Chris Cornehl

Sales Cold-Calling Tip: Most of the prospects don't want to sound rough during the calls, DON'T GIVE THEM THE CHANCE to be so by doing the following: 1- Respect their time (it is a sudden call, you might have caught them into something) 2- Use permission-based openers (This creates a wider ground of understanding) 3- Do your home work and research your prospects ( Their interests, the industry, the company's updates ... etc) 4- Practice ( You will never learn how to do successful cold-calls until you make a handful of failures) #Coldcalling #Sales

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Should SDRs report to Marketing or Sales? Here's what world class teams do. Assume you have 10+ SDRs (but this applies even at the 4 SDR count)... Dedicate 1-2 SDRs to INBOUND. This is Demo Requests, Contact Us forms, Chat, etc.... INBOUND is characterized by the prospects WAITING for an answer.... The language used and comp to work these leads is very different from outbound... should be a helpful tone, and fast response. Monitor channels and help help help... These SDRs report 100% to marketing. Another 3+ SDRs should have sequences based on CAMPAIGNS! These include: - re-ignite closed lost - Turn PLG into Paid - Trade show scans - Webinar attendees - Micro ICP based on X tech usage - Micro ICP based on hiring X profile - etc... Those SDRs should collaborate with Marketing to maximize the number of meetings with companies that have HIGHER PROPENSITY TO BUY. These are more Senior reps who can adapt to new scripts and emails quickly. Once you have exhausted HIGH INTENT and HIGH UNITY leads... you build outbound. (Ask me what UNITY means if you don't know) 5+ SDRs should be working exclusively on Outbound ABM / ICP Accounts AND collaborate with AEs to ensure deals keep moving through pipeline.... Yes, these 5 SDRs should meet with AEs for 1 hour every 2 weeks and coordinate what deals to revive, keep momentum going, multithread, etc. Those 5 OUTBOUND SDRs are helping turn meetings into REVENUE, more than just "get any meeting you can"... They report to Sales. Anyone who thinks: - All meetings are created equal - We just need to make "more calls" - The value of SDRs is the meetings ^^ You're going to fail. You have to totally redesign your Outbound Game... Stop running the 2011 Predictable Revenue playbook, and upgrade to the 2024 way of thinking. Want to join my free monthly sessions on SalesDev Trends and updates, comment below and I'll add you to it. Cheers!

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Address the customer's problem directly rather than pushing the product. Identify their pain points and offer a solution that genuinely meets their needs. Explain how your approach resolves their issue effectively, and demonstrate the benefits they will gain. Prioritize their concerns and provide clear, actionable steps. This strategy builds trust and shows that you value their satisfaction over a quick sale, leading to stronger, long-term relationships and a positive reputation for your brand.

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When RevOps is really just SalesOps (And the CRO is really just the VP of Sales) 𝗦𝗔𝗟𝗘𝗦 𝗘𝗡𝗚𝗜𝗡𝗘 - Closing deals should work - Clear pipeline management process - Forecasting is as accurate as possible - But everything before & after is an issue 𝗠𝗔𝗥𝗞𝗘𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚 - Has different goals - Maybe the target is MQLs - Has their definition of MQLs - And their definition of SALs, SQOs - Has systems with different metrics - Their reports don't match sales' reports - Leads routed from one system to the next - With lots of things falling through the cracks - Classic case of marketing/sales misalignment 𝗢𝗨𝗧𝗕𝗢𝗨𝗡𝗗 - Do SDRs report to marketing? - If so, we're misaligned there too - The goal may be meetings booked - So AEs have lots of leads and meetings - But maybe not the ones they really need - The ones that convert to pipeline/revenue - We have more misalignment & finger pointing - Do SDRs report to sales? - What content do they have? - What events and assets do they share? - What visibility do they have into engagement? - How does marketing align with their outreach? 𝗢𝗡𝗕𝗢𝗔𝗥𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚 - Sales is paid to close deals - How do they hand off customers? - What is the onboarding process? - Who builds/maintains that process? - What is done if sales drops the ball? - What is done if sales overpromises? - How are incentives and comp aligned? 𝗥𝗘𝗧𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡 & 𝗘𝗫𝗣𝗔𝗡𝗦𝗜𝗢𝗡 - Which customers are easiest to retain? - Which customers are most likely to churn? - Which customers are the easiest to expand? - How is this data used to improve sales targeting? - How do we maximize NRR if sales is in their own silo? For me RevOps drives value by getting into the weeds and finding ways to generate more revenue with the resources available. That includes SalesOps and optimizing the sales process to close more deals. However, if we stop there we end up with an expensive and inefficient revenue engine with high CAC, high Churn and low LTV. We end up with different departments chasing different goals in different systems with different reports and different definitions of success. What would you add to this? Anything I missed? ✌️

