Sales Rep Tips

How to Make Negotiation Your Superpower [Webinar Recording]

How to Make Negotiation Your Superpower
[Webinar Recording]

READY TO IMPROVE YOUR NEGOTIATION SKILLS?

Very few of us feel confident walking into a negotiation – for a sale, a complex contract, or especially our own salaries or raises (ladies, us especially it seems!). Interesting fact: According to Harvard, men excel at negotiating their own compensation, and women excel at negotiating for their teams. And ALL of us get just a little nervous talking dollars and cents.

So, let’s tackle this with tips and strategies for all of us. Every perspective in one hour: The male and female Senior Sales Executive hiring a team + negotiating contracts. The Recruiter representing the company AND the potential employee. The CFO who sees the numbers, knows the regulations, AND what’s on the table.

Whether you’re a high-level sales executive or a professional new to the workforce, we’ve got you. If you’d love to learn how to be a better negotiator, watch the video replay to learn:

  • How to negotiate employment
  • How to negotiate contracts
  • How to negotiate a raise
  • How women negotiate differently
  • Tips for success we can all use

You’ll leave this discussion feeling confident and comfortable when it comes to negotiating just about anything!

Watch the video replay!

READY TO IMPROVE YOUR NEGOTIATION SKILLS?

Very few of us feel confident walking into a negotiation – for a sale, a complex contract, or especially our own salaries or raises (ladies, us especially it seems!). Interesting fact: According to Harvard, men excel at negotiating their own compensation, and women excel at negotiating for their teams. And ALL of us get just a little nervous talking dollars and cents.

So, let’s tackle this with tips and strategies for all of us. Every perspective in one hour: The male and female Senior Sales Executive hiring a team + negotiating contracts. The Recruiter representing the company AND the potential employee. The CFO who sees the numbers, knows the regulations, AND what’s on the table.

Whether you’re a high-level sales executive or a professional new to the workforce, we’ve got you. If you’d love to learn how to be a better negotiator, watch the video replay to learn:

  • How to negotiate employment
  • How to negotiate contracts
  • How to negotiate a raise
  • How women negotiate differently
  • Tips for success we can all use

You’ll leave this discussion feeling confident and comfortable when it comes to negotiating just about anything!

Watch the video replay!

Meet the Panelists

David Leinweber Panelist Headshot 01 01
David Leinweber
CEO | Ascent Cloud

David Leinweber serves as CEO of Ascent Cloud, an industry-leading provider of sales enablement and performance management SaaS solutions. He brings over a decade of experience in enterprise software with a proven track record of driving long-term growth. Throughout his career, David has helped to drive innovation and growth at several software companies, working in product, marketing, and leadership roles.

Prior to Ascent Cloud, David served as CEO of LevelEleven, a leading Performance Management SaaS solution that empowers leaders to motivate, engage, and coach their teams more effectively. Before that, he held key positions at New World Systems and Accenture. David holds an MBA from the University of Michigan as well as a bachelor’s degree in economics and history from Vanderbilt University.

Nicole Anasenes Panelist Headshot 01 01
Nicole Anasenes
CFO | Member of Board, Audit Committee | ANSYS

Nicole has spent her 20+ year career in tech building and transforming businesses. She most recently served as the Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer of Squarespace, a fast-growing software platform that empowers millions of people to share their stories and create an impactful, stylish online presence. During her tenure, she drove operational and organizational transformation to support Squarespace’s explosive growth.

Her current board roles include ANSYS, a simulation software company who is a leader in helping all companies accelerate R&D innovation, and AnitaB.org, a world-class non-profit, focused on driving intersectional gender equity in tech.

Michelle Benfer - Panelist Headshot-01
Michelle Benfer
VP, Sales | Hubspot

Michelle has sold and led sales teams at some of the biggest names in media and technology including Conde Nast, Meredith Corp, AOL (now Oath) & LogMeIn Inc. She is passionate about fostering diverse and inclusive sales teams and a culture of high-performance. Michelle lives outside of Boston with her two daughters and her beloved pup, Rosie.

