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What I’ve learned from sitting next to a pro salesman

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Re: What I’ve learned from sitting next to a pro salesman

#21

Post by odedgolan »

win_ini wrote: post #11
odedgolan wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I wrote it on my spare time and based on my experience. Nobody proofread it and it's a takeaway for next time. I posted it on HN since I like HN, that's all.

Don't worry about some asshole picking apart stuff. Your writing is clear enough that if someone has a hard time parsing it - that's their loss. I've been in Saas for over 10 years helping sales and marketing teams convert and close at higher rates. The article hits home for several tech founders who understand customers but don't understand prospects. The post captures some learnings that many other people never ask…

I don't have clear numbers on conversion rates before and after, prospects were from different segments and we kept changing our pricing and offer during that time to find the right fit so it's hard to measure. Before we brought him in we said we'll give him 3 months but it was clear we have a lot to learn and benefit after 3 weeks.

Re: What I’ve learned from sitting next to a pro salesman

#22

Post by Frondo »

tptacek wrote: post #15

The bit about cold calls working better than anticipated rings true. I advised a company I help out with not to bother cold calling, because it never works, and was embarrassed to learn a few months later that it had been extremely effective just to have the founder ring random people up. The bit about remembering names, deploying kids names, and talking about football --- that part does not ring true. I've done sale…

Cold calling is great! Well, because it's never absolutely cold--you do know that the person you're calling is at least a little interested in what you're selling. It's not random.

As for remembering names, kids' names, etc., you're right, it's hokey to just try and build up a memorandum on a person and play-act at being a friend. What happens, though, when you spend a while talking with someone, is they do mention their wife's trip, or their brother coming to town, or whatever, and after a while, you end up developing a bit of a friendship. Not a "let's go hiking on the weekends" relationship, but a small friendship all the same. You remember their kids' names simply because you take an interest in who they are as people, and in my experience, they do the same for you.

It's actually kinda neat.

Re: What I’ve learned from sitting next to a pro salesman

#23

Post by loso »

tptacek wrote: post #15

The bit about cold calls working better than anticipated rings true. I advised a company I help out with not to bother cold calling, because it never works, and was embarrassed to learn a few months later that it had been extremely effective just to have the founder ring random people up. The bit about remembering names, deploying kids names, and talking about football --- that part does not ring true. I've done sale…

I work at place that deals with leads and the sales people almost sit right next to us. And they definitely get into the names big time like the post said. Talking about sports, from what I hear, they don't usually direct the conversation that way but if the client does bring it up then they will go with it. But remembering the names are a really big deal and they utilize that heavily.

Re: What I’ve learned from sitting next to a pro salesman

#24

Post by nugga »

HillRat wrote: post #4
mreiland wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> He then asked this question “How is a typical call with a prospect looks like?” ... I still don't understand what the guy asked, my best guess is he messed up the verb and it was supposed to read "how DOES a typical call with a prospect go?", or similar. It all makes me conclude that someone who is not a native English speaker was paid to write that article and it's bullshit filler flung out on various sites like H…

The author is Israeli; my Hebrew is worse than my Arabic is worse than my Farsi, which is pretty bad, but the grammatical mistakes seem pretty typical of the impedance mismatches between Hebrew and English.

Slightly offtopic, but in English it's called Persian, not Farsi. You probably wouldn't say "my Deutsch is worse than my Francais".

Re: What I’ve learned from sitting next to a pro salesman

#25

Post by borplk »

My problem with these tips is that there's some hidden underlying assumption baked in it that you think you are so smart and other people are so driven by their emotions that oh just because you mentioned them by name now they are going to behave so differently. I don't know about everyone but it sure as hell wont work on me.

Re: What I’ve learned from sitting next to a pro salesman

#26

Post by dasil003 »

nugga wrote: post #24
HillRat wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The author is Israeli; my Hebrew is worse than my Arabic is worse than my Farsi, which is pretty bad, but the grammatical mistakes seem pretty typical of the impedance mismatches between Hebrew and English.

Slightly offtopic, but in English it's called Persian, not Farsi. You probably wouldn't say "my Deutsch is worse than my Francais".

Really? I worked for an Iranian-American for 2 years, and my aunt 30 years in the state department stationed in various locations in the middle east—both refer colloquially to Farsi. I don't think it's in the same category as French and German.

Re: What I’ve learned from sitting next to a pro salesman

#27

Post by klenwell »

loso wrote: post #23
tptacek wrote: post #15

The bit about cold calls working better than anticipated rings true. I advised a company I help out with not to bother cold calling, because it never works, and was embarrassed to learn a few months later that it had been extremely effective just to have the founder ring random people up. The bit about remembering names, deploying kids names, and talking about football --- that part does not ring true. I've done sale…

I work at place that deals with leads and the sales people almost sit right next to us. And they definitely get into the names big time like the post said. Talking about sports, from what I hear, they don't usually direct the conversation that way but if the client does bring it up then they will go with it. But remembering the names are a really big deal and they utilize that heavily.

I make it a point to try to remember the names of everyone around the office and instead of just saying, "Hi" or "How's it going?" as we pass in the hall say, "Hey, Mary" and "How are you doing, Mark?"

It hasn't changed anyone's life but it seems to make a difference. I've noticed they'll perk up a little when I include their name, start to address by my name when I wasn't even sure if they knew it before, and maybe even start a conversation at the coffee machine or water cooler.

Like the old Woody Allen line, "90% of success is just showing up," I suspect 90% of success in engaging people is just remembering their name.

Re: What I’ve learned from sitting next to a pro salesman

#28

Post by gingerrr »

borplk wrote: post #25

My problem with these tips is that there's some hidden underlying assumption baked in it that you think you are so smart and other people are so driven by their emotions that oh just because you mentioned them by name now they are going to behave so differently. I don't know about everyone but it sure as hell wont work on me.

    you think you are so smart and other people are so driven by their emotions

    I don't know about everyone but it sure as hell wont work on me

Re: What I’ve learned from sitting next to a pro salesman

#29

Post by totalrobe »

Fylwind wrote: post #10
odedgolan wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Emails and everything sent to customers were always proofread by a native english speaker. I wrote this on my spare time but lesson learned for next time.

Here's a little bit of constructive advice. There are several places where you've made a "comma splice" error. That is, a comma (,) was used when a period (.) or semicolon (;) should have been used (or alternatively, a conjunction could be used). Example: > We’ve interviewed a bunch, during one of the interviews after the candidate was done presenting, he looked at me, I looked at him, he did OK … This should be inst…

Sure, the grammar needs a little work but this sentence is the only glaring issue...

> He then asked this question “How is a typical call with a prospect looks like?”

Should be "How does a typical call with a prospect look?"

Also - great article! I've worked in sales and emails never worked, especially in this day and age of constant spam. Email is great for an info blast, but you will not close with an email.

Re: What I’ve learned from sitting next to a pro salesman

#30

Post by lucio »

borplk wrote: post #25

My problem with these tips is that there's some hidden underlying assumption baked in it that you think you are so smart and other people are so driven by their emotions that oh just because you mentioned them by name now they are going to behave so differently. I don't know about everyone but it sure as hell wont work on me.

it will not "convert" you, but it will make you to be better predisposed, and sometimes that's enough to advance and close a sale.
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