Get answers from sales leaders
Andrew Zinger
Fastly Senior Director, Global Sales Enablement • January 11
People's definition of 'hard skills' may differ depending on where they work, what the sales organization makeup is, and what product/platform they are selling. In my experience, the 'gold standard' sales leaders have a few attributes in common when it comes to 'hard skills'. For instance all seem to possess the ability to be dangerous with their technical skills, and business skills - similar to what we would may say about someone outside of work: they are book smart, and street smart. Strong leaders can keep up with the IT and Platform executives, but can also 'wow' prospects and partners with their ability to tell an effective story. Also, they appear to be educated and comfortable with the 'best of breed' platforms and applications, ensuring they stay on topic of the latest in tech. Finally, the strongest leaders I have worked alongside all have deep analytical skills that are super impactful to the sales organization including data analysis, research, creativity in problem solving, and are wonderful communicators.
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In my experience, the best sales candidates are not necessarily people with the most years of sales experience. I've noticed the best sales candidates all have these qualities in common: * Insanely Driven and Hard-Working (folks who are intrinsically motivated to double down on KPIs to exceed their goals if that's what it takes) * Adaptable (people who can think on their feet, and adjust their sales motion/process to best hit their sales targets) * Inquisitive (excellent salespeople know that the key to selling is listening, not talking. So people who are naturally curious about their clients' pain points are generally much better at prescribing solutions and highlighting impact for the client) * Self-Sufficient with Outbound (the top 1% sales talent I've seen will always find ways to exceed their number beyond what's given to them. They know how to go creatively source for leads and go outbound to feed themselves, and not just rely on an inbound pipeline)
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Beau Noonan
Matterport Enterprise Sales Director • June 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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Shahid Nizami
Braze APAC Vice President of Sales • January 10
I stronly believe that sales people are one of the most likely people to get to the highest position in any business right upto the role of a CEO. In fact, many CEOs in global companies either come from either sales or product background. * A sales person would start their sales career somewhere as a SDR/BDR. * And then move into an account executive quota carrying role. * From there, they would either branch into management or continue to be a senior Individual Contributor (think about a Key Account Director) * I have seen successful sales people eventually getting into GM, CRO or even CEO roles
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Sarah Mercedes (Osborne)
HubSpot Head of Corporate Sales, West Coast • January 25
Sponsors are critical for career progression. When you think about the best persons to lean on for sponsorship, you should be thinking about someone who is already bought into you and would endorse you to others within the business. You want to also ensure that this person is well connected and has a "voice at the table" that you don't have a "seat" at yet. Then, you need to ask that person for their support. Most importantly, you then need to create value and as mentioned in another response, ensure the things you are working on and focused on to create value align with what is important to the business and will create impact at scale.
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Alicia Lewis
Culture Amp Senior Sales Director • April 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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Brian Tino
AlphaSense Director of Strategic Sales, EMEA • June 30
One of the most important ways to help you stand out during a sales interview is to come into that interview well researched & prepared on the following: * The company & product * The interviewer * Your personal narrative * Relevant questions 1) Researching the company & product - be clear you understand what the company stands for, how they make money, and what value they deliver to clients (and be able to articulate it). You can usually do this by: * Reviewing the company website (especially blog posts, customer stories, and case studies) * Researching the company missions, vision, and values (usually in an "About Us" section) * Look at their social presence on Twitter, Instagram, Youtube, LinkedIn, etc. what are they posting about? * And if they have a free or trial version of the product, sign up for it & use it yourself 2) Researching the interviewer - get a feel for the interviewer's career path, their role & experience at the company, and what they personally care about. You can do this by: * Reviewing their LinkedIn profile to see prior work history & history with the current company * Check out social media Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn to see what they are posting about, and if they have written any blog post or articles themselves * See if you have any mutual connections and if you can do some back-channeling ahead of time 3) Preparing your personal narrative - make sure you have your professional story, what you want in your next role/company, and why you think you'd be the right fit for this specific role/company nailed: * Be able to tell the story of your professional journey, why you made the changes you made, and your track record of success along the way * Speak with conviction about your own personal values and what you are looking for in the next role/company (it's important there is mutual fit) * After reviewing the company, job description, and expectations, be able to speak to why do you think you are the right fit and what you can uniquely bring to the position 4) Preparing relevant questions - as an interviewer, I often get more from the questions a candidate asks because it can often provide insight into their own research & preparation, values, curiosity, and interest in the role/company: * Prioritize your questions based on what is most important to you (you'll likely only be able to get to a few of your questions in the first interview, so make them count) * Ensure the questions are relevant to that specific individual (executives will have a unique perspective on the company strategy & future, while potential peers & cross-functional partners can share more about the day-to-day and company culture) * And NEVER say you don't have any more questions (as this signals you are not well researched enough, aren't curious, and/or don't care about the role/position) Finally, as a BONUS TIP - always "close" on a sales interview by understanding definitive next steps and if the interviewer has any concerns or hesitations following your conversation
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I don't have a favorite question but I do prefer open ended questions in discovery. Close ended questions start with helper verbs. Every question beginning with these words(Am, Are, Is, Was, Were) can be answered by a buyer with a yes or a no. Even when folks give you more than a yes or no they will always be giving you less than a response to an open ended question. To get the most information and provoke deep thought from a prospect. I coach my team to leverage open and command open questions. For example questions that start with Who, What, Where, Why, Tell Me, Explain, Describe, Help me understand ETC. When you construct questions that are "open ended" buyers will elaborate and provide answers with a lot of detail.
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Grant Glaser
Salesforce Director, Sales Leader Excellence Coach • January 11
There needs to be a problem to solve. Begin by finding out what problem exists. Then, * Create a clear problem statement * Define the current vs. desired future state * Outline KPIs/metrics you want the program to impact * Build an MVP to shop around with sellers & sales leaders * Ensure you have sponsorship & buy-in from your sales leaders & teams * Deliver the program * Capture feedback * Iterate & repeat
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Eric Martin
Vanta Head Of Sales • November 29
Great question. The way that we've thought about shared KPIs has evolved over the years, and continues to evolve, as I think is true of most companies. One of our mottos here at Vanta is to "never win alone" and that also applies to all things demand generation. While we can cut the data a hundred ways, sales and marketing are still very much on "the same team" and hitting the company pipeline goal trumps everything else. As for which KPIs sales teams often miss, it depends. I've been at companies where "marketing" often misses and companies where "sales" often misses. I will say, being in the sales org, we think a lot about outbound SDR and outbound AE-sourced pipeline, and how we can continue to drive efficiencies there. My advice, focus on the things that you and your sales team can control.
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