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Get answers from sales leaders
Roee Zelcer
Roee Zelcer
TikTok Head of Sales, Products & ServicesFebruary 10
This is a very important question and one that not everyone will see eye to eye with me on this. But personally, it has never failed me up until now. There are a few elements that are common to candidates that have been proven to be successful: The first is tenacity. It is that inner hunger to learn new topics or master new skill sets. One who always finds ways to be proactive and push boundaries. When talking to candidates, I always look for a potential team member whom I will need to restrain rather than one I will need to nudge forward. The second is communication skills. A great seller is someone who you talk to and immediately comes off as connectable and relatable. Someone who has a clear understanding of the person in front of them. The third aspect would have to be very strong social and emotional intelligence. This goes hand in hand with having a client first mentality. A great candidate is one who will give the client the true sense that he puts their interest above anything. Earning that trust is key to building a long-term, healthy relationship.
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4652 Views
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Shahid Nizami
Shahid Nizami
Braze APAC Vice President of SalesJanuary 10
My favorite sales interview question is meant to figure out if a sales rep has really run complex deals regularly. * I ask them to name their top 3 large and complex deals they've closed. * Then I ask them to tell me in more detail about a large & complex deal which is not in the top 3 list they shared. Most sales reps would prepare for an intierview with details about their top 2-3 deals but if a sales rep has truly run multiple complex sales cycles, they should be able to answer this question quite comfortably and in equal detail. The depth of the answer is a good indicator of how well tenured this person is in running complex deals. 
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1886 Views
Brandon Love
Brandon Love
Salesforce Regional Sales DirectorOctober 12
I often hear a few common concerns from enterprise prospects. These usually revolve around worries about the price, potential risks, getting locked into a single vendor, and status-quo objections. Cost Worries: When prospects bring up cost concerns, I like to highlight the value our solutions bring. I show them how our offerings are designed to solve specific issues and bring tangible returns. Plus, I work closely with our financial experts to offer flexible pricing options and demonstrate the long-term benefits of their investment. Mitigating Risks: It's only natural for enterprises to be cautious about adopting new tech. To address this, I point to our track record of successful implementations, backed by glowing customer testimonials and case studies. I also stress how adaptable and scalable our solutions are, fitting seamlessly into their existing setup and future growth plans. Avoiding Vendor Lock-In: Some prospects worry about being stuck with a single vendor for the long haul. I reassure them by emphasizing our focus on interoperability and open standards. I highlight our wide range of integrations and partnerships, underlining the flexibility and freedom our solutions offer. This way, they know they can integrate with other platforms and technologies if they need to. Validating with Proofs of Concept: Given our emphasis on proofs of concept aligned with the customer's future goals, prospects often want to see real results. I suggest starting with a smaller pilot project or proof of concept that's tailored to their specific needs. This hands-on experience helps build trust and confidence in our solutions, often leading to broader adoption. By addressing these concerns with a mix of personalized value propositions, strong case studies, and adaptable implementation strategies, we can show how our solutions align with the prospect's big picture vision while easing worries about cost, risk, and vendor lock-in. This approach ensures that our tactical opportunities lead to long-term, mutually beneficial partnerships with our enterprise customers. Status Quo Resistance: Another common objection we encounter is a hesitancy to disrupt the status quo. Many enterprise prospects are comfortable with their current processes and systems, even if they may not be fully effective. To tackle this, I approach it as an opportunity for growth and improvement. I share success stories of similar organizations that made the leap from their familiar routines to our solutions, showcasing the positive impact it had on their operations. By highlighting the potential for transformative change, we can overcome the inertia associated with maintaining the status quo and inspire prospects to embrace innovative solutions aligned with their strategic vision. This approach empowers them to envision a future state that not only meets their immediate needs but also positions them for long-term success. By addressing these concerns with a mix of personalized value propositions, strong case studies, and adaptable implementation strategies, we can show how our solutions align with the prospect's big picture vision while easing objections about cost, risk, vendor lock-in, and status quo resistance. This approach ensures that our tactical opportunities lead to long-term, mutually beneficial partnerships with our enterprise customers.
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1911 Views
Beau Noonan
Beau Noonan
Matterport Enterprise Sales DirectorJune 8
Rep ramp-up time in my opinion is something that I've seen companies completely overlook. Given the boom tech has been on over the last decade many companies have skipped tracking key fundamentals from the moment you decide to hire the rep to the moment they hit quota due to them smashing their numbers. A key example of this is certifications around product knowledge. Assessing an AE's product knowledge and understanding of the enterprise software solution they are selling is key to this period. This can be achieved through role-playing, pitch certification, standing and delivering on specific product value props, etc. We've veered away from rigorous sales onboarding training in exchange for throwing them in the deep end quicker hoping they'll hit quota, succeed, and contribute to the company without laying the proper foundation.