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SDRs + AI > Traditional SDRs. 6 AI tools that will change SDRing forever. 1. Crono Find, Enrich & Reach leads on the same platform [no more 2728 tabs open]. 2. @claygent AI web scraper that can visit websites, find & summarize anything, and report back [no more researching companies 1 by 1]. 3. Trigify.io Find the perfect lead at the right time. [no more searching for triggers for hours] 4. Bardeen A complete suite of AI Agents. [no more repetitive, boring tasks] 5. Hyperbound AI Sales Roleplay Agent [no more cold call roleplay's with your boss]. 6. Sendler.ai Record and upload 1 video that automatically personalises to 1000s of prospects [no more re-recording very bad quality videos]. These tools aren't replacing SDRs. They're removing the work we aren't good at. AI is your friend. What's your fav AI SDR tool? PS. Shout-out to my friend Noam Nisand for inspiring this post [follow him].

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I’ve spent 12 years in B2B SaaS GTM - Working with hundreds of revenue teams Here's the biggest differentiator of success I’ve seen: 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗲𝘅𝗲𝗰𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗲𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀. Let me break this down. 𝗣𝗥𝗢𝗖𝗘𝗦𝗦 1. They have clearly defined and well documented process the entire team understands. 2. Or they don’t want to invest the resources to do this. They’d rather spend time and money to pour more leads into the top of a leaky funnel. 𝗘𝗫𝗘𝗖𝗨𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡 3. They actually execute their processes. They have metrics, systems and reporting designed around them and can see the execution. They review regularly and hold people accountable. 4. Or they’re too afraid of their salespeople and/or disorganized to actually drive execution. 𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗦𝗜𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗡𝗖𝗬 5. They execute consistently over time. They don’t let off the gas. Ops, management, execs all monitor execution and drive it consistently. 6. Or they distracted by fire-drills and shiny objects. They execute for a bit and then fall off. They miss targets but still don’t realize the balls they’re dropping. 𝗘𝗙𝗙𝗘𝗖𝗧𝗜𝗩𝗘𝗡𝗘𝗦𝗦 7. They carefully measure the effectiveness of processes and optimize consistently. This costs time, money, and resources but they’re committed to the investment. 8. Or they want to “set it and forget it.” Things are done this way “because that’s how we’ve always done it” or because it worked 10-20 years ago when executives were last on the front lines. 9. Bottom performers miss targets and blame people, software, markets, etc. Cuts are made without anyone really understand the root issues. 10. Top performers have more objective views on how and why things are working or not. Their people are promoted or let go based on their ability and willingness to do things the right way, not based on arbitrary swings far outside their control. What would you add to this? 🤔

