it defensible and equally unfair.Share on X
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74When hiring is no longer adding linear revenue, add efficiency, not headcount. Outside parties can bring fresh ideas and studies.Share on X
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75Take care to nourish and develop the ecosystem – your partners and implementers. They spread the word and show how your product helps.Share on X
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76Improving Efficiency is a Sales Ops game. It's like an industrial technologist where he/she can see the holes between the systems and team structure.Share on X
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77Greater sales effectiveness comes from sales ops (getting more out of your systems), sales enablement (getting more out of your people), and culture (getting more out of communications).Share on X
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78The Sales manager is the one that grounds you when you miss curfew. Sales Enablement is the one who says- how can we help you avoid missing curfew next time? –Misha Mcpherson CEO HumbleGritSales via Diane UpdykeShare on X
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79When do you need sales enablement? As a concept, from your 1st non-founder salesperson. As a hire, when you have 10+ reps with growth. As an org, when you have predictable, consistent growth. –Misha McPherson (CEO of HumbleGritSales) via Diane UpdykeShare on X
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80Onboarding week 1: How does your new hire feel? Onboarding week 2: What does your new hire know? –Misha McPherson (CEO of HumbleGritSales) via Diane UpdykeShare on X
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81A strong team requires tight alignment between Sales Ops and Sales Mgt. Managers can't hold reps accountable to a process they don't understand, and the best operational plan is wasted on reps who are not held accountable. –Taft Love (Global Dir of Sales Dev at SmartRecruiters) via Diane UpdykeShare on X
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82Sales Enablement isn't your clean up crew. Use them to be proactive, not reactive. –Misha McPherson (CEO of HumbleGritSales) via Diane UpdykeShare on X
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83Sales Development Reps will be the first line of defense; they will learn why people want to talk to you. They are your entry and your future. They are a top investment. Treat them like it.Share on X
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84#VariablesMatter in developing a sales model. Just as you can't borrow your neighbors pants and assume they'ill fit, you can't just borrow another company's model and think it will work for your culture/market/customers. –Trish Bertuzzi (President of The Bridge Group, Inc.) via Diane UpdykeShare on X
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85Sales Development is the glue between sales and marketing. Regardless of % marketing drives for inbound leads, SDRs lead the efforts on lists, buyer persona, messaging and content. –Sally Duby (West Coast General Manager at The Bridge Group, Inc.) via Diane UpdykeShare on X
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86WHO should bring your powerful message to the market? Answer: Not the least experienced among us to take on the hardest part of the sales process, your SDRs. Yet, we often ask them to. –Sally Duby (West Coast General Manager at The Bridge Group, Inc.) via Diane UpdykeShare on X
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87Put the Customer First. But that doesn't always mean give them what they ask for. "If I asked my customer what they want they would say a faster horse." –Henry Ford. Find their pain. Give them what they need. –Joe Payne (President and CEO at Code42) via Diane UpdykeShare on X
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88Customers may come for your product, but they stay for the people. Never lose sight of that in marketing, sales, service, and support. Your network is your net worth. –Paul Teshima (CEO of Nudge.ai) via Diane UpdykeShare on X
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89Why should you care about your customers? Because it's tied to your revenue efforts and, at some point, you'll make you more money than new business. I've seen it at around the $17 million mark.Share on X
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90Implement Customer Service before you think you need it. Do it at least 6 months before your first contract expires. Don't abuse your SEs. Get and incent actual Customer Success.Share on X
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91The way to build authentic relationships is through shared passions and interests. Not title, role, industry... Find something you both are interested in, it can be business or personal, and build from there. –Paul Teshima CEO Nudge.ai via Diane UpdykeShare on X
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92Training is kinda like a shower, you may have done it before, but it's a good idea to take one once in a while.Share on X
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93When does training have tangible results? When you can do your own demoes and omit 2 calls in every sales cycle.Share on X
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94I do encourage individuals to constantly experiment and take calculated risks with a few chips - those are the kind of failures I call “tuition. “ If you don't pay it, you are probably not learning. –Amit Bendov (CEO and Co-founder of Gong.io via Diane UpdykeShare on X
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95Training is learning WHAT to do, Practice is learning HOW to own it, and Culture will make the team WANT to keep at it.Share on X
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96Don't just train your sales people to be like your best salesperson today. Train your salespeople to be your best salespeople tomorrow. They need different skills. You are welcome. Is there anything else I can help you with? –Misha Mcpherson (CEO of HumbleGritSales) via Diane UpdykeShare on X
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97Sales is the internal customer of Marketing. Start with the belief that Marketing feeds Sales, then figure out a common Funnel language.Share on X
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98Marketing believes it produces 80% of the sales funnel; sales believes it's 40% of the funnel. Somewhere in the middle is the truth. Moral is, sales leaders teach reps to fish.Share on X
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99Sales and marketing misalignment means missed opportunities. Both teams will have interactions with the customer at various points of the journey. Consistency in message, content, tone, experience, etc. is imperative. –Olivier Gachot (CSO of NewVoiceMedia) via Diane UpdykeShare on X