Amy Volas Panelist Headshot 01
Amy Volas
Founder & CEO | Avenue Talent Partners

With more than $100MM in revenue sold and named one of Sales Hacker’s Most Dynamic Women In Sales, Amy Volas is a sales fanatic turned entrepreneur. She was bitten by the startup bug many moons ago and couldn’t imagine spending her time anywhere else. She created Avenue Talent Partners to help with the tremendous task of growing startups through some of their most valuable assets – sales leaders and enterprise salespeople.

Thank You to Our Sponsors!

Ascent Cloud
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How to Make Negotiation Your Superpower [Webinar Recording]
best sales script

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Best Sales Script To Get A Buyer’s Attention

You may have heard us talk about our SWIIFTSM Intro before. The idea is for your best sales script to focus on the buyer and add value so they stop typing their emails and start listening to you. When you have it, there is something even more powerful than the SWIIFTSM “ear perk,” and that’s a lever. A lever is a piece of information you have on the company, contact, industry, or history that says:

“Hey man, this isn’t a cold call. I’m important and you practically already know me. Tune in!”

The best lever is a name – preferably one in their company (e.g. their boss! An executive!), but in lieu of this, use some buying history, shared experience, shared external contact, or even events. Here are some examples:

(external name) Looks like we both know John Smith pretty well

(company history) We’ve been providing your security licenses for the past few years

(internal name) I work closely with Kathleen in marketing

(experience) I see we both attended the AA-ISP conference this year

But here is the all-time favorite and most powerful sales script (the name):

Bob! Lauren with Factor 8. I talked to Larry Reeves yesterday. He asked me to give you a call and I promised him that I would. Tell me something, are you guys expanding your sales force this year?

What’s different and powerful about this lever statement is that we leave the “why” to the contact’s imagination. And it’s probably generating something like, “Oh, snap!  What’s going on!?” NOW Bob is paying attention, right? Also notice that I didn’t launch into some big history like:

“I talked to Larry and he said that he isn’t the right contact and that I should call you.”

Yeah, that just screams sales pitch! But it’s what I hear most often. Listen, if Larry gives you the brush-off and Bob’s name, just spin it into the above. OK, Larry, I’ll call him. Boom! You promised him that you would. So don’t fret about the wrong names on your list. They can be powerful levers!

Get your contacts to STOP thinking about how to get you off the phone and START talking to you.

And don’t leave out the SWIIFTSM question at the end of your intro. This is what gets them to STOP thinking about how to get you off the phone and START thinking of the quick and easy answer to your question.  And guess what? Now they’re talking!

Need some help creating the best sales script ever? Download our SWIIFT Intro in a Box Guide below!

swiift sales pitch

Want more tips to craft your best sales script ever?

Join one of our upcoming Virtual Sales Training Masterclasses! We offer 4 different classes for BDRs, SDRs, ISRs, account executives, and account managers all focused on areas like prospecting, objection handling, running virtual sales demos, closing, and more!

VIEW VIRTUAL SALES TRAINING MASTERCLASSES

Onboarding Sales Reps: 10 Hacks to Improve Training + Ramp Time [“Sales Shot” Workshop]

Onboarding Sales Reps: 10 Hacks to Improve Training + Ramp Time

[“Sales Shot” Workshop]

CREATE A BEST-IN-CLASS SALES REP ONBOARDING PROGRAM

Sales Leaders, Enablement, Ops, and Training Leaders take note! Your new hire program is critical right now. It’s hard enough to find these folks, let’s ensure they stick — and perform! What if your training could take less time? What if they came out closer to quota? What if it was so good you could hire more diverse talent? It’s all possible with a best-in-class sales onboarding program!

During this fun and informative session, you’ll learn:

  • Why managers should NOT own onboarding/training (and who should)
  • Top 6 components your onboarding program must include
  • Tips to speed ramp time (especially in a virtual environment)
  • Why you need ongoing learning vs. event-based training 

This session is recommended for: Training Managers, Sales Directors, Enablement Directors, Sales Operations Leaders, Recruiting Leaders, New Hire Trainers, Onboarding Specialists, VP Enablement, VP Sales, VP Operations, and Sales Managers.