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+$100M B2B SaaS company doesn't know how many leads & how much pipeline they have. 𝗕𝗼𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗚𝗧𝗠 𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘀 𝘆𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗱𝗮𝘆. They just signed with us. They have:  - ICP/Buyer Personas barely defined  - No definition for an MQL  - No definition for an SQO  - No Sales Methodology  - No Sales Process  - No Forecasting  - Salesforce IS Implemented  - But no real usage of Salesforce  - No (accurate) reports in Salesforce (Kudos to them for having such a great product they broke $100M despite all this though, right?) It could take months, or years, to define the process, drive the team to adopt the process correctly, iterate it until it's right. We have 1-2 weeks! How are we going to do it? Here's how: 𝟭. 𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗮𝘀𝗶𝗰𝘀  - Every demo request is an MQL  - Every demo delivered is an SQO  - Build basic lead and pipeline reports  - Build a basic Revenue Metrics Dashboard Is this why I founded this company?  - To hack together some sloppy metrics?  - Absolutely not! But is this better than what we have today?  - Absolutely! This gives us a start, some basic visibility.   - It's also easier to populate historic data if desired  - Can't really do that with a methodology like MEDDIC 𝟮. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗡𝗮𝗶𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗮𝘀𝗶𝗰𝘀 𝗱𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁  - We'll skip ICP/Personas for now  - It's "good enough" but needs attention soon  - We'll start defining the lead and sales process  - This could take us a few more weeks or months  - But by EOQ we'll have FAR more accurate metrics We want to get to "good" as fast as possible. Then we can worry about getting from "good" to "great" 𝟯. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘄𝗲'𝗹𝗹 𝗱𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗖𝗦 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗢𝘂𝘁𝗯𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱  - The basics need attention there too  - They also want this done "yesterday"  - But we have to take it one step at a time  - We'll nail ICP/Personas, other basics across GTM  - This sets a solid foundation across their entire GTM 𝟰. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘄𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀  - They already bought CPQ  - They already have accounting integrated  - They DESPERATELY want to forecast accurately  - They want to drive more revenue from each channel  - But these things take FAR more time  - We need the basics first We can't start with CPQ and ignore deals we're losing that we shouldn't, that we could win in just a few weeks if we get the right foundation in place. That's how we're tackling this. How would you tackle it? 🤔

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The two worst questions to ask during sales demos: 1) what questions do you have? 2) does that make sense? 10 questions to ask instead (that actually close deals): 1. How are you doing [x workflow] today? Ask this right before you demo a feature that helps with that workflow. It forces your buyer into a state of contrast: How they're doing it today vs. how they COULD do it with your product. 2. How does that compare to how you're doing it now? Same concept as the first question: Only this time, you ask AFTER you showcased the feature. Value comes from contrast. This works beautifully. 3. To what extent do you envision this being useful in your situation? This is a great, non-cheesy way to get them imagining using your product. 4. How do you see your team using that? Great question to ask decision makers who get VALUE from your product, but don't use it themselves. 5. To what degree is this resonating so far? Great 'mid point' demo question to ask. Far better than 'what questions do you have so far?' 6. To what extent do you see that solving [x problem they shared earlier]? This puts on a 'nail in the coffin' on a pain point they shared. Demo a piece of your product that solves it. Then ask that question. It creates mental 'closure' that what you do solves the problem they have. 7. What benefits do you see showing up in your world as a result of what I just showed you? Easy way to get them voicing the benefits without it sounding like you're trying to hard to make that happen. 8. Where do you want to double-click with a few questions? Notice this is the same as "What questions do you have?" Only, the difference in phrasing is a bit of a 'pattern interrupt.' It makes you seem different than other sellers. A good thing. 9. It seems like that resonated. What challenge is going on in your business that's making that resonate? When you sense you 'struck a chord' during your demo, stop and ask that question. You'll get a treasure-trove of pain and information. 10. It seems like what I just showed you doesn't resonate. Where am I missing the mark? Ask this when you feel you're OFF the mark. Get them talking when you sense you're off track. It's the only way to get BACK on track. - What questions would you add? P.S. If you're a SaaS seller and want to reach the next level of your financial success, give these 30 deal-closing scripts and strategies a try: https://lnkd.in/gZcrmSWE

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60% of deals end in "no decision". And it's a silent killer - you don't find out that the prospect decides to stay the same until it's too late. But here's a simple rule you can follow to reduce "no decision": ** No metrics, no sale **   This means if your prospect can't connect their challenges to concrete, measurable business impacts, then you probably do not have a deal.    Why? It signals:    ⚠️ You might not be engaging at a senior enough level.  ⚠️ The issue is not painful enough to warrant immediate action (or budget!)  ⚠️ Your champion does not understand their value story (which means it is very unlikely they will be able to build consensus to get a deal done)    So, when faced with this, ask yourself:    Can I help my prospect connect their challenges to business impact? Or, is working on this deal really a waste of time?

