Planning Your Playbook
Learnings, insights, and experiences from 2020 to help make '21 the best 20-something year yet...
Welcome to the end…
Not quite - but kinda. With two Wednesdays left in the year, 2020 is pretty much over (applause pause).
As I thought about how to properly phrase and position one of the last two emails this year, I dove into my bookmarks to compile a list of resources and experiences from other leaders and what we can learn from those as we head into the New Year.
We will no doubt continue to face similar (or new) obstacles next year - as that’s the nature of sales. But what can we learn from this past year?
Here are a few insights that stood out to me over the past couple months in preparing and planning for a new year!
This week in Stretch VP Weekly:
Becoming Head of Sales: Developing Your Playbook with Mike Gamson
Sarah Hicks and Collin Stewart present The Ultimate Sales Guide to Kick-start 2021
Kyle Coleman put together a mashup of the best SDR emails of 2020.
Plus: 9 hand-curated snippets from yours truly to help you in your quest to make 2021 the best 20-something year yet.
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
Becoming Head of Sales: Developing Your Playbook
I stumbled on this LinkedIn Learning course on becoming a Head of Sales (or those who want to keep learning/growing) from Mike Gamson - former Head of Sales at LinkedIn.
I found this course so helpful, that I've bookmarked it so I can revisit it. The course is free and pretty concise - which I appreciated - but to the point with some awesome insights to run a temperature check with your current playbook- if you have one. Check it out as you look to take that next step in 2021.
From LinkedIn: In this course, Mike shares what he knows with you, spelling out how to run a successful sales team. Discover how to develop a strong, consistent leadership voice, inspire your team, and define your objectives. Plus, learn how to establish your core principles; implement global and local strategies; execute your tactics; and observe, analyze, and adjust to ensure that you're able to grapple with any missteps.
A few points that stood out:
Take steps to understand your environment. Learn internal team. Speak to customers.
Relationship between autonomy and accountability. YES!!!
Strategy development - Competitive landscape and company objectives can't be ignored.
Execute your strategy with structure - Create content & message. Use fewer words and get to the point. React promptly.
Check it out as you look to take that next step in 2021.
The Ultimate Sales Guide to Kick-start 2021
Had to include The Ultimate Sales Guide to Kick-start 2021 as a feature in this week's newsletter.
Sarah Hicks and Collin Stewart with Predictable Revenue combine 10 topics from personalization, outbound, and social selling, to sales process, discovery, negotiations, training, and more to a 36-page guide.
Packed full of helpful insights and actual real-world case studies from Michael Tuso, Jason Bay, Becc Holland, and others.
Definitely appreciate the index to skip to whatever section fits your fancy.
The Best SDR Emails of 2020
Kyle Coleman was kind enough to put together a mashup of the best SDR emails of 2020. Cross reference these with your outbound playbook and see what you can do to adapt your sequence, cadence, and messaging.
One of my favorite exercises of the year has been celebrating our team's email writing prowess. This is a compilation of all their best emails, along with my commentary. As always, all credit belongs to the authors. Enjoy, y'all!
Transition of Value Prop
Talking Sports
Wonderful Tone
Use Your Prospect's Words
Have a Real Point of View
Don't Forget to Have Fun
Don't Be "Easy to Delete"
Everyone Loves a Good Pun
The Magic of Personalization
3 Minute Response Time
Be Professional, Not Overly Formal
Cut the Jargon
The Right Way to Gift
STRETCH SNIPPETS
🌟 Jason Lemkin offers his take on Why The Greatest Sales Teams Just Kill It On Dec 31, when everyone else has gone home.
📚 Wingman released a simple data-driven 8-Play Winning Sales Playbook for 2021. Look past some choppy English for good studies and best practices.
🧐 Helpful guide for you and your team to understand what it takes to be better at sales forecasting - via Insight Squared.
🔢 Dan Martell gifts us sales leaders our very own SDR Performance Calculator. An excellent resource to use as we build, tweak and fine-tune our SDR team in the new year.
😳 A whopping 1 in 2 people won’t return to jobs that don’t offer remote work after Covid-19, says OwlLabs in their State of Remote Work 2020.
💡 Rachel Saltsgaver gives us 20 Sales Kickoff Ideas to Create the Best Virtual SKO.
💼 Jim Benton and Patrick McCue discuss what happened with hiring in 2020 and what we can learn as we ramp back up in 2021.
✍️ 9 Reasons Why Sellers Need Individual Business Plans via Mike Weinberg via Sales Gravy. Perfect timing for 2021.
🗂 Heading into 2021 and need a QBR template? Borrow THIS one by Jay Fewks and Hubspot.
🧠 Mindset
Justin Sua talks to us about the GWOP model when planning our goals.
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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