Watch the video replay!

CREATE A BEST-IN-CLASS SALES REP ONBOARDING PROGRAM

Sales Leaders, Enablement, Ops, and Training Leaders take note! Your new hire program is critical right now. It’s hard enough to find these folks, let’s ensure they stick — and perform! What if your training could take less time? What if they came out closer to quota? What if it was so good you could hire more diverse talent? It’s all possible with a best-in-class sales onboarding program!

During this fun and informative session, you’ll learn:

  • Why managers should NOT own onboarding/training (and who should)
  • Top 6 components your onboarding program must include
  • Tips to speed ramp time (especially in a virtual environment)
  • Why you need ongoing learning vs. event-based training 

This session is recommended for: Training Managers, Sales Directors, Enablement Directors, Sales Operations Leaders, Recruiting Leaders, New Hire Trainers, Onboarding Specialists, VP Enablement, VP Sales, VP Operations, and Sales Managers.

Watch the video replay!

SWIIFT Selling

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What Is the SWIIFT® Selling Methodology?

Every 2 years there’s a new airport sales book, am I right? The longer I’ve been around, the more I’ve watched them cycle through. Ask questions! No, share insights! Add value! Wait, actually challenge instead. I don’t think I’ve read one I find incorrect, but I’ve also never aspired to be an airport author.

To me, the methodology is always secondary to the process. Also, the sales methodology only addresses the decision-maker conversation, and in virtual selling, the conversation is less than half the battle.

I take pride that Factor 8 content helps sellers find the right people, capture new contacts, figure out who to call, how to get (and keep) their attention, and get a call back – and all of that is before conversation one! (and yes, you can buy a tool to help with nearly all of that, but trouble ensues when tools replace strategy – that’s a different blog). 

All that said, we don’t have a sales call where we aren’t asked about our methodology, and this is fair. You don’t want us teaching your people something counter to your culture, your process, or your existing methodology. 

So for the first time in 15 years, I’m finally defining Factor 8’s methodology. It’s called:

SWIIFT® Selling

No, it isn’t a typo. SWIIFT® stands for, “So, What’s In It For Them?” and it’s the opposite of WIIFM (“What’s In It For Me”, in case you needed help with that one 😉 ). And although nobody purposely teaches reps to use the WIIFM methodology, it’s what happens in sales calls when we don’t teach them not to. 

If you’re unsure what I mean, check your inbox. 99.9% of sales messages are about the rep, the company, the product, and what they want. 

“I wanted to check in with you to see if you were getting enough leads because my company is helping others get leads and we’re the leading provider of leads and we’re doing an event about leads…”

Enough!

This is what happens when we onboard reps with company and product information only. They go out and parrot that information. Instead, SWIIFT® Selling teaches sellers to always first ask, “So, what’s in this call for them?” And to re-focus a message, a call, a value prop, or a call intro into one that leads with value for the customer. 

If you’re thinking, “wait, I thought value-based selling is dead,” just try letting your 24-year-old rep lead with a challenge. Ouch! Also, SWIIFT® Selling doesn’t mean it’s ONLY about value, it means we use value and customer centricity to get and keep attention for our discovery call and our product demo, and our closing call.

Of course, SWIIFT® Selling also implies speed. Bingo! This is absolutely critical in virtual selling. 

  • If my email is too long OR all about me, we’re dead in the water.
  • If my intro is too long or all about me, we’re dead in the water.
  • If my discovery is too long or all about me, we’re dead in the water. 

You know I could go on, right? Voicemails, value props, solution proposals, objection handling… 

I can’t think of a single place where keeping our focus on speed and what the customer cares about hurts us in sales.

Wait, maybe there’s a book in this after all.

Wondering what customers care about? Watch our video on Factor 8’s SWIIFT® Selling Six below!

 

Want more training on how to use the SWIIFT® Selling Methodology?

Join one of our upcoming Virtual Sales Training Masterclasses! We offer different classes for BDRs, SDRs, ISRs, account executives, and account managers all focused on areas like prospecting, objection handling, running virtual sales demos, closing, and more!

