The 4P's
Hiring
While seemingly self-explanatory, establishing sound hiring practices is critical. You don't need to reinvent the wheel by writing your own job descriptions, there are plenty of existing examples on LinkedIn to "borrow" or you could leverage GenAI to do the work for you. However, you do need to figure out exactly what you're looking for in terms of talent, irrespective of the seniority or level of the role.
You'll likely get plenty of resumes and those that pass the eye test will appear to be solid candidates. They all do. It's the answers to the right questions that can begin to differentiate the impact players you're looking to add to the team. Are you asking the right questions? (BTW, if you're not getting enough resumes, that's a whole other issue that we can address)
No more, "tell me your biggest weakness" or "tell me about a time you failed." Really? From those responses you're going to gauge whether or not that person is going to have the chops to crush the number you put in front of them? Also, magically, almost every sales candidate has blown their numbers away everywhere they've been and they come with a track record of overwhelming success. Similarly, if you even actually speak to one (or more) of their references, do you think you'll hear anything negative? It's up to you to find out what makes them successful and whether or not they'll be a good fit.
Here are some examples of good questions:
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What kind of experience and success do you have in building a new sales territory while selling a relatively unknown product?
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How do you leverage the sales tech stack for productivity?
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What individual prospecting methods and/or interlock with Business Development teams have worked for you?
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How do you know to shift a prospect into nurture mode vs. continuing to actively pursue and letting it drift in your pipeline?
There's plenty more where those came from that we would be happy to share.
"Train your people well enough so they can leave, treat them well enough so they don't want to."
- Richard Branson
Development
A persistent emphasis on people development is a core value for any admired, reputable and successful organization. When it comes to your revenue-generating and sales teams there are specific focus areas.
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Investing in Individual Development Plans for each employee is key but so is showing a sales career path within the organization. The earlier in their career they are, the more likely top talent are to leave for better opportunity elsewhere. Before hiring from the outside, always evaluate the emerging talent on the bench. Not only do they already understand your value proposition, it'll motivate their peers and we all know the statistics on how much more costly it is to hire new employees.
Sales Enablement
So often overlooked, Sales Enablement, if done well, can be the glue that holds it all together and leads to greater results, productivity and efficiency. To get the most mileage out of a Sales Enablement program it needs to report into the Sales team, not Marketing. Period. The Head of Sales Enablement then becomes responsible for:
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Internal Sales Meetings
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Sales Kick-off​
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Monthly
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Quarterly
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Onboarding​
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Beyond the HR duties​
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Required, self-service training
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Product Training​
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Messaging
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Coaching
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Skill Development
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Sales Playbooks
Process
"Without a process, you have nothing more than good intentions and luck. A sales process systematically channels those to predictable results."
- Peter Drucker
Sales Process
Sales Process by itself is not a silver bullet nor does it guarantee success. Rather, it's framework that, if committed to, provides a unified approach to opportunity management, pipeline hygiene, forecasting and go-to-market analytics.
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Committing to a sales process allows sales leaders and RevOps to build an accurate view of relevant pipeline management metrics to manage the business:
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Pipeline size
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6-month rolling pipeline
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Early stage pipeline
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Pipeline shape
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Pipeline velocity
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Win rate, etc.
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As previously mentioned, these metrics are NOT one size fits all but provide a foundation for running a healthy sales organization and can be easily monitored.
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We are not as concerned about which Sales Process your organization is using, just that you're using one. If you've already invested in one, great, we can help you optimize its usage and benefits. If you need help selecting one that's right for your organization we can advise as we have experience with all of the following (and more):
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MEDDIC
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SNAP
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MEDDPIC
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CHAMP
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NEAT
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SPIN
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ValueSelling
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SPICED
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The Q Framework
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Challenger
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Sandler
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Customer-driven Sales Methodology
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Solution Selling
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Conceptual Selling
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Account-based Selling
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Customer-Centric Selling
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Command of the Message
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At their core, they're all similar, some have nuances based on the complexity of the solution and/or sale. We can help you select one that's right for your business.
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Don't overthink it, let's pick one and go!
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Lead
Management
One half of your sustainable growth formula should be focused on creating a buyer journey with as little friction as possible and a major part of that is how you handle leads.
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What is your process to attract, nurture, convert and engage the right leads for your team?
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Without the right Demand Generation, targeted Business Development tactics, automated outreach, qualification methods and pre-sales tools, lead generation becomes an inefficient wishing game.
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Further, is your Business Development team providing leads to the field that are truly "sales ready?"
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Similar with Marketing-generated leads, conference attendee lists, booth visitors and website downloads do not automatically equal qualified leads.
