Commissions checks don’t care if: -it’s a sexy logo -it’s an exciting industry -it’s a really cool application Treat your book like an operation: 

 -does the logo have the $ to spend? -is there demand in the industry? -is the use case proven? It's all green anyway

couple of things that have been getting solid engagement on outreach: -treating emails like tweets -no more than 4 sentences spaced apart -asking if they want more info ( no meeting) -if yes, send over loom video noticing fast responses which is interesting

If you study the best B2C copywriters you find their goal was simple. Get the reader to the next sentence. Do the same in B2B sales outreach.

This is so true. You just need to keep showing up. Proof from Modern Wisdom podcast notes: "by making 21 podcasts, you are in the top 1% of all podcasters ever"

Another way to make your sales process more efficient it to study successful customers: Why did they push change? Who made them change? It's a helpful benchmark to quickly gauge what you're up against in a sales cycle + sharpens your focus on the right ICP

Outbound email hack with Gong: 1. Review transcript of a discovery call (one you've done or done by someone else recently). 2. Use the prospect's language of business org and initiatives. 3. Input into outbound cadences Can use this for VERY pointed comms in target org

If you don't have a plan of where to go, then what's the point of the activity? Annoying and tedious exercise of building a biz plan for your biz/accts but pays dividends

A "no" is the start of a conversation. Your job as a sales person isn't always turn it into a yes. Ask the prospect if they fall into buckets your ICP has challenges in. Yes? Dig further. No? Move on.

Context in a role is so important. Interview at series A startup a few years back : Hiring manager asks, "Why you over SF and Oracle reps vying for the role?" "They're from SF and Oracle, I've sold at startups.." Not a knock on those reps. Just a different game.

It's not just about qualifying prospects, it's about understanding: Are they willing to stick their neck out? Have they done this before? What else is tied to their success (ie bonus, promotion, internal clout)? EMOTIONS drive purchases.

Always interesting to me when I recommend a book and people ask if its worth it. It's a book, at most $10 - $20. Just buy it, even one takeaway will pay dividends.

The irony in being a sales person is that we don’t really sell. The hardest thing to do is to convince someone to change. Think about how hard it is to change YOURSELF. Now imagine doing that for someone else. Could it be done? Sure. Inefficient to execute this way. Outside factors work only when you’re exposed to ideas over time. Not through a couple of conversations. We’re just good at finding the people who know they’re READY TO CHANGE. Then we help make that process easier.

In order to progress any deal, regardless if dollars are involved you have to be ready to structure sharing risk allocation. No skin in the game is a recipe for losing

Think about all the research you'd have to do in the past in order to outline business structures, orgs, and P&L. You can now do this in minutes with ChatGPT plugins. This applies not only to account planning and research, but discovery, and even interviews.

Cold outreach isn't about getting meetings anymore (at first) 1. Drive awareness or familiarity 2. Provide value 3. THEN ask for time

Grabbed coffee with a jr rep years back. At the time, tough quarter as a whole and remember him asking me how to navigate certain aspects of a deal. The convo shifted gears into resources ie what books to read. It's a great attitude to have, shows he was hungry to learn. Randomly popped into my head because sales is one of those careers where you just have to "go through it" in order to understand it. It's not that books/courses won't help. They do. It's just that taking the action and going through the motion is ultimately the best teacher.

Re read "Managing Oneself" notes I took this past weekend and it reminded me: UNDERSTAND the people you work with. Communicate by simply asking them. You get results like this:

AE is the QB on the field: -buyers -buying process -internal executive buyers -CF teams internally -CF teams externally Ain't doing that, ain't getting across the goal line

What IS the problem? Who CARES about the problem? Why does the problem NEED to be solved? THEN the how and when will naturally follow.

Listen to @GetATechSalesJ and @BowTiedDingo. More importantly, don't measure yourself on what you buy. Know people who make GREAT money living a lavish lifestyle. Underneath it all, living PAYCHECK TO PAYCHECK.