VIEW VIRTUAL SALES TRAINING MASTERCLASSES

The Ultimate Sales Rep + Manager Relationship [“Sales Shot” Workshop]

The Ultimate Sales Rep + Manager Relationship

[“Sales Shot” Workshop]

“PEOPLE DON’T QUIT BAD JOBS, THEY QUIT BAD BOSSES”

We know how tough it is to find great salespeople, so the smart leaders are asking a better question, “How do we keep our reps?” The bottom line is always the relationship between an employee and their manager. So what does the ultimate Sales Rep to Sales Manager relationship look like? Gallup reports that reps with great relationships won’t leave a company unless they’re offered over a 20% higher salary.

Watch this uber informative session to learn 10 things you can do ASAP to boost the relationship with your reps (and reps with their managers!). We’ll hear from in-demand sellers and award-winning leaders so we can beat the Great Resignation by keeping talent longer, loving our jobs, and all making more commission.

Watch the video replay!

“PEOPLE DON’T QUIT BAD JOBS, THEY QUIT BAD BOSSES”

We know how tough it is to find great salespeople, so the smart leaders are asking a better question, “How do we keep our reps?” The bottom line is always the relationship between an employee and their manager. So what does the ultimate Sales Rep to Sales Manager relationship look like? Gallup reports that reps with great relationships won’t leave a company unless they’re offered over a 20% higher salary.

Watch this uber informative session to learn 10 things you can do ASAP to boost the relationship with your reps (and reps with their managers!). We’ll hear from in-demand sellers and award-winning leaders so we can beat the Great Resignation by keeping talent longer, loving our jobs, and all making more commission.

Watch the video replay!

sales demo mistakes

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5 Common Sales Demo Mistakes to Avoid (and How to Fix Them)

If you’re an account executive, you probably spend a ton of time running sales demos. However, in my experience, most salespeople don’t spend nearly enough time properly prepping or planning for their demos ahead of time. If you’re reading this and you’ve given 10 of the exact same demos this week, it’s time for a change!

Believe me, I get it. You’ve found a presentation you feel comfortable with and that you can do in your sleep. Well, I’m here to tell you that while may have mastered your demo, it might actually be putting your prospect to sleep. Have no fear, we’re going to fix that today.

Below are the top 5 most common sales demo mistakes and how you can fix them:

1. Stop Playing Tour Guide

First things first, the prospect isn’t here for you to show off every little detail about your product. Remember, this call isn’t about you. It’s about them and their problems. So, instead of talking about how great your product is, let’s talk about them.

There are two key things you need to do at the beginning of every demo:

  1. Discuss their challenge 
  2. Show how you are able to solve it. 

That’s it, stop right there!

I know it can be hard not to show all of the really cool things your product can do. When we built our eLearning platform, The Sales Bar, it was SO hard not to fall into the rhythm of just showing a prospect all the things I was so excited about. But I had to stop and remind myself that this is not about me. This tool is here to help them solve their challenge. I just needed to show them how it could do that.

2. Customize Your Demo

If you’ve given the same demo 4 or 5 times TODAY, then, Houston, we have a problem. Each of your demos should be tailored to who you are meeting. If you walked into the mechanic and they put the same tires on both your car and the 18-wheeler in the bay next door, how do you think that would go? Demos are conceptually similar. They are not “one-size-fits-all” because every potential client is going to have different challenges and needs. So, before the meeting let’s look at how to really speak to the prospect’s problem. 

Before every sales demo, ask yourself:

  • What are they solving?
  • What are they avoiding? 
  • What’s their desired end state?
  • How do they feel about what they are doing now? 
    • Or, if they don’t have a solution now, how do they feel about your competition?
  • Is there anything they have specifically asked to see?

We know that most of you have SDRs or BDRs that are doing the SUPER quick intro call and laying the groundwork for your demo. So, you may not have every one of these questions answered beforehand. But, you should have at least some of this information before you start planning (if you don’t, it might be time for a talk with your sales development team). 

