Startup Sales
To succeed plan for the end – Gary Johnson
August 14, 2018
In a new hire he is looking for a natural sense of curiosity and the basic understanding of how a business operates. For Gary, if you come to an interview and have no questions for the manager, it is not going to be a good fit. A common problem with pipeline forecasting is over qualification of the prospect. Either to company is not a fit or the person speaking with you is not a fit. Momentum is either started or ends at the discovery stage. You need to identify the business reason (the need) for why they are wanting to purchase. You then also need to identify your competitive landscape and yes, there is always a competitor. The third thing you need to find during the discovery stage is the decision making landscape; how are the decisions made in that company, what processes are involved. Some of the best salespeople he has known are the direct type of person. The kind of person that would ask the tough questions head on (eg: Who else [competition] are you speaking with?) A great role play situation to practice negotiation is to set one person as the landlord and the other as a tenant and the landlord is raising the rent. Negotiation is all about knowledge. You need to have the knowledge about your competitors and their offering/pricing. You need to know the ins and outs of your product as well as knowing the prospects needs and requirements. Listening is key to being a good salesperson. This will enable you to better understand the prospects side/position. If you have done your job properly throughout the sales process, you do not need closing techniques. LinkedIn: Gary Johnson Final Five: What is your favorite sales or leadership book? Good to Great by Jim Collins Do you have someone that you follow/read for sales/leadership ideas? Jack Welch, Jeffrey Gidimor (Little red book) Are you available 24/7? Do you have strict personal time boundaries? Yes What is your favorite tool used for sales? Salesforce What one piece of advice do you have for all the founders/CEOs/VP Sales out there? Hire the right people and train them properly