Mrinalini Marwah

🚀 Strategic Approaches for Sales Engineers to Bypass a Proof of Concept (PoC) 🚀 Hello #SalesEngineers! Mastering the art of avoiding unnecessary Proof of Concepts (PoCs) can significantly enhance your efficiency and effectiveness. Here’s how to strategically navigate this: 1. Deep Discovery and Qualification: Invest time in thorough discovery sessions. Understand not just the customer’s immediate needs but their long-term strategic goals. Qualify rigorously to ensure alignment with your solution’s strengths. 2. Strategic Storytelling: Use compelling case studies and success stories strategically. Tailor them to resonate with the specific challenges and industry of your prospect, demonstrating a deep understanding of their context. 3. Targeted Interactive Demos: Customize demos to address the unique pain points of your prospect. Focus on demonstrating how your solution integrates seamlessly with their existing systems and workflows, minimizing perceived risk. 4. Build Peer Networks: Facilitate direct conversations between your prospects and existing customers. Peer validation can often outweigh the need for a PoC by providing trusted, real-world insights. 5. Pilot Programs as an Alternative: Offer structured pilot programs with clear success criteria. This can provide hands-on experience while requiring less commitment and fewer resources than a full-scale PoC. 6. Quantify and Communicate ROI: Present detailed ROI analyses and business impact projections. Equip your prospects with the financial justifications needed to make confident decisions without the need for a PoC. 7. Leverage Internal Champions: Identify and cultivate internal champions within the prospect’s organization. Their advocacy can help bypass the need for a PoC by building internal consensus and trust. 8. Executive Alignment: Engage with senior executives early. Align your solution with their strategic initiatives to ensure top-down support, which can often eliminate the need for a PoC. By focusing on strategic alignment, value demonstration, and strong customer advocacy, you can often avoid the resource-heavy PoC and move directly to closing the deal. Let’s elevate our approach and drive greater efficiency in our sales cycles! #StrategicSales #SalesEnablement #TechSales #CustomerSuccess #B2BSales #SalesStrategy #ROI

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Most CS Leaders & CSMs struggle with churn & find themselves helpless. It is one of the most frustrating feelings. Reason? wrong team, wrong timing, wrong strategy-all fixable. #CustomerSuccess is a function for which most flows get designed in a way that all the residue flows downhill towards the last stop-the #CSM. Leaving them choked & out of options to do much. Yes, they clean, plead, try, convince-but it usually is too little too late. The easy fix? Start #CS efforts at the beginning, as soon as someone becomes your customer because that is when the #CSjourney starts. Your playbooks/ processes/ teams/ whims & fancies don't matter. Broad #CSJourneyPlaybooks every #CSLeader needs to create, continuously improve & own: Playbook 𝟭/ Sales Closure Form or Sales to CS/Implementation Handover (Key playbook to get everything started for the customer- answers the 𝗪𝗛𝗬. Stop losing critical customer info after the sale. This playbook ensures a seamless transition, capturing every detail to start strong and avoid missteps) My template: https://lnkd.in/ggF-kGsB Playbook 𝟮/ Customer Success Plan (A playbook that is continuously evolving & is needed for all succeeding playbooks in the customer journey. No more vague goals have clear 𝗪𝗛𝗔𝗧. Create tailored #successplans with clear metrics and milestones to align with customer objectives and drive real results) My template: https://lnkd.in/g2c5bMUk Playbook 𝟯/ Implementation Plan (Even if this is done by a different sub-team, implementation is a part of CS. If I am responsible for the rocket launch- I need to control the program of it's creation- the 𝗛𝗢𝗪. This step-by-step guide ensures smooth integration & quick time to value) Playbook 𝟰/ First Value Realization Plan, Not an Adoption Plan! (Early wins matter. This is the 𝗪𝗛𝗘𝗡 of start of value realization for customer & also building trust in the solution you promised) Playbook 𝟱/ Periodic Business Review/ Value Review & Revision Plan (The most important & perhaps the only engagement your customers ever need from you! The Initial Goals, Progress, Next Steps, Changed Goals, Changed Plan etc.) Playbook 𝟲/ Renewal & Expansion Plan (This exists as renewals are the typical ripe moments for up sells & cross sells; though expansion can happen earlier depending on customer needs & value realized. And yes for the strongest solutions- this is a Non Event- the simplest playbook) These are the broad must have Playbooks every CS Leader should have. We have many more playbooks that are added across the customer journey depending on the solutions, product, customer persona, industry, domain, depth, CS maturity etc. Which playbooks are you creating & using to get your customers to success? #renewal #retention #process #playbooks #customersuccessmanager #implementation #support #founders #b2b #saas #linkedin Block 1:1 https://lnkd.in/gjQxGq7f for coaching/mentoring or setting up your Org. CS mindset/ team/ process/ playbooks/ tech stack

