Demonstrating results when you have nothing to show

About 10 years ago I was working for a US-owned company that was seeking to expand the number of customers for its niche logistics software product. 

Typical with complex enterprise products, the sales cycle was slow..  

About 5 months into the assignment, my sales manager became agitated, because his boss (and probably a few others) were keen to see what progress the global sales team was making. Sales had been slower than predicted. 

You might find yourself in a similar situation with your investors. 

I responded by outlining my process for prospecting and building up opportunities. I also shared a copy of the hundreds of letters and phone calls I had been making.

Everything was there for them to see what I had been doing.  

After reviewing my activities and opportunities, my manager was satisfied that I was on the right track.   

In summary: 

• Draft up your sales approach. Outline how you will get your sales targets.  
• Keep a track of all your activities that are designed to lead to sales. 

Remember that the right activities lead to sales. It’s as simple as cause and effect! 

Dial up your confidence!

Everyone has a weakness or two. 

This may sound ironic to some who know me, but on occasions I struggle with self confidence!

We can all turn weaknesses into strengths. 

Many people who use artificial means to mask their insecurities, such as anger which is really just fear underneath.

This is what I do to boost my confidence:

• Understand in a rational way what is causing my lack of confidence. What can I do to addresss those concerns? Keep the mind boyant. In an unemotional way unpick the mental images that is attacking me.  
• Then follow the advice from Daniel Pink (To Sell is Human), ask the same question that Bob the Builder asks, “Can we fix it?” Have I completed all my preparation for this task? Does this mean that I am ready? If the answers are yes, then reflect on this preparation to help build a new personal narrative. 

If you find confidence or similar issues to be a challenge, be like Bob the Builder and fix It!

Make time your ally

On several occasions I made the error of stopping the communication with a prospect that seemed to have no hope of being my customer.

The reality is that all organisations are in a state of constant flux.

Find a way to ‘touch base’ with these organisations at least once a quarter. It could be as simple as a 5min phone call or a coffee catch-up.

By doing this you are not only getting good information, but you are building up relationships that can be relied on in the future. 

For example one contact that I had a good relationship with changed jobs. Although he could not purchase from me in the first organisation, the second organisation was much easier! 

Time marches on.

Opportunities will change.

Make time your ally. 

“A Fool with a Tool is still a Fool”

When it comes to Sales and Marketing tools, Grady Booch’s quote: “A Fool with a Tool is still a Fool” says it all.

For many years, I have experienced the famous SAAS CRM products with no or minimal customisation. Or worse still, I had to use the (configured) CRM of the parent company that I worked for - which had completely different sales processes.

No matter how smart your sales and marketing tools are, they are just tools. 

All vendors will sell the dream of an easy implementation. Do not fall for it! 

“You must not be a passenger in the sales process.”

Before you spend your company’s hard earned money , first work out what your business process is. Get in a consultant to map out your sales process, and then go shopping for the tool that best suits your requirements.

I see this problem with startup founders all the time. They fall for the glitzy image of a great enterprise product.

Until you have 30+ active opportunities you should be able to manage everything on a spreadsheet. And if you use Google Sheets it should be 100% free.  

Do not scale a generic sales process for your business. Make sure it works on a small scale before launching it.   

Once you are confident you are going in the right direction, by all means use the tools to accelerate!

Good luck! 😀

On not meeting Richard Branson

I recently completed reading Richard Branson’s latest book, Finding my Virginity (2017). 

I remember seeing Richard Branson at a small, temporary Sydney baggage terminal in 2000 when he launched Virgin Blue (now Virgin Australia). He looked calm and exuded great confidence!

I was in my early 20’s and had a strong desire to introduce myself.

To my regret I backed down and continued on with my transit without speaking to him. Who was I to approach a billionaire?

This opportunity I suppose may have opened the door to a fantastic career with Virgin.

In reading Branson’s biography of that time, it’s clear his fledgling company Virgin Blue was under a lot of pressure. It’s future was not yet certain. 

Three lessons I have taken from that time: 

• Always be positive and optimistic. The job of an entrepreneur is to help everyone catch your vision.  
• Pressure is a normal part of an entrepreneur’s life. Expect to have it, but don’t let it control you. 
• If you see an opportunity, take it! Don’t check yourself. Forget about your fears or any lack of confidence. 

How do we define Sales?

Daniel Pink’s Book,  To Sell is Human   explained that sales can be defined as ‘moving’ someone from one position to another in order to help them realise a benefit. 

With this definition, it’s not just 10% of the workforce that are in sales, but the remaining 90% are in sales and they don’t know it yet!

For a startup this definition can help you realise that success can be measured by more than just dollars coming into the business.

Although company revenue is the ultimate sign of business success, it often needs to be broken down into smaller wins. 

Booking a first meeting with a senior executive is an example of moving somebody or selling successfully. 

In large, strategic sales, you need to do a lot of ‘moving’ before the ink hits the paper.  

What is today’s definition of “Success”?

Selling can be a lonely job. On many occasions you are alone with your thoughts 🤔  

Large size deals do not drop every day. So how can you keep long term activities from dragging you down?

For me, writing a list of 4-6 important tasks in the morning helps me to be productive and feel successful. 

Naturally your tasks will be linked to your overall success as a startup founder.  

As you stay focussed on what you define as success today, it will help you feel both positive and productive!

Varying your speed and pace

I recently come out of an intense month where very focused company objectives needed to be achieved.

Reaching these objectives were priority one, two and three. 

Then the world changed. Objectives were achieved and I went back to my usual speed and approach to selling.  

Varying your work speed is similar to exercise. You cannot sprint 100% of the time. Your performance will drop and eventually you will burn out.  

I believe the trick is carefully planning the times when the intensive work is required, and working at an efficient and effective pace at times inbetween. 

By varying your speed your mind will be fresh and over time you will be more effective! 

Persuasive words can be your superpower

If you are a fan of the Lord of the Rings movies or book series, you will be familiar with scenes featuring the persuasive words of Saruman. The book understandably has the best depiction: “beware the voice of Saruman!”

Now I don’t possess the persuasive powers of a middle earth wizard, but through my life I have felt the persuasive power of those that know their wordcraft.

I have also used words that have helped me to increase my rate of sales success. 

Persuasive words to help you sell your startup’s services can be complicated affair.

Over the next few months I will be releasing short courses to help startup founders tap into this persuasive super power!

Stay tuned! 

Who is your Drill Sergeant?

Sales professionals have sales managers and business owners who put on the pressure when revenue is down.

Their pressure forces sales staff to keep selling harder or give up!

As a startup founder who is your drill sergeant? 

At the time it may not be enjoyable to have someone breathing down your neck, holding you accountable. But it does produce results!  

In recent times my “drill sergeant” forced me to increase my intensity with leads and opportunities. It did get measurable results! I would not want to live under that kind of pressure every day, but at the right time it’s spectacular!

So who is your drill sergeant?