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How to increase cold calling conversions: 1. Talk to prospects 2. Ask targeted questions about pain and outcomes 3. Listen back to calls 4. Find the theme 5. Re-write your scripts 6. Practice 7. Deliver the script to prospects This should be an exercise you run every quarter. You'll thank me later! P.S. ditch the AI talk. Most of your prospects don’t understand it. Join my newsletter for more sales content: https://lnkd.in/ejXa9uKD

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Are you familiar with Simpson’s Paradox? Here’s a simple version for B2B SaaS GTM: - Metrics lie to you when data is blended together. 𝗘𝘅𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲 #𝟭 - 𝗔𝗖𝗩 𝘃𝘀. 𝗦𝗮𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗖𝘆𝗰𝗹𝗲 - MM Sales Cycles increase with ACV - ENT Sales Cycles increase with ACV - But overall sales cycles decrease as ACV grows? This is obvious when we see the data separated. It’s also obvious if we think about it intuitively. But this is a trap we so often fall into. 𝗘𝘅𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲 #𝟮 - 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗖𝗔𝗖 - Demo requests have high conversion - Website downloads have lower conversion - Which has a sustainable Cost of Acquisition? - Is money spent to promote downloads worth it? - We won't see this if we blend all our leads together 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺: 𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗮 𝘂𝘀𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀𝗻'𝘁 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 - Do we have a clear definition for MM and ENT? - Is this mapped perfectly to our pipeline in SFDC? - Can we see where each of our leads have came from? This all sounds simple until you try to do it. Until you look at the mess of data you have. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: 𝗔𝗱𝗼𝗽𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘂𝗲 𝗙𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗠𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗹 - Map your customer journey like a factory floor - Outline each “station” as a piece of the process - Use that to clearly define the process to measure - Then you’ll have better data, insights and decisions - Better ability to isolate production issues in the factory In other words, we can see the holistic Revenue Factory and narrow into its component parts to see what's working, what's not, and where we should focus our attention the most. It gives us a greater ability to find ways to drive more revenue faster. In tomorrow’s 📰 𝙍𝙚𝙫𝙊𝙥𝙨 𝙒𝙚𝙚𝙠𝙡𝙮 📰 we're breaking down more key insights like this from our recent webinar on Optimizing GTM Using the Revenue Factory Model. Subscribe to get it here: https://bit.ly/49RCm0h ✌️

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4 tips for running better discovery calls +1 bonus tip +1 one give-away [last line] Discovery isn’t just a stage in the sales process. We've all heard this. Yet, too many reps walk away without truly understanding the pain or the cost of doing nothing. Here’s how to fix that: 1. Start with curiosity. Don’t dive in with generic questions. Instead, open with something thoughtful: → “What made you take this call?” → “When did this challenge first show up for you?” Simple, yet effective. 2. Go deeper. Surface problems aren’t enough. Your job is to dig into the why. → “What’s causing this issue?” → “Who else is impacted?” → “What happens if it doesn’t get fixed?” Get them talking about the ripple effects. 3. Tie pain to metrics. No impacted metrics = no urgency. Find out what matters most to their business: → “Is this impacting win rates, pipeline coverage, or forecast accuracy?” → “What’s the cost of missing those targets?” You’re not just finding pain. You’re quantifying it. 4. Call out the cost of inaction. Paint the picture of staying as is. → “If this isn’t fixed in 6 months, what does that mean for your team?” → “How does this impact hitting revenue goals for the year?” They need to feel the pain now. Bonus tip... 5. Know when to walk away. Not every problem is urgent. If the impact isn’t big enough, qualify out. Save your time. And theirs. Great discovery isn’t about pitching. It’s about listening, digging, and connecting the dots. Get it right, and you’ll build urgency without ever needing to offer a discount. Which number could you be doing more of? ------------------------------------------------------- 🔔 Follow me for more on sales James Bissell ♻️ Repost and I'll send you a Discovery Call talk track.

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Salesforce’s Content Builder is a drag-and-drop editor that simplifies email creation. But here are the top 3 ways YOU can make the most of it without needing extra help: 𝟭. 𝗢𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘇𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗯𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗸𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗺𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗳𝗹𝗼𝘄: Many users drag blocks randomly without thinking about the flow. Instead, you can create a logical sequence where each block leads your reader to the next step. 𝟮. 𝗨𝘀𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗲-𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝘁 𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲: Instead of starting from scratch, use Salesforce’s templates. Customize them to fit your branding, saving both time and effort. 𝟯. 𝗧𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴: Don’t hit send without testing! The Content Builder’s preview tool lets you see how your email will look on different devices, ensuring a smooth experience for your audience. Want to see how easy email creation can be? Go check out Salesforce’s Content Builder today! P.S. I saved you hours of stress. What will you do with that extra time? 😅 #EmailMarketing #EmailDevelopment #Salesforce #DigitalMarketing #MarketingAutomation #CustomerEngagement #LeadGeneration #EmailStrategy #CRM #BusinessGrowth

