To have an effective decision-making process as a CEO or a CRO, you don’t want to lead with consesus. I like what David Cancel, CEO at Drift, says about consensus: “Seek Feedback, Not Consensus.” One of Drift’s Leadership Principles is: Seek feedback, not consensus. “Seek feedback to get…
What In the World are “UFOs” in Sales?
One of the top productivity killers for sales reps is over-focusing and over-investing in low-probability Opportunities (Opps) which clog up your sales pipeline and distract reps from focusing on the high-probability Opportunities. We refer to a bad Sales Opportunity (i.e. Opp) in a slightly comical and symbolic way…
Building Teams – Recruiting Insights from Warren Buffett
Do you know Warren Buffett’s secret to recruiting talent? Buffett only looks for 3 things: 1. Intelligence 2. Energy (i.e. Hard Work, Passion, etc.) 3. Integrity Notice something interesting and what’s missing from this list? We do not see “industry experience” on that list. I see how many…
The 3 Critical Gaps Between Planned Outcomes vs. Actual Results
There are always gaps between Strategy and its Execution, between business expectations and the actual results. You can invest a lot of time into a solid Corporate Strategy or your Sales Strategy that you think will deliver exceptional results but some times the result will be off from what you intended…
MAP Method & Why a Clear Go-to-Market is Key to Scaling SaaS Sales
If you are a CEO, a VP of Sales or a VP of Marketing thinking about accelerating revenue growth, you need to invest in clearly defining your Go-to-Market Strategy. One of the key aspects of scaling is making sure you understand it clearly. A Go-to-Market Strategy (aka “GTM“) is…
Leading Teams – Decisions by Consensus vs. Conviction
One of the top productivity killers for sales reps is over-focusing and over-investing in low-probability Opportunities (Opps) which clog up your sales pipeline and distract reps from focusing on the high-probability Opportunities. We refer to a bad Sales Opportunity (i.e. Opp) in a slightly comical and symbolic way…
How to Create a Sales Mission Statement
If your company doesn’t have a clear and strategic Mission Statement, you have an identity crisis on your hands. Without these statements, your business doesn’t have a clear direction or core values to help guide it into the future. It may seem like some marketing exercise, but in…
Big Shift in SaaS Sales
Managing Sales in SaaS Today is Far More Challenging Than 10 Years Ago A good sales force is a force and a force multiplier. If you build a world-class sales force and a sales function at your company then it can be a key to your competitive advantage,…
Driving Sales Team Effectiveness: Unique Value Proposition & Elevator Pitch
A key initial and step in driving or improving your sales team’s effectiveness is ensuring all the tools are sharp in the selling toolbox. Start this process by ensuring you have a strong Unique Value Proposition (UVP) and a clear and concise Elevator Pitch that your sales team can…
The “SDR : AE Ratio” is a Wrong Way to Think About Structuring the Sales Org
I frequently hear this question – how many Sales Development Reps (SDRs) you need for each closing rep. “What is the ideal “Outbound SDR to AE Ratio?” – in other words, how many SDRs should you have for each Closer? In fact, I get this question from other…