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Pre-sales Process
Sales 101 tells us that, aside from having a market-relevant solution/product/service, being easy to do business with is the most fundamental tenet of being successful.
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If your customer-facing pre-sales motion is complex, slow and uncoordinated, it'll undeniably create doubt and open the door to your competition. Further, if you're not making it easy for prospects to get their hands on your product themselves they'll likely go elsewhere.
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There are several ways to stand out from the pack to create a helpful, timely and convenient buyer journey with as little friction as possible:
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Demos
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Do you have a readily available demo inventory that can be shown on-demand?​
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Are your demos created with actual use cases from the users perspective?
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Do you offer guided demos where the prospect can drive?
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Development Sandbox Environment
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Do you have a protected DEV environment for your prospects' technical teams to test the solutions themselves?​
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Trial Licenses
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Are you offering short-term trial licenses for prospects to run the solutions in their own environment?​
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Customer Reference Meetings
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Do you have existing, satisfied clients that are willing to go to bat on your behalf and speak with prospects?​
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Preparation
Annual
Quarterly
Ongoing
Confidence and success comes preparation. It's a mantra that has stood the test of time and always will. Have you ever heard a business leader say, "we were too prepared going into this fiscal year?"
Make preparation a cornerstone of your sales organization. Just like there is no finish line in the development of our teams and individuals, the same can be said in our commitment to preparation.
In order for preparation to be meaningful, it needs to be consistent, repeatable, revisited and driven by leadership.
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An annual plan that is not reviewed or revised until the following year is a waste of time for everyone. Annual plans set the expectations and roadmap for the year ahead but they need accountability, relevance and revision throughout the year.
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We have proven methods on how to establish a solid planning foundation and recommendations to keep it as a key tenet going forward.
Client and Prospect Meetings
Every scheduled meeting represents an opportunity. Showing up to all client and prospect meetings with a clearly defined agenda and goals will drive productivity, efficiency and trust.
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While this may seem obvious, it's remarkable how often this gets overlooked. Not only is it appreciated by your clients but it allows you to remain focused, in control and drive the cadence for follow-up, next steps, etc. while showcasing your frictionless buyer's journey.
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We have basic templates (if needed) that can be leveraged as part of your process.
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Revenue Operations
The last of the 4P's but possibly the most important. Practice is about operationalizing and taking action on all of the above and imbedding it into the culture of your sales organization.
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Establishing the right enablement, sales, lead management, pre-sales and preparation processes are incredibly important, but if you fail to commit to them with discipline, they're worthless.
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A dedicated RevOps team can be incredibly beneficial in doing so, here are some key advantages:
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Increased Revenue and Growth
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Improved alignment
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RevOps bridges the gap between sales, marketing, and customer success, leading to smoother handoffs, faster deals, and increased revenue. Studies show 36% higher revenue growth and 28% greater profitability for companies with RevOps
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Enhanced Sales Productivity
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RevOps automates tasks, manages data, and streamlines processes, freeing up sales reps to focus on closing deals. This can lead to a 10-20% increase in sales productivity
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Better forecasting
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RevOps provides clearer insights into the sales pipeline, enabling more accurate forecasting and strategic decision-making. This can help optimize resource allocation and avoid missed opportunities
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Operational Efficiency and Cost Reduction
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Reduced duplication
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RevOps eliminates redundant efforts across teams, promoting efficiency and saving time and money
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Standardized processes
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RevOps establishes clear, consistent processes for lead generation, qualification, and opportunity management, reducing errors and inefficiencies
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Optimized technology stack
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RevOps evaluates and integrates marketing, sales, and customer success tools, reducing costs and maximizing their effectiveness.
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Improved Customer Experience:
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Personalized interactions
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RevOps helps provide customers with relevant, personalized experiences throughout the buying journey, leading to higher satisfaction and retention
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Faster response times
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RevOps ensures swift responses to inquiries and issues, creating a smoother customer experience
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Data-driven decisions
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RevOps provides insights into customer behavior and preferences, helping sales and marketing target the right audience with the right message
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Additional Benefits:
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Better internal collaboration
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RevOps fosters communication and collaboration across teams, promoting a more positive and productive work environment
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Data-driven decision making
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RevOps provides access to accurate data and insights, helping leaders make informed decisions about sales, marketing, and customer success strategies
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Scalability and growth
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RevOps establishes a foundation for sustainable growth by optimizing processes and ensuring alignment across departments
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Overall, investing in a RevOps team can be a strategic move for technology sales organizations looking to increase revenue, improve efficiency, and enhance customer experience.
We will consider the size and complexity of your organization, as well as your current challenges and goals, when determining if a dedicated RevOps team is right for you.
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