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In the B2B SaaS landscape, understanding user retention through the growth funnel can be mathematically quantified using advanced models like the Customer Success Model, which links user engagement metrics directly to retention rates. The core formula that drives this model is the Customer Retention Rate, defined as: CRR = (Customers at End of Period - New Customers Acquired / Customers at Start of Period) X 100 A robust Churn Rate, conversely, can be defined as: CR = (Customers Lost / Customers at Start of Period) X 100 With a NPS acting as a precursor indicator of potential churn, predictive models such as the Cox Proportional Hazards Model can statistically estimate user lifespan based on NPS scores and other covariates, effectively predicting when a user might churn based on the historical patterns of similar customer segments. To elevate engagement and enhance the conversion rates at each funnel stage, one might utilize the AIDA model coupled with Bayesian Inference to dynamically adapt marketing strategies based on real-time data. This could yield a conversion optimization formula expressed as: C = (Traffic X Conversion Rate X (1 - Churn Rate)) X LTV This approach underscores the necessity of leveraging statistical analysis in refining user experience and maximizing retention, as evidenced by Gartner’s research, which indicates that increasing customer retention rates by just 5% can boost profits by 25% to 95%.

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Here’s the $0 to $30M ARR blueprint for SaaS Sales $0 - $500K ARR: - Transactions - Land & expand - 3 - 6 month cycles $500K - $1M ARR: - Multiple products - Enterprise solutions - Close in <12 months $1M - $30M ARR: - Transformations - Strategic opportunities - Long-term engagements 🐝

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Your deals don't close for likely one of the following reasons: 1. Wrong ICP 2. Poor Sales Process Discipline 3. Single-Threaded Engagements 4. Lack of Urgency in the Sales Cycle 5. Hyper Technical vs. Hyper Business Focus 6. Lack of Business Case and Value Alignment 7. Delayed or Lack of Access to Decision Makers Do this often enough and you'll end up like me in the pic below... You're ride is over and done, and you're about to fall, dreading the paddle back out because you're mentally and physically exhausted. PS - Down to 2 open slots left at Surf & Sales Nov 15-19th

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Sales Velocity = SaaS Growth Engine This gives us clear and defined points of operating leverage: - # of opportunities - win rate - ACV - Sales cycle time

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The % of your pipeline that matches your ICP could determine whether you hit your sales target or not. "Salesforce needs 3x pipeline when it was 2x before" = even more pressure on demand gen! Here's what I think... 1️⃣ Having more pipeline means nothing if you can't close it Sales leaders are demanding their reps have higher pipeline coverage. If I ask a sales rep to find more pipeline to increase coverage, they will. But it's likely to be junk that won't close. CROs are putting more pressure on marketing to generation more pipeline in the short term. But you can't buy demo requests!!! Stop talking about pipeline coverage and start looking into what % of your pipeline is ICP. Then talk about how you can generate more of that pipeline. This is a whole other post entirely. 2️⃣ Teach your sales team to only qualify the good stuff Guy Rubin yesterday unveiled that top performers focus on qualifying ideal customers that match your ICP. They know what good looks like and know that by focusing on those customers, they will hit their number. Teach reps about your ICP, personas, use cases etc. Don't let the crap in... Shoutout to Ebsta - their new offering is something that blows my mind. Take a look if you haven't already. 3️⃣ The unit economics don't work any more I sat down with our CEO last week and explained how hard it is to spend $1 to acquire $1 in this environment. Again, another post on this. He's a realist and want us to invest in generating pipeline rather than just cutting costs all the time. This means we spend a bit more. But we've spent 18 months going upmarket and our LTV is better in that segment. So we can justify it. 4️⃣ Start looking at what % of your pipeline is ICP I ask every marketer this question and few can answer what % of their pipeline is in their ICP. They are more focused on the total number, even though the reality is it might not close. At the end of the day, it's still hard. But it's hard to argue with the fact that a relentless focus on winning your ideal customers can be trumped by any other strategy. What do you think? #marketing #idealcustomerprofile #sales #b2b #abm

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