During planning, you can use this info to decide which features your tool has that answer the questions above. Then you need to line up the SWIIFT benefit and you’re on your way. New here? SWIIFT stands for So, What’s In It For THEM! It’s our philosophy to put the thoughts and needs of the prospect before our own. We promise you’ll thank us later! 

Bonus: We’ve got two uber helpful sales demo planning docs for you to use before your next call! Grab them here.

3. Less is More

So, you’ve used our planning tool and you find yourself starting with 10 different features and 10 different SWIIFT benefits to share with them. Yikes, that’s going to be information overload. My suggestion: prioritize your list. Set yourself up to talk about the 3 most important features (hint: the things that are going to save them the most time/money/energy, etc. Focus on solving their #1 challenge). Also, set yourself up with 2 additional features, just in case they don’t like one of your top 3. Then you can use the other items on your list to bridge to the next call (read more about how to bridge to the next call).

This is how it should flow:

  1. Share Feature #1
    • Stop sharing your screen
    • Relate feature #1 to their challenge
  2. Discuss. Translate. Tell a Story.
  3. Repeat for Feature #2
  4. Repeat for Feature #3 

Gong did a study recently that shows that customers who talk more end up buying more. When we screen share, the salesperson talks more which is not good for the sale. Instead, take the first 10-15 minutes of every demo to simply have a conversation. After that, you can screen share to show feature #1. Then, stop sharing to discuss the SWIIFT benefits and to get the prospect talking and asking questions. You can share your screen again for features #2 and #3.

4. Don’t Stop the Disco

Even if you have answers to all 5 of the questions above before the demo, slow down, and just focus on good meeting manners. Do your intros, talk through the agenda, and get the prospect’s buy-in. This will help you build a deeper rapport through your relationship. Take this time to dig more into what they’re looking for. As I mentioned before, a lot of demos are booked by a BDR or SDR who only had a 3-minute call with the prospect. If you try to demo on that 3-minute call alone, it’s likely going to be inaccurate and messy. Start with what you think you know. Repeat the challenges you understand back to them before you get into showing them the features. You can use this thought process throughout your whole demo. Even when you think they are on board, take the time to stop the screen share and make sure you’re on the same page. 

Presenting to the CEO this time? How complex do you think this version of your demo should be? On a scale of 1 – 6, where 1 is simple and 6 is layered and complex… 

Spoiler alert: the CEOs need to be at a 1 or 2. The higher up the ladder you go, the simpler your demo needs to be. Think about it this way, the higher the prospect’s position the more responsibilities on their plate. They don’t have time to wade through the layers with you. Keep it simple and let them ask you what they want to know. You live in this tool/service/product all day long. For them, this is one of 15 things they are doing this morning alone. 

Remember, we build value by solving problems, not by layering features. All you have to do is show them how your product will solve their problem.

5. K.I.S.S. and Show

Let’s call it like it is, this one is Keep It Simple Stupid. There are a few tried and true rules that I always impress upon our salespeople:

  • Never build a report or dashboard live. I promise the time you spend building it live will be the ONE time the feature doesn’t work correctly. 
  • Tell them what’s coming, put on your best James Earl Jones voice and narrate each step of your presentation.  
    • “Now we’re going to look into solving the problem of _______. The _______ function of our tool can help. Take a look at this here.”
  • Stop the screen share often. Give them time to give you feedback and spark conversation. 
  • Have tabs or whole instances open and ready. Clear out your desktop from everything else. They don’t need to see your Slack channel by accident or pictures of your family. Have your features ready to show. That way navigating through your demo is seamless for both you and your prospect. 
  • White space rules. Don’t clutter up every corner of the slide. Let the important information shine. 
  • Five clicks (or less) every time you share your screen. If you go down a rabbit hole to function #1, then you back come up through 6 layers before diving down a different rabbit hole for function #2, you’ve lost them. At the demo stage, the tool needs to appear as easy as 1-2-3…
  • Hold your mouse still! Once you’ve moved your mouse to the location you are looking to highlight, take your hand off the mouse. A bouncing cursor will distract from the valuable information you are trying to relay. 

