Yo VIP!
Identify, develop and work with VIPs inside and outside your org
Last week I shared a clip from 80’s Bananarama hit Cruel Cruel Summer. This week? Vanilla Ice’s Ice Ice Baby.
Doubt this is a new thing…just a thing.
In looking at the compilation I’m sharing this week, it had somewhat of a VIP vibe.
Namely - what do the successful leaders and reps do? How can we pattern our approach after winners? VIP insights - ya know?
Let’s kick it.
In this week’s edition of Stretch Weekly -
Tim Denning talks through why the most important people in meetings are often the most quiet, and what we should do about it.
Todd Caponi shares his belief that the next best thing to winning a deal is to lose it quickly.
And as always - less than vanilla - snippets that will help you identify, develop and work with VIPs inside and outside your org.
THANKS for reading!!
-Grant
And lastly - as always, if you find this newsletter valuable- subscribe or share it with someone who might as well 👊.
STRETCH SHARES
Quiet People in Meetings Are Incredible
I don’t know when/where I stumbled on this article from Tim Denning in Medium, but this one really resonated.
Have you ever been in a customer meeting and there’s a silent assassin just waiting to either expedite OR execute your deal? I have.
Tim talks through why the most important people in meetings are often the most quiet, and what we should do about it.
The loudest person in the room is not the most senior, or necessarily the brightest spark.
Bright sparks know when to shut up.
Bright sparks know when to listen, and learn.
Praise quietness, not hot air and noise.
This is excellent info for us leaders who shadow (either live or with Call recording tools like Gong or Chorus), as well as how to navigate our own internal meetings quitely and methodically.
Quiet people change the world because they hear things others don’t.
In Sales, the Second-Best Thing to Winning Is Losing Quickly
Y’all know I love me some Todd Caponi.
If you haven’t already- check out his book The Transparency Sale and newest one I just ordered The Transparent Sales Leader.
Todd’s mindset is that the next best thing to winning a deal is to lose it quickly.
Todd says that often, sales leaders prioritize the volume, or quantity, of leads over their quality. They figure that more leads equal more qualified prospects, and more qualified prospects lead to more sales..
But the logic is flawed. I share Todd’s mindset that quality pipeline always trumps the optimistic.
Todd gives us 3 ways to lose quickly:
Lead with Transparency. Address potential landmines (product fit, integrations, pricing issues, etc.) upfront to help ensure no time is wasted.
Avoid the sunk-cost fallacy. Refers to a greater tendency to continue an endeavor once an investment in time, effort, or money has been made.
Celebrate the losses. This not only reinforces pipeline integrity and forecast accuracy, but you will also quickly hone your team’s focus on better identifying the warning signs earlier in their prospecting efforts.
In the world of sales, pursuing quality leads over quantity is often expressed, but rarely practiced. Unfortunately, traditional approaches to what actions are measured and enforced by sales leaders disincentivize sellers from quickly qualifying out of opportunities they’re likely to lose.
STRETCH SNIPPETS
🗣 I thought I was decent at my 1:1 cadence and strategy until I read Chris Orlob’s Ultimate Guide to 1:1s for Sales Leaders who manage AEs. Too good not to share, and too good not to implement.
✅ Speaking of VIPs and coaching - check out The Ultimate Sales Coaching Guide from the folks at Predictable Revenue. Some great insight into the benefits of sales coaching, traits of a great sales coach, and best practices as you coach your VIPs.
😎 Empathy for the win? Gary Vaynerchuck says as a manager he thinks about a 51/49 concept “that I think can really help a lot of you leaders, ambitious entrepreneurs, people who are trying to make “it” happen”..
📊 Nicole LaBarbera says that 57% of reps don’t accurately forecast their pipeline. Do you know why? Deal reviews are key…
💼 Asad Zaman presents data showing 33,202 open software sales jobs in the top 10 major Tech Hubs of North America and only 16k sales reps actively looking for a new role. What does this mean? Building an elite sales team is still a major challenge for software companies.
🧠 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. Just reply to this email and I’ll be in touch.
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