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Why Most Revenue Organizations Break at Scale
RevOps

Why Most Revenue Organizations Break at Scale

Growing companies have a funny way of creating their own problems. The things that helped them become successful in the first place eventually become the things that hold them back. I've seen this happen countless times with revenue organizations. A company gets off to a great start because everyone is aligned, communication is easy, and decisions get made quickly. Revenue grows, the team expands, and the business becomes more complex.

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The Critical Importance of Hiring the Right Sales Leader
Leadership & Growth

The Critical Importance of Hiring the Right Sales Leader

Hiring the right sales leader is one of the most critical decisions a company can make, especially for startups and small businesses. The sales leader not only drives revenue but also shapes the sales culture, influences team dynamics, and sets the tone for customer relationships. However, making the wrong choice can lead to significant repercussions that extend far beyond the immediate financial implications.

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Mastering Sales in the AI Era: Secrets Nobody Tells You
AI & Automation

Mastering Sales in the AI Era: Secrets Nobody Tells You

In a world where technology evolves at lightning speed, sales is undergoing a dramatic transformation driven by artificial intelligence. These advancements are not just reshaping processes—they're redefining how sales professionals engage with prospects. Let's explore how to thrive in this new era of sales and make AI work for you.

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Check Out Brian on the Science of Brand Systems Podcast!
RevOps

Check Out Brian on the Science of Brand Systems Podcast!

In the podcast, Brian is interviewed by Sho Rust and Thomas Belhacene, who are founders of SHO.ai, a tech startup in the branding industry. They discuss Brian's background and the sales profession as a whole.

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Just Shut Up and Sell!
RevOps

Just Shut Up and Sell!

Does your business rely on revenue to fund itself? Of course, it does! Even if it's supplemented by capital from outside sources, your business should always strive to rely on customer revenue to power its operations. If revenue is so important to all businesses, then the 2 most critical objectives in business are retaining existing revenue and adding new revenue. In many startups, however, these critical functions are an afterthought but why?

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Your Desire for Constant Pipeline Updates is Actually Hurting Your Sales Process
Systems & Tech

Your Desire for Constant Pipeline Updates is Actually Hurting Your Sales Process

What most non-salespeople don't understand is the struggle to build trust & rapport between seller and prospect. Sure, follow up is important and persistence is key. But, the cadence of your follow up should be dependent on the prospect and not when your manager has to provide their boss with an update.

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8 Tough Questions To Ask In A Sales Interview
Leadership & Growth

8 Tough Questions To Ask In A Sales Interview

Going through the interview process can be uncomfortable. From the front line recruiters to hiring managers and beyond, job interviews are stressful. But just as much as job interviews are about the company interviewing and assessing your ability to provide value to the company, you should be evaluating the company and whether or not you'd enjoy working there.

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Sales & Marketing - What's the Difference Anymore?
BizOps

Sales & Marketing - What's the Difference Anymore?

The buying environment has changed significantly over the past 10 years. Buyers are more informed now than ever before. They have access to more information than any business can control. Whether you're in a B2B or a B2C setting, consumers of your product or service will know enough through 3rd party reviews, referrals, and your website to make a decision before even speaking with someone from your organization. So what does that mean in terms of how businesses adjusting?

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6 Skills You Can't Coach
RevOps

6 Skills You Can't Coach

As your company grows, you will inevitably need to add sales people to your team. You'll create the job ad, get tons of applications, screen lots of resumes, and start interviewing. But now, the big question is, "what are you looking for in a sales candidate?" There are a multitude of attributes that may be leading indicators to success in sales. Sales leaders will have differing opinions on what those may be but there is one simple rule that you should always follow when hiring.

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Everyone Should Spend 1 Week as a BDR (at least)
RevOps

Everyone Should Spend 1 Week as a BDR (at least)

Maybe this is a radical idea but hear me out. I think every single new employee at your company should spend at least one week as a business development representative (BDR) or sales development representative (SDR). From the C-suite down to entry-level, I mean every single employee should do it. It's the most critical position when it comes to getting the ground-level truth about the product and the customer.

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What the Hell is a Sales Playbook?
RevOps

What the Hell is a Sales Playbook?

Simply put, a sales playbook should be a sales rep's bible. They should sleep with it, eat next to it, and read it every night. A sales playbook is an aggregation of lots of different documents that will support the sales rep throughout the sales process. It should assist in all stages of a seller's journey from prospecting, cold calling, demonstrating, to overcoming objections, negotiation, and closing the deal.

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The Real Difference Between Features, Benefits, & Value
BizOps

The Real Difference Between Features, Benefits, & Value

I've gotten into arguments about this. People often confuse the three, primarily benefits and value. Salespeople talk about their "value proposition" and then go on to list the features and benefits of the product they are selling. In my mind, there is a very distinct difference between the three and it is important to understand not only when selling but when building a valuable company (pun intended).

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The Next Big Movement in Sales Strategy
AI & Automation

The Next Big Movement in Sales Strategy

I'm writing this article in the downtime between sessions at a conference for wealth management representatives. I had an interesting conversation with one of the reps in attendance. He told me a story about a friend of his that had a very successful wealth management firm that he grew from the ground up to multi-billions in assets under management. It was built on gritty cold calling and aggressive selling techniques 30 years ago.

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The Ultimate Differentiator: Originality
Leadership & Growth

The Ultimate Differentiator: Originality

Let's start with an exercise. Go to your favorite online bookstore and search for titles containing the word sales or selling. Then, compare that to the number of publications about any other business unit. Overwhelmingly, more books, articles, blogs, etc. are written about how to sell effectively (a quick search on Amazon produced 15,000+ books about professional selling).

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Salespeople Are Not Getting Worse, Quotas Are Harder to Hit
BizOps

Salespeople Are Not Getting Worse, Quotas Are Harder to Hit

Without a doubt, one important characteristic of being successful in sales is competitiveness. But that may come in a few different forms. It's one of the things I'm looking for when I interview salespeople.

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5 Characteristics of an Outstanding Salesperson
RevOps

5 Characteristics of an Outstanding Salesperson

Part of my job consists of interviewing people for the entry-level sales positions we have available. Every conversation usually follows the same structure and ends with me asking if they have any questions they'd like me to answer. One of the most common questions interviewees ask me is, "What does it take to be successful here?"

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5 Tips to Succeed in Relationship Based Sales
RevOps

5 Tips to Succeed in Relationship Based Sales

Sales can be one of the most stressful and competitive industries to be in but there is also endless potential. Nearly every company values a high performing sales rep that can generate new business. It’s one of the few fields that are always in high demand. Building a relationship with clients can be one of the toughest aspects of a job in sales but it is often what sets exceptional salespeople apart from mediocre salespeople.

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