Okay, now that we’ve talked about the top 5 sales demo mistakes to avoid, let’s highlight the steps you’re going to take for each demo: 

  1. Research to answer the five key questions
  2. Plan additional questions to fill in gaps or clarify
  3. Prioritize your demo show list
  4. Narrow that list to 3 (with 2 backups)
  5. Translate the demo from a system to your prospect’s POV
  6. Prepare screens to answer anticipated questions
  7. Prepare your agenda and send it

That’s it! Just 5 easy sales demo mistakes to avoid (or fix) and 7 easy steps to prepare. Trust me, these simple things will make your demos more engaging for your prospects and more interesting for you! 

Want more tips on how to fix the top sales demo mistakes?

Join one of our upcoming Virtual Sales Training Masterclasses! We offer different classes for BDRs, SDRs, ISRs, account executives, and account managers all focused on areas like prospecting, objection handling, running virtual sales demos, closing, and more!

VIEW VIRTUAL SALES TRAINING MASTERCLASSES

How to Fix the Top 5 Mistakes Made During Sales Demos [“Sales Shot” Workshop]

How to Fix the Top 5 Mistakes Made During Sales Demos

[“Sales Shot” Workshop]

SALES DEMOS = A CUSTOM SAMPLE, NOT A WHOLE TOUR!

We’ve all sat through demos that are total snoozefests; they’re too long, too detailed, and don’t tell you what you really want to know about a product. For reps, a product demo is a chance for you to get prospects excited about your product, and the quality of your demo can make or break your sale.

In this session, you’ll learn the top 5 mistakes made during demos, plus how to avoid giving a boring demo, and how to keep prospects wanting to know more. By the end, you’ll have a clear plan to deliver a demo that doesn’t suck!

Watch the video replay!

SALES DEMOS = A CUSTOM SAMPLE, NOT A WHOLE TOUR!

We’ve all sat through demos that are total snoozefests; they’re too long, too detailed, and don’t tell you what you really want to know about a product. For reps, a product demo is a chance for you to get prospects excited about your product, and the quality of your demo can make or break your sale.

In this session, you’ll learn the top 5 mistakes made during demos, plus how to avoid giving a boring demo, and how to keep prospects wanting to know more. By the end, you’ll have a clear plan to deliver a demo that doesn’t suck!

Watch the video replay!

Running Successful Sales Demos [Cheat Sheet]

Running Successful Sales Demos

[Cheat Sheet]

THE KEY TO A SUCCESSFUL DEMO IS TO PLAN AHEAD!

To run a killer sales demo, you need to start with a plan and agenda. You need to know what you’re covering and and which questions to ask before the meeting begins. This will prevent your from running demos that are too complex, overcomplicated, or off the point.

Download our cheat sheets to learn everything you need to know about planning and running a successful demo, including:

  • How to create your demo agenda
  • Questions you need to ask on the demo
  • Dos and don’ts of running a demo

Grab your downloads below!

THE KEY TO A SUCCESSFUL DEMO IS TO PLAN AHEAD!

To run a killer sales demo, you need to start with a plan and agenda. You need to know what you’re covering and and which questions to ask before the meeting begins. This will prevent your from running demos that are too complex, overcomplicated, or off the point.

Download our cheat sheets to learn everything you need to know about planning and running a successful demo, including:

  • How to create your demo agenda
  • How and where to customize your demo
  • Questions you need to ask on the demo

Grab your downloads below!

New Account Executive Tips

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5 Critical Tips for New Account Executives

Congratulations on your promotion to AE! Transitioning from an appointment setter, qualifier or SDR/BDR to an Account Executive who carries a revenue quota and closes deals is a BFD. Here are five skills that can help you make goal faster! 

1. Slow WAY Down. As a BDR, the game was speed. A hundred calls, ten conversations, and one yes. The good calls were under 10 minutes and you were careful not to dive too deep. As an Account Executive, it’s a common mistake to try and also pack your calendar with cookie-cutter demos in the hopes 10% will close. Be better.

