Category: Sales Motivation

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Developing a customer’s mind-set!

The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.

I started my career selling Publishing Software & High Resolution Laser Printers before moving into Enterprise Software.

Working with Printers & Publishers & also coming from a Mech Engg background, I quickly developed an eye for precision in printing.

The first line in this post is a Pangram – a sentence that contains all of the letters of the English alphabet [not Google’s parent company]. 🙂

This is to check the typeface or fonts. Initially, I used to wonder what the meaning of this sentence is.

My clients looked at the samples I gave them, with lenses kept close to their eyes.

I gave them both image & text samples.

I met clients in their shop floor where printing was on. I have seen the printing units of many newspapers / magazines / security printers / big printers / small printing shops.

At one point, I started thinking like the way they think. Call it “mirroring customer’s mind-set”.

From then on, I was forever on the “Problem solving mode”.

Some lessons learnt:

  1. Understanding market needs
  2. What’s your expertise?
  3. What’s the [one] problem that you are solving?
  4. Who is your customer?
  5. Who are his current vendors?
  6. Why should they buy from you?

I strike the best conversation with customers when they are at work but are little relaxed & are in a vacation mode.

These festive times are one such time if your clients are from the manufacturing sector.

I met a Senior editor at a magazine at a time when he was just then blessed with a baby girl. He gave me a box of sweets. That was my first meeting with him. I came back to office & shared the sweets with my colleagues.

#HappySelling!!

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What’s your Social Selling Index [SSI]?

Before I get to that, in today’s world, you exist only if you are in #Instagram, #LinkedIn, #Facebook etc. Right / Wrong?

Couple of things to do:

  1. Post regularly on your subject matter.
  2. Share other people’s insightful posts. [like this one :)]
  3. Like & Share valuable comments on other’s posts. [I encourage you to start with my post :)]
  4. Be resourceful.
  5. Have a social media playbook.
  6. Have social media goals.
  7. Create a content calendar.
  8. Be creative.
  9. Be helpful.
  10. Stay on course.

LinkedIn Social Selling Index is a measure of how effective you are in:

a) establishing your personal brand

b) finding the right people

c) engaging with insights

d) building relationships

B2B buyers like to deal with Sales professionals who have been referred by someone they know or trust. So, it is important to connect with people in your industry and build trust and confidence. They may be referring you to someone they know who might fit your buyer persona.

Here’s my SSI in this pdf. I dropped from a score of 78 to 72 now. This is computed daily.

You can find yours here: https://www.linkedin.com/sales/ssi

HappySocialSelling!!

HappySelling!!

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New Sales Playbook post Covid-19!!

Covid-19 has altered the business landscape. Forever.

Sales playbook that we used so far does not work anymore.

Post Covid-19, I don’t think we are going to return to the previous style of functioning.

Right now, customers expect us to #bemorehuman.

Some food for thought:

  1. Do we care for our customers? Genuinely?
  2. Do we understand their feelings?
  3. Are we treating them like humans?
  4. Are we helping them solve some real problems?
  5. Are we making them feel special?
  6. How are our products going to help them during this pandemic specifically?
  7. Or, are we selling our product like we used to, by talking about our “product” & the “benefits”?
  8. Are we making the right connection between the buyer & our brand during this pandemic?
  9. If yes, what are we doing to achieve that?
  10. Are we helping them smile during these difficult times.

If the answer is a resounding “YES” to at least 7 / 10 questions above, we will sail through this period safely.

If not, it is time for us to take a re-look at our Strategies. Did I say “strategies”? I am sorry. That’s not the word right now.

….re-look at the way we connect with the buyers – would be more appropriate.

#HappyConnecting!!

#HappySelling!!

#covid19 #sales #business #newsalesplaybook #care4customers

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Forbes Cloud 100 2020, list of SaaS companies

#Insights from the #Forbes #cloud100 2020, list of #SaaS companies.

Along with the list of #skills that are #ondemand right now.

Some Insights from the Forbes Cloud 100 2020, list of SaaS companies:

The following Industry Verticals are leading the current technology landscape.

  1. Enterprise AI
  2. Data Analytics / Data Intelligence
  3. Data Management / Data Platform
  4. Cyber Security
  5. Sales CRM / Sales Enablement / Sales Engagement / Customer Engagement
  6. Customer Communications Software
  7. Design Software
  8. DevOps Software
  9. Team Management / Collaboration
  10. Robotic Process Automation
  11. Collaboration Software
  12. Payments Software

And the Companies in the above verticals are:

  1. Enterprise AI – DataRobot, C3.ai, Dataiku, Dataminr
  2. Data Analytics / Data Intelligence – Databricks, Sisense, ThoughtSpot, Collibra
  3. Data Management / Data Platform – Snowflake, Confluent, Rubrik, Veeam, Cohesity
  4. Cyber Security – Tanium, Netskope, Darktrace, BitSight
  5. Sales CRM / Sales Enablement / Sales Engagement / Customer Engagement – Pipedrive, Seismic, Gong.io, Highspot, Outreach, Segment, Freshworks, Braze, Sprinklr, Gainsight
  6. Customer Communications Software – Front, Intercom, Podium
  7. Design Software – Canva, Figma, Invision
  8. DevOps Software – GitLab, JFrog
  9. Team Management / Team Collaboration – Asana, Monday.com, Notion
  10. Robotic Process Automation – UIPath, Automation Anywhere
  11. Collaboration Software – Symphony Communication Services, Miro
  12. Payments Software – Stripe, Checkout.com

The Skills that are in demand:

  1. Artificial Intelligence
  2. Machine Learning
  3. Data Science, Data Analytics
  4. Data Management
  5. Cybersecurity
  6. Sales
  7. Mobile Development
  8. Internet of Things
  9. Robotics
  10. Fintech
Insights-Forbes-Cloud-100-2020Download

#jobs2020 #jobs #techtrends2020 #postcovid19 #trending #techjobs #skillsdevelopment

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Create a fast paced business climate!