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I've got 200+ proper responses over email while reaching out to prospects, after experimenting for the past 1.5 years at Freshworks. Before joining Freshworks, I was able to book 30+ meetings in a month at LeadSquared , all through emails & achieved 232.5% of the quota with the creative freedom the team has offered. My strategy is below: 1.Being very simple 2. Creative 3. On-Point Thanks to my previous firm's Co-Founder Santhosh Kumar. When I had zero SaaS experience, He trusted me that this guy is curious to learn & has the potential. All of my email game was learnt from him. Understanding the use-case & value of your product is the key factor here! How you're utilizing email & how's it helping? Comment below! #emailcopywriting #emails #saas #freshworks #prospecting #sales #coldemail #outreach #coldoutreach

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Why Everyone Should Do Outbound Sales at Least Once in Their Career !! Outbound sales isn't just about hitting quotas; it's about developing a diverse skill set that benefits your entire career. Here’s why every sales professional should give it a shot: ✴ Outbound sales require you to understand your market and target audience deeply. ✴ Facing rejection head-on builds thick skin and teaches perseverance. ✴ Crafting and delivering compelling pitches hones your communication skills. ✴ Constantly finding new ways to engage prospects sparks creativity. ✴ Juggling leads and follow-ups sharpens your time management abilities. ✴ Stepping out of your comfort zone fosters personal and professional growth. Have you done outbound sales? Share your experiences below! #Sales #OutboundSales #CareerGrowth #SalesSkills #ProfessionalDevelopment #SalesExperience

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Let's Talk 📢 Inside Sales teams today not only drive revenue but also foster meaningful customer relationships.(Thoughts and comments welcome) 🙏 Here's how: 1. Targeted Engagement: Leveraging analytics, our team identifies high-potential leads, ensuring every interaction counts. 2. Strategic Nurturing: Through proactive follow-ups and value-driven conversations, we nurture leads along the sales funnel, guiding them towards conversion. 3. Agile Adaptation: Our team stays ahead by continuously adapting strategies based on real-time insights. 4. Collaborative Synergy: Inside Sales doesn't operate in isolation. By aligning efforts, we maximize impact and deliver holistic value. 5. Measurable Impact: Key performance indicators (KPIs) are more than just metrics—they're guiding lights. 6. Continuous Improvement: Complacency is the enemy of progress. Our team thrives on a culture of continuous learning and improvement. 🤝 In conclusion, an intelligent Inside Sales team isn't just about making calls—it's about making meaningful connections and driving tangible results. By embracing innovation, collaboration, and a relentless pursuit of excellence, we're not just meeting revenue targets—we're exceeding them, propelling our organization towards greater heights of success!#InsideSales #RevenueGrowth #SalesExcellence #DataDrivenSales #rategain #hospitality

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**Founders & GTM leaders ** -- only 2 days left to sign up for Lightspeed India'a #MastersOfSaaS session with the creator of MEDDIC - John McMahon known widely as the BEST salesperson in the world. John is a board member at companies such as Snowflake MongoDB ThoughtSpot and more! This will be an online session on JUN25th 8-9PM IST / 730AM PST. Please RSVP early to reserve your spot: https://shorturl.at/ZPLxH We'll discuss: - common mistakes in setting up sales teams - learnings from being a CRO at multiple 100M+ ARR businesses - how to hire A+ talent, every. single. time. - and much more!

