There was a time when most enterprise sales reps had liberal expense accounts to take C-level execs to expensive dinners accompanied by the costliest wine offered. I’m not suggesting that “breaking bread” with customers is a bad thing, because it can be a really positive way to open up the relationship and learn more about…
What is a sales playbook and why is it important? Sales playbooks are a synthesis of sales process, best practices and the tactical steps that should be adhered to as part of an effective sales engagement. Think of it as a blueprint for sales success, which allows for creative tailoring based on situational needs but…
There are many different types of sales reps. Here are just a few examples of the different types of sales reps- hunters, farmers, transactional, enterprise, inside sales, outside sales, technical sales, public sector, solution specialists, named account, etc. The type of sales rep that you need is based on what and to whom you are…
Why are sales people generally the only employees in a company given a quota and held accountable to meeting the number? People can talk all day long about key performance indicators (KPIs), but the only real KPI that matters is revenue and what role you played in generating sales. Every functional area in an organization…
It never ceases to amaze me how virtually every business email you receive these days promises to help your sales. What’s sorely missing in these emails are any details about how their solution or service specifically impact sales. False promises are the worst possible approach to selling because you immediately undermine your credibility and offend…
I feel like a relationship counselor writing this blog post but most of the technology companies that I’ve worked with over the past 20+ years have had a dysfunctional relationship between sales and marketing. The only thing that varies is how severe the dysfunction is between the two groups. Open disclaimer, I am an unabashed…
What is discernment and why is it important in sales? According to the Merriam-Webster on-line dictionary. discernment “is the quality of being able to grasp and comprehend what is obscure”. My old fashioned paper back version of the Merriam-Webster dictionary defines discernment as the ability “to come to know or recognize mentally”. Over the years,…
What is discovery? How does it fit in to an enterprise sales process? Why is it important? The answers are best told through a real world story. I was providing sales advisory services to a large software company that had cobbled together a “suite” offering through acquiring various small point solution companies. They were trying…