The Account Executive’s role is to add so much value to the prospect that they overcome their resistance to change and buy. That won’t happen in 10 minutes or 60 minutes, and it won’t happen the same way each time. So slow down and get to know the prospect. Why did they take the meeting? What’s happening in their world? Why is it a challenge? Why is it important to fix? What have they tried? What happens when it’s better?I could keep going here, but I hope you get the picture. Spend time instead discovering their situation AND their top priorities and values because these are their motivators to change. At Factor 8, we’ll give you a gold star if you don’t share your screen or your solution once in the first call. Truth: we don’t give out a lot of gold stars. 

2. Be SWIIFT. Heard of that before? It’s the opposite of WIIFM and it means, “So, What’s In It For Them?” We want you to take this to the extreme and make as many of your calls as possible about them instead of you. The average AE will ask 3-4 questions and then launch into their slides/demo/solution.

This hurts them in several ways:

    1. They come off like a typical self-centered salesperson
    2. They leave opportunity on the table by not digging out the whole need
    3. They haven’t found a personal connection or the prospect’s motivation 
    4. The prospect quits listening and goes dark

So, go deeper and seek to understand. Seek to help. Make it all about them for the entire first call and as much of the second and third as possible. Even during your demo, we teach you to only cover a specific and abbreviated number of items and to stop sharing at least 50% of the call (join our Deal Progression Masterclass for help running demos). Ditch the sales speak and value props and pitches and competitive data and do all you can to understand and add value.

3. Bridge Every Call! Unlike your old job, closing deals will take multiple calls. Always set up your next call before getting off this one. Like, always. It’s called a bridge. The best bridges have appointments booked in the calendar with invitations and agendas sent immediately. If we can’t get that, they at the very least agree on a day you will call back (and try to get them to block the time!). This simple skill takes 3 minutes to accomplish and will save 3 hours of time chasing down leads you thought were interested but who won’t return your emails. It’s sort of like never wake a sleeping baby – never hang up on a live prospect (without bridging to the next call).

4. Be a Calendar Ninja. Suddenly you need time in your day for more than just outbound appointment setting (but pretty please still do that too!) Get strategic and block times in your calendar for research, client meetings, follow-ups, emails, and outbound prospecting. You’ll also need time to build your custom proposals/demos/solutions for clients. It’s a lot more to juggle! You may even be used to a tool telling you who to call and when if you used a great sales cadence solution like Outreach. But now you need to be strategic about when you call, build, respond, and research. It’s easy to get buried in emails and snoozed CRM tasks, and NOT systematically and proactively reviewing your CRM for actions to take to keep your pipe full and leads warm. It’s a common mistake and it takes serious time management skills. 

5. Master the Meeting. It can be intimidating to move from a 10-minute 1:1 call to running a pitch to a prospect team. 60 minutes, 5 people, and LOTS of pressure (and doing it virtually to boot!) To run a killer sales meeting, always start with an agenda and introductions. Think of it like you’re hosting an open house. Thank people for coming, learn something about them, find out their goals, and put them at ease. Remember, these meetings are as much about YOU as your solution, because people buy from people they like, and nobody likes being instantly pitched! 

Try dressing up a level, add some professional flair to your background, use your rapport-building techniques and do everything you can to get cameras ON and screen sharing OFF (a Gong study showed that discovery meetings run with you sharing slides means you do most of the talking instead of the other way around). Share your agenda and ask if they have specific questions or items to add before diving into the meat of the meeting. And always be sure the meat starts with SWIIFT questions instead of your pitch! Practice kicking off meetings with a few colleagues until you sound and feel confident!

There’s a lot to master in your new role, but these five skills will help you stay in front of the learning curve! If you’d like to dig into how to run killer sales meetings, do better discovery, build rapport, manage time, and rock your demos, check out our Deal Progression Masterclass created exclusively for Account Executives. 

 

Are you a new account executive that could use some tips and training?

Join one of our upcoming Virtual Sales Training Masterclasses! We offer 4 different classes for BDRs, SDRs, ISRs, account executives, and account managers all focused on areas like prospecting, objection handling, running virtual sales demos, closing, and more!

VIEW VIRTUAL SALES TRAINING MASTERCLASSES
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