I had just then begun to settle down in Mumbai. I started liking the place & the food. I fell in love with the business climate more than anything else.

What were the reasons for the fast pace in business?

In one word: Prospecting.

A forced one, that is. Due to lack of time.

You had no time to waste. Hence you did tight prospecting.

Customers didn’t have any time to waste too. He was crystal clear on his needs, budgets etc.

They meant business.

Is it possible to create the same climate anywhere else?

Definitely.

To recreate that fast pace:

1. Do prospecting well.

2. Value your time & prospects’ time.

3. Keep yourself extremely busy.

4. Squeeze more into your calendar & just get it done.

5. Plan the logistics & the route. Start early.

6. Keep the meeting agenda clear & concise.

7. Work like there’s no tomorrow.

8. Keep yourself fit.

9. Some rock music [like another one bites the dust / those were the best days of my life by Bryan Adams] will help you get into the groove.

10. There’s an opportunity around every corner. It won’t come to you. You have to GO GET IT.

You can say I was plain lucky or the stars were in my favour. Within days of my moving to Mumbai, I closed a big ticket ERP sale @ Johnson Controls.

“Don’t worry about failures, worry about the chances you miss when you don’t even try.” – Jack Canfield

Happy Selling!!

#happyselling #setthepace #gogetit

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Add Value, not Tax!

Once, I was pretty late into an Account. The deal was almost signed when I entered.

Can’t change it.

But I did the unusual.

I didn’t walk away.

Instead, kept in touch. Shared some interesting anecdotes from other customers.

Over time, I became the most trusted advisor.

The customer wouldn’t buy anything without consulting me.

He called me one day & reminded me about what I had told him months before about how a particular solution can save them money & time. I had almost forgotten about it.

The rest is history.

I closed that deal.

I even sat in discussion with their ISP, negotiated a good deal for them.

Implemented the solution. Customer realized ROI in no time.

It was a feather in the cap for him internally.

My learning:

1. Never underestimate the potential of any customer.

2. Just because you lost a deal, it doesn’t mean you will not win any future deals.

3. You can’t win without playing the game.

4. If you add value, you will win.

5. Show up everyday, deal or no deal.

6. Keep rocking, be energetic, smile always. They will like you if you do.

#HappySelling

#b2b #changethegame #scienceofsales #prospecting #sales #underdog #marketing #ABM #rapport

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Optimism can win business!!

Little bit of negativity is enough to spoil.

Imagine two glasses, half-full, one with water & another with coffee.

Take one spoon of water & mix it into coffee.

You don’t see any difference.

Keep mixing spoons of water into coffee.

At one point, you will see that the coffee has become transparent.

Now, do the reverse with two fresh glasses of water & coffee.

Take one spoon of coffee & mix it into water.

What do you see now?

You are right. You are able to see the difference immediately.

#Negativity is like that. A little bit is sufficient to spoil the show.

Whereas, #Positivity takes time to show results.

In our interactions with our Clients, we should always be optimistic even though it takes time to show results.

Every interaction can translate into Sales if we have the right attitude & perseverance. I am assuming, product fit is present & the lead is qualified.

Post qualification, optimism & energy can win you business.

Thanks to Peggy McColl for the story.

#HappySelling

#b2b #changethegame #business #optimism #entrepreneurship

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Track your competition!

Those were the days I was hungry for leads.

I used to trouble my tech support guys for leads.

Not a good lead source, you say. Hang on.

One such day, my tech support guy said “go to xyz [name of a place]” unable to bear my pestering.

Not knowing where to go, I knocked on all doors & accidentally found a training institute & met few people. Left my cards with every other department where I couldn’t meet anyone.

Two days later, the unimaginable happened.

I got a call.

Rest is history.

That turned out to be a very big order for many software for multi location.

My colleague had been in touch with his ex-colleague & friend. He casually heard him say that he had been to that place but didn’t tell him the client name.

I found it out.

Later, I asked my colleague how did he get that lead. That’s when he told me about his conversation with his ex-colleague.

This story helps me work with optimism till date.

Takeaways:

  1. Follow your competitors, if you cannot be there before they do.
  2. Be optimistic.
  3. Ask your colleagues, if you are stuck somewhere.
  4. Be at the right place at the right time. If you cannot be early, that is.
  5. Highlight your strengths.
  6. Allow the buyer to contact you & help them make it their decision to choose you. This is very important.

#HappySelling

#b2b #changethegame #sales #marketing #leads #business #leadgeneration #competition