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Tips for Founders Sales: Lessons from Starting Two B2B Startups

philstrazzulla.com

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Re: Tips for Founders Sales: Lessons from Starting Two B2B Startups

#2

Post by rabidrat »

This was published in April 2020, but I'm guessing it wasn't written in the last month:

> Spend as much time in person with your prospects as possible. That means demos, as well as conferences, dinners, coffee, whatever you can. This will allow you to build trust, and learn a lot faster about your customer than doing calls or even video calls. Working out of one of their offices side by side is a great way to hear how they talk, what they care about, etc.

Re: Tips for Founders Sales: Lessons from Starting Two B2B Startups

#4

Post by AndrewKemendo »

I've always cast a wide net when thinking conceptually about what "sales" is, especially when I was a founder and de-facto lead salesman for years. For the longest I considered sales to be just another flavor of persuasion, and at it's very best it's almost pedagogical.

However now, I think I'd rather just not be in business than do sales. That's really just a recognition that sales is an absolutely necessary part of all businesses, and how terrible I personally find it.

Re: Tips for Founders Sales: Lessons from Starting Two B2B Startups

#5

Post by Ozzie_osman »

rabidrat wrote: post #2

This was published in April 2020, but I'm guessing it wasn't written in the last month: > Spend as much time in person with your prospects as possible. That means demos, as well as conferences, dinners, coffee, whatever you can. This will allow you to build trust, and learn a lot faster about your customer than doing calls or even video calls. Working out of one of their offices side by side is a great way to hear ho…

Or it was written assuming that people may read it in the future when this whole situation we are in (I hope) has blown over.

Also, Phil (original author), if you're reading these comments, hi!

Re: Tips for Founders Sales: Lessons from Starting Two B2B Startups

#6

Post by pstrazzulla »

Ozzie_osman wrote: post #5
rabidrat wrote: post #2

This was published in April 2020, but I'm guessing it wasn't written in the last month: > Spend as much time in person with your prospects as possible. That means demos, as well as conferences, dinners, coffee, whatever you can. This will allow you to build trust, and learn a lot faster about your customer than doing calls or even video calls. Working out of one of their offices side by side is a great way to hear ho…

Or it was written assuming that people may read it in the future when this whole situation we are in (I hope) has blown over. Also, Phil (original author), if you're reading these comments, hi!

Hey man!

Ya it was written to be more evergreen content...hoping that the world reverts to normal at some point.

Re: Tips for Founders Sales: Lessons from Starting Two B2B Startups

#7

Post by pstrazzulla »

krupan wrote: post #3

I convinced myself to start a B2B business[1] by telling myself that I wouldn't need to do this. I'm pretty sure I was wrong. https://millenniumsoftwaredesign.com/

You probably will. But I wrote the post so that people don't feel like becoming a sales person is this impossibly hard thing to do...

Re: Tips for Founders Sales: Lessons from Starting Two B2B Startups

#8

Post by pstrazzulla »

AndrewKemendo wrote: post #4

I've always cast a wide net when thinking conceptually about what "sales" is, especially when I was a founder and de-facto lead salesman for years. For the longest I considered sales to be just another flavor of persuasion, and at it's very best it's almost pedagogical. However now, I think I'd rather just not be in business than do sales. That's really just a recognition that sales is an absolutely necessary part of…

What made you change your mind to view it as so horrible?
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