Back to Basics
Time tested tips and insights to transform your team
Hey there - what’s good?
(this is what the kids say these days right? Or have we moved on from this already?)
So compiling and curating content each week requires a consistent process and discipline to read, listen and watch enough content that I find interesting enough to share.
In fact - I was asked if I actually listen and read all the content I share. Yup -sure do.
But I don’t include everything.
Sometimes - I’m 25 minutes into a podcast and just think “meh this doesn’t appeal to me” so I skip it and don’t include it (maybe save it for later). I want to keep this genuine enough to share what actually resonates with me right now.
Now - do you know what seems to be the more difficult and stressing aspect each week?
The Title, subject line and intro (and header image). This section right here. No idea why. Do you even read this part? Hit me up with a reply if so…
Now - enough fluff. I’m excited for the content this week as there are a ton of great insights and tips here to help you as a current, new or aspiring sales leader. You’ll want to come back and revisit this week’s edition right here.
In this week’s edition of Stretch Weekly -
Peter Chun shares his 4 Deal Review Tips to Close More Deals
Ethan Beute on developing a successful referral strategy for sales
Morning Brew’s Sales 101 Guide (you don’t want to miss this)
Plus world-famous freshly curated snippets to make you think, or act, or adapt.
And lastly - as always, if you find this newsletter valuable- consider sharing it with someone who might as well 👊.
THANKS for reading!!
-Grant
STRETCH SHARES
4 Deal Review Tips to Close More Deals and End 2020 Strong
Enjoyed this recent Sales Hacker article by Peter Chun with Lucid Chart sharing his top 4 Deal Review Tips to Close More Deals and End 2020 Strong.
Highlights:
Start with Account Mapping
Helps reps develop a deeper understanding of an account and what is needed to push it forward.
Create Consistency
Standardization benefits leadership and reps alike, as it will make deal reviews smoother, promote alignment and understanding across the team, and save reps time in their preparation.
Go Back to the Basics
Dig into how reps approached their deals to identify where additional coaching is needed (Discovery, Multi-threading, Messaging).
Leverage Executive Connections
Make sure you are prioritizing leadership’s involvement for your most key deals. Your executives’ time is precious. So, make it as easy on them as possible to help.
Personalized Referral Strategies That Will Transform Your Business
This one strikes a chord because as I head up sales at LinkTrust - a leading Referral/Affiliate Platform - these are conversations I am part of every day.
We've helped hundreds of businesses as they start or scale their partner/referral programs and couldn't agree more with this one from Bomb Bomb and Ethan Beute on developing a successful referral strategy.
Why Referrals Matter: Hubspot reports that 83% of us rely on referrals from family and friends for making purchasing decisions.
Why should we focus on referrals in sales?
Referrals Create Expectation
Referrals Breed Referrals
Referrals Reaffirm Positive Beliefs
Referrals Cost Very Little
Referrals Increase Your Closing Rate
Morning Brew’s Sales 101 Guide
I’ve mentioned before that I’m a fan of Morning Brew’s daily newsletter so naturally had to share this awesome Sales 101 guide they put together.
From Morning Brew:
We sifted through years of expert blog posts and watched every relevant Office episode to bring you a 10-step guide to the best resources in the industry.
What you won’t find: Fluffy listicles that tell you what you already know, like a warm lead is better than a cold lead.
What you will find: Insightful case studies, videos, articles, and more that people in the industry actually use to make them better professionals.
Definitely worth reading and saving as there are tons of nuggets in here to reference later.
Highlights:
The Fundamentals
Sales during “unprecedented” times
The future of sales
The tech powering the industry
Lessons from pop culture (lol)
Real-life success stories
Sales strategies
Books
Courses and certifications
How to stay up to date
Oh - and if you’re not a subscriber - use THIS LINK and help me earn a Morning Brew coffee mug
STRETCH SNIPPETS
👏 Charles Muhlbauer provides insight into the best way to answer the "Can we just see a demo" question when discovery is still needed…
🚦 If you are in enterprise sales - one of the best things you can do is slow down, clear your schedule, and block time to critically think about your deal, the gaps, risks, and arrive at an air-tight plan to win. via Mark Ebert
💪 Doug Landis shares 5 reasons behind Warren Buffet's success. How do they line up with how you approach your own success?
🌟 Andy Whyte - of MEDDICC on what elite sellers do different when it comes to creating urgency.
👀 Anyone else with a bad habit of saying "You Guys" when addressing a group of women or a mixed crowd? Dave Kennett, Scott Leese and Samantha McKenna chime in...
💼 Force Management has put together a remarkable resource you can use to implement and execute MEDDICC in a way that drives lasting results (via Blakely Roth)
✍️ Ryan O'hara says reps need to stand out and be interesting. One idea: Have your reps go above and beyond to leverage their email signature to cut through the noise.
🧠 Mindset
Thanks for reading!
My hope is if you find this valuable, consider sharing it with friends (or signing up if you haven’t already).
— Grant 👋
About stretch vp: confessions, learnings and insights from sales leaders in SaaS
Compiled and aggregated from a network of sales leaders in SaaS, Stretch VP showcases learnings, insights and experiences as well as best practices to overcome common hurdles, obstacles and setbacks in your quest for excellence as a sales leader in SaaS.
Are you a VP, Director, thought leader or content producer in the SaaS space? We’d love to have you contribute. Contact Me HERE.
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