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1245 Views
Lucy Ye
Lucy Ye
Square Head of Sales, Services & General BusinessFebruary 24
I always recommend that candidates study the job description carefully. Take a look at the qualifications and skills/experience that the hiring manager wants. Do your best to come up with examples/stories to showcase those desirable skills/experiences in the interview. If you have time, it never hurts to connect with someone who is doing the role today and pick their brain on what they like, don't like, and do to succeed in the role. You should be able to find them on LinkedIn. This type of insight is invaluable as you will be learning from someone who is doing the job you want. If you're talking to a cross-functional partner that you're not as familiar with, get curious. For example, I really appreciate it when candidates take the time to ask me, "how can I make your life easier in this role? how can this role help contribute to your team?" This type of question is a launchpad and invitation to discuss future collaboration opportunities. Remember it's just as important for you to evaluate if this role or company is a right fit for you as it is for the hiring manager and company to evaluate if you are a right fit for them. So be sure to throw in one or two questions to help you evaluate your decision as well. 
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1331 Views
Alicia Lewis
Alicia Lewis
Culture Amp Senior Sales DirectorApril 25
The biggest mistakes that we see from candidates are related to not being prepared for the interview. Failing to research the company, role, or industry before an interview can signal a lack of genuine interest and initiative. Thoroughly research the company, its products or services, industry trends, and competitors, and come prepared with thoughtful questions to demonstrate engagement and enthusiasm. We expect candidates to do their homework on the role, the interviewer and the company, just like we expect of our Account Executives prior to a prospect meeting. Asking questions when the answers could have been easily found online and not showcasing knowledge when they should have studied up on the company is a clear sign of not being prepared.
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582 Views
Fabio Maglieri
Fabio Maglieri
Yext Director Enterprise SalesMarch 17
Good question, timing is crucial to respect execs short span of attention. You and your champion should feel comfortable answering following questions before approaching execs: Why do anything? Why do it now? Identify relevant pain linked to strategic initiative Describe outcome if they do nothing Discover impact that your solution has backed by solid value assessment challenged with your champion (champion should feel comfortable enough to present the value to the execs themself) Create compelling story why limited budget and resources should be allocated to your solution specifically Try to find out specific agenda of exec and how to help them achieving it Why buy from you? Show references that resonate (same industry, same use case) Demonstrate superiority to the competition Goal of exec aligment Get management attention and approval that your solution adds value Get buy-in Budget approval Identification and elimination of potential road-blockers
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1344 Views
Grant Glaser
Grant Glaser
Salesforce Director, Sales Leader Excellence CoachJanuary 11
You'll get many enablement requests from a vast number of sources. I recommend triaging using this flow: * Inbound request for enablement * Substantiate with data (where & when possible) * Identify outcomes to measure & impact * Understand if the gap is: skill, will, or knowledge * Define learning outcomes * Decide if the program is necessary * Execute the program * Capture feedback * Report back findings
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1377 Views
Charles Gryor Derupe
Charles Gryor Derupe
accessiBe Director of EnablementFebruary 8
Thanks for the question! There are three ways that we go about this: Focus Groups, Open Requests, and Analytics. First, I'll mention that all content should point back to your team's goals and objectives. What are you trying to achieve as an organization and business? Who are your target audiences? Will you be focusing on your ICPs or perhaps reinforcing the weakest sales opportunity? Are there any spots in the buying journey that have gaps and need to be addressed? These will ensure the content and strategies are giving you a north star and some hypotheses for the tactics below: For focus groups, we typically do a quarterly check-in with leads and they will recommend a few folks who are passionate about content. This helps us to get a pulse on what their biggest pain points are and we then diagnose and prescribe content. Typically specific pieces here are more general, like requests for "case studies" - which require more digging. For open requests, this is a typical form that our reps can go in and request content throughout the quarter. We send out a blast to the team reminding them, which is typically paired with a survey. Lastly, for analytics, we take a look at some factors: * Content searches with no results (what they want but aren't available) * Content most used but with low engagement (to help us understand what needs to be edited or made more of) * Look for reps who are using your content the most and the least and go back to focus groups to interview them Hope these help!
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1080 Views
Eric Martin
Eric Martin
Vanta Head Of SalesNovember 29
First off, I'm going to assume that the question here is whether or not I have any advice for a "junior seller" who is a first sales hire. My advice is to ask your company leaders to help you find a sales mentor or sales coach. Asking for something like this is not a sign of weakness, it's a sign of maturity. Your company leaders clearly see something in you (that you also hopefully see in yourself). You should operate from a place of confidence, but also seek out someone who you can also continuously learn from. As a junior seller in a first sales role, you should also assume (if your company is smart) that future sellers will probably have more experience than you. That's a great thing! If you're the legacy rep who's been finding a way to get the job done, and who has enough humility to know what you know and what you don't know, you're going to be incredibly well respected as the team grows.
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597 Views