With 5 hidden tactics showing what to do to help your sales teams.
In California, in 1979, a group of engineers & execs from Apple led by Steve Jobs visited PARC, a XEROX R&D lab.
It was there that Jobs saw the mouse + breakthrough innovations.
“It’s good that they showed us because the technology crashed and burned. Xerox was successful at innovating but failed at commercializing them.” Steve Jobs
How tech startups overcome the challenge of successful commercialization of new tech depends upon a series of decisions when hiring and managing sales teams.
WHAT ARE STARTUPS GETTING WRONG?
Sales reps are not skilled as “change agents.”
Selling existing solutions is a role they’re built for as it seldom requires B2B buyers to make a considerable change.
It doesn’t upset internal processes.
It fits with why B2B buyers make buying decisions.
Which is a) They have a problem they need to or have been told to fix. b) They want to advance their careers (emotional issues).
The data is pretty clear WHY change here makes sense:
– 30% longer sales cycles.
– 10% more rep ramp time.
– 20% more Zoom, face-to-face calls.
– 25% longer with buying groups.
#1 – THERE ARE CERTAIN REPS BETTER SUITED FOR THIS
Hunter commission reps on existing products have a “performance mindset” based on quota failure & limited time to learn a new product.
Account-based commission reps – have a learning or growth mindset and invest time in setting up sales calls to learn with prospects the value of new products.
Lower performing reps – get excited about products for easy commissions and pitch features. They give demos and excite prospects but fail to close.
#2 – SELECT THE RIGHT PROSPECTS/CUSTOMERS
Identify accounts that do more POCs, Beta trials, with management who are aggressive in using new tech for competitive advantage.
#3 – FIND REPS WHO HAVE ADAPTABILITY.
With a willingness to change, and demonstrate they understand & can speak to how the market(s) are changing.
#4 – REPS WITH LONG-TERM PERSPECTIVES.
That understand that selling features is short-lived and selling business outcomes and value to Sr. executives is long-lived.
#5 – REPS WITH AN EMPATHETIC CLIENT-SIDE FOCUS.
Reps with client-side understanding know the client’s challenges in buying the new product.
It is heavily weighted to the emotional side of a sale.
Having empathy and being able to communicate it is a must.
Getting a baseline of skills and competencies within the salesforce, then having a program to bring out these characteristics pays for itself 100X over.
There are a lot of things that you can do to help people progress – salespeople progress – and developing these skills is growth-business.
Excerpts are taken from: https://lnkd.in/d7R9w2zj
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