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Lots of good, more specific recommendations, so here's some broad and cliched advice: You have two ears, one mouth. Focus on what your potential customer needs, their problems, pain and goals, and how your product can help. It will help you get out of your own head. Don't take rejection personally. If you can't sell the product then you can at least sell yourself as someone trustworthy, friendly and helpful. Remember…
* The successful B2B sales folks I’ve encountered aren’t what the general public would deem your typical salesperson. They listen more than they talk. They’re looking to help. They aren't pushy.
* You can’t control whether someone says yes or no or even if they respond. Figure out what you can control (whether or not you ask, how many people you reach out to, etc.), and focus on that. The other stuff will follow.
* Predictable Revenue has been mentioned. It’s a good ideal to strive for. I’d argue it’s overkill for a company in its infancy. For a new business, I’d suggest something simpler. Find about 100 potential customers, reach out to them, talk with them, and see if there’s a fit. Go from there.
* Sales is solving problems. What problem(s) do you solve? What problem(s) do your potential customers have? Is there a fit? “You can get everything in life you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want.” – Zig Ziglar
* Some folks to follow on Linkedin Sarah Brazier: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sjbrazier/ Sam Nelson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/realsamnelson/ Sahil Mansuri: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sahilmansuri/ Scott Leese: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottleese/ Trish Bertuzzi: https://www.linkedin.com/in/trishbertuzzi/
* The Entrepid How to Sell pdf is making the rounds, and for good reason. It’s solid. Here’s the link again: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/57daf6098419c27febcd4...
Anyways, this is my $0.02.
https://www.amazon.com/Building-StoryBrand-Clarify-Message-C...
Also depends on your target client base. Are you targeting a large general market or a specific type of market? If it's specific, be ready to do one-on-one sales pitches and be wary of potential clients that may want you to pivot your product away from your strategic goals.
It depends on who you're selling to; it seems like you might be doing more enterprise/b2b sales?
Starting in the early aughts I transitioned from being solely technical to having been a key stakeholder (either as a Solution Consultant equivalent, Account Manager, Product Manager) in selling millions in professional services and saas offerings in enterprise b2b sales. I've also created products that lead to and millions in direct to consumer sales. (I get that this isn't a LOT compared to some folks, but I've been exposed to the problem space for a while.)
If I had to start all over again, I would start with the Value Selling Framework. While I've mostly aligned to this any time I've sold things they get a few key things right that make it so much simpler to sell once you understand how you provide value to your customer. It also addresses identifying key stakeholders and ensuring you're talking to the right people.
If you're selling direct to consumers with no conversations to allow for problem/needs discovery, you can still use this. You'll know what you need to do to address the value your offering provides and common objections in your sales collateral.
Finally, if you are selling to businesses, it's important to understand your customers BUYING process. Certain level of expenses require different levels of signoff, so you can get more business sometimes just by lowering your prices a few dollars because it doesn't require a more arduous approval process. Certain features in your product may make the buying process take much longer. Understanding this at the outset can be key to sales success.
Good luck!
Once you have success with early customers then you can think about formal sales process etc.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
> Salespeople overthink the strategy and lose sight of what really makes money: making that motherfucker say yes. What if he's not a motherfucker but actually a motherlover? How does that change your sales technique?
They are usually pretty agreeable and say yes at the end of a pitch.
So I'd suggest you keep it REALLY simple to begin with, don't worry about the differentiation between channels and direct, marketing versus customer success etc. Talk to a few sales people you know selling in similar markets, or best of all, ask some potential customers you know to recommend sales people they like working with. Approaching a sales consultant for a free consult could work, but be careful to protect your intellectual property at this stage, and be aware that many sales consultants have a single area of expertise, like for me, it's B2B sales. If someone asks me about B2C, I'll have an opinion, but there would be much better people to talk to than me! If you're planning to bootstrap initially and aren't working with investors, don't think that precludes you from approaching VC funds to ask for advice or attending briefings in incubators, and building a relationship before you actually want investment is a really good idea too. An amazing source if advice is other founders / entrepreneurs, many of whom (as long as you pick wisely) will actively make time to help other entrepreneurs if they feel they can help you.
I moved from the cubicle as a coder with a 30 person company to senior executive in a Fortune 500. Here is what I have found. You are correct that after the product is ready the rest is ALL sales (closing deals) and marketing (getting the word out). Sales people are a unique breed of human. You can tell them to F off and they will show up the next day with coffee, just the way you like it. :) My recommendation is do…
How'd you climb the ladder to exec? I'm noticing a situation where stepping away from hard technical skills (i.e. Coding) creates a more ambiguous professional career path. It's completely thrown off what would be my previous reference points for career progression.
The move to Fortune 500 was because of an old friend a glass of wine and accidentally saying the right things. He took a chance on me for a marketing role. After that I had to deliver the goods which meant motivating a team of people, innovating the product (within corporate limits) and good luck due to a need for the service.
So not all me. Luck and "who you know" played a role too.