Seller utilization of tools starts with buy-in on WHY, not HOW.

Seller utilization on tools starts with buy-in on WHY, not HOW.

Simon Sinek said it best: “You start with your why and work outward into the what and how. Sales Enablement and Sales Operations teams spend too many calories on features and functions, ultimately the HOW. The HOW only makes sense if you’re entirely bought in, and tool utilization dictates that +80% of your sellers aren’t there… YET…

Here is what we’ll cover this week:

  1. Seller utilization of tools starts with buy-in on WHY, not HOW.
  2. Show your “Customers on the Move” how much you really value relationships with a gift campaign.
  3. 22% of sellers made quota in Q4 2022 due to poor time management.
  4. Gift cards for SQLs are a weak GTM strategy.

Seller utilization of tools starts with buy-in on WHY, not HOW.

Seller utilization on tools starts with buy-in on WHY, not HOW.

Imagine you gave every seller on your team a Porsche to get to work faster. The goal is to shave 15 minutes off their commute. You think you’re a hero. You train the team to start the car, shift gears, and steer.

Weeks later:
  • 20% of your sellers got to work faster.
  • 50% of your sellers use the Porsche some days and their old car the others.
  • 30% of your sellers just kept using the subway, bicycles, walking, etc.

The 50% of “fickle” users saw occasional value on sunny days when the stars aligned, and there was no traffic (so rarely that they just reverted to habit), and 30% of sellers didn’t know why the change was necessary in the first place.

It Sounds familiar.  Welcome to every sales and marketing tool you introduce into the organization.

Sellers need to fully understand:
  • What is broken needs change or improvement? Show objective evidence.
  • What does best-in-class look like, and what could it look like in the future?
  • What’s in it for them? WIFM (make their money, save them time).

The HOW is when you show real-life use cases. Programmatic step-by-step: If you follow the Yellow Brick Road, you will end up in Oz.

We are building a business case for why it doesn’t sound practical and is naturally breezed over by sales enablement. Don’t. Take your time. One step backward is four steps forward.

Show your ‘Customers on the Move’ how much you really value relationships with a gift campaign.

how much you really value relationships with a gift campaign.

I once got a pair of branded ski socks from a customer with my face on them. I loved it. My kids thought it was creepy. These socks lasted 5 years, and I always wore them at my cottage. The brand experience I had for my customer was crazy. I’m writing this right now, drinking out of a Yeti water bottle that Celestica got me for speaking at their SKO. It showed they cared.

You work hard to win customers and develop authentic relationships, but when they leave your customers, you toss them aside like spoiled food. Make your customers a renewal resource.

How?

Alyce

Sendoso

Reachdesk

Snappy

Lob

GiftUp

As part of your ‘Customers on the Move’ campaign, the CXOs from your customer base moving into other prospects are excited and nervous about their change, like the first day of school. Show them you care. Send them something that showcases that:

A. You are thinking about them.

B. This gift would be helpful in your first 100 days in your new role.

 Something like an Audible subscription with 5-10 suggested podcasts for success in their role?!

how much you really value relationships with a gift campaign.

This could be the least expensive Cost of Customer Acquisition ever!

22% of sellers made quota in Q4 2022 due to poor Time Management.

22% of sellers made quota in Q4 2022 due to poor Time Management.

This probably doesn’t shock you, but also a MASSIVE change to the 50% of sellers making quota in 2019 published by Gartner.  This is a combination of so many factors, but to simplify:

  1. These results reflect actions taken in Q1/Q2 2022 when sellers were high on the hog in the last “good times” (not prospecting).
  2. Time management is the vampire. Time spent on the WRONG ACCOUNTS. They are making subjective decisions.
22% of sellers made quota in Q4 2022 due to poor Time Management.
  • Chasing Whales
  • Sexy Logos
  • focused on vanity metrics like size of employees, number of store locations, revenue, etc.
  1. Rather than focusing on the signals, compelling events, and triggers that actually preclude change,
  • IPO Readiness
  • M&A
  • Executive Leadership Changes
  • Customers on the Move
  • Buying Intent
  • Product usage and integrations
Signal Intelligence

How are you going to prevent this subjective account selection and prioritization in 2023 and 2024?

Gift cards for SQLs are a weak GTM strategy.

Gift cards for SQLs are a weak GTM strategy.

Listen, I know booking demos are getting harder and harder.

  • The customer is learning with or without us and doesn’t need sales to make many informed decisions.
  • CFOs are tightening their belts, and I mean ratcheted down.
  • The customer is also sales-fatigued.

But abandoning the value creation of chotchkies and gimmicks is merely gaming your SQL creation. This isn’t sustainable, most likely not profitable, and demonstrates that you DON’T BELIEVE IN YOUR SOLUTION.

Where is the time for knowledge exchange? You know where you share such valuable insights that the buyer evaluates the opportunity cost of their time vs. not learning more… and decides to book time with you?

The CXO or VP you’re selling to is already (most likely) independently wealthy and doesn’t need another Starbucks card or water bottle. They are worth $100’s or $1,000’s of $$$ per hour.  You need to provide them with 6, 7, 8, and 9-figure ideas. Not more crap to clutter their desk. Dirty desk, dirty mind. Fuel their minds with great ideas.

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