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IMO, in B2B, Building #buyer confidence in themselves is the single most important factor in today's selling world. The seller's job is to help the buyer ask the right question, seek key metrics, determine the right value, be wary of the implementation process, product, customization, experience, risks, etc. All these questions IMO are vendor-agnostic. It's only when a buyer is confident in making this decision by themselves comes the question of the supplier i.e. You , who can/can't provide these to begin with. Approaching sales from a supplier point of view (service provider/You) just isn't working in content inundated world. I have even seen people willing to trust and bet on you even with less feature parity if you can build that buyer confidence. In B2B, the key enemy is the "status quo" more than anything else.

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#SaaSeries2: Freshworks Q2 FY24 Results. Here are the key highlights: - Total customers in Q2 FY24 grew by 4% to 68.8K YOY. - Customers with ARR >USD 5K grew by 14% YOY, accounting for 90% of the ARR. - Customers with ARR > USD 50K grew by 30% YOY, making up 50% of the ARR. In terms of key metrics: - Revenue saw a 20% growth to 174 Mn in Q2 FY24, with the US market contributing 45%. The growth was also driven by acquisition of Device42 signaling the saturation in US market for key offerings. - Net Dollar Retention stands at 106%. - #ACV is at #USD10K, while the gross margin remains high at 85%. - #FCF USD 32.8 Mn in Q2 FY 24 Few observations: 1) The #Enterprise segment is the fastest-growing, maintaining its trend QoQ. 2) The #SMB segment, constituting ~10%, is critical for expansion despite being the least growing segment. Special focus areas include #GenAI solutions like #Freddycopilot and #Freshchat, with a 40% attachment rate, aimed at enhancing #agentproductivity. #SaaS #GenAI #Freshworks #SaaSUnicorn #AIagents #AIAssistants #conversationintelligence #venturecapital #privateequity #investments

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We are meeting this Wednesday at the Factors.ai office in HSR, Bangalore to talk about ABM, Attribution, Demo, Digital Marketing, and much more with Industry leaders like Storylane and TripleDart - B2B SaaS Growth Agency. Could not have had a better panel than Nalin, Srikrishna, and Shiyam, since they are going to be preaching what they profess, which is rare, isn't it given the noise in the software world? 👀 #nobluff #noselling Only 50 spots are available, 35 booked. Find the RSVP link in the comments. Lettssssgoooo 🚀 #saas #ABM #marketing #factors

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🚀 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐁2𝐁 𝐒𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 🚀 Here are 4 tried-and-true B2B sales strategies, that I know of that were taught to me by my mentors, bosses, former colleagues, and friends from the industry: 𝐒𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐒𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 💡 "Don't sell me a product, solve my problem!" Solution selling is all about identifying the client's pain and solving it like a superhero with your product or service. It's not about what you have, but how you use it to save the day. 𝐀𝐜𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭-𝐁𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐒𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 🎯 Think of this as sales with a sniper rifle, not a shotgun. Focus on key accounts, personalize your approach, and build strong, lasting relationships. Quality over quantity. 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐜 𝐒𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 📊 Here's where you think like a chess grandmaster. Understand the complex landscape of your client's organization, identify all the decision-makers, and make strategic moves (those who know, know what this means) that lead to the next million-dollar deal. 𝐒𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐒𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 🌐 Welcome to the digital age! Use social media to build your brand, engage with prospects, and share valuable content. Pro Tip: If you are someone who starts the conversation with "How is the weather?" and gets stuck after that, then it's not for you. Remember, it's all about making genuine connections and offering real value. So, which strategy are you working on? #B2BSales #SolutionSelling #AccountBasedSelling #StrategicSelling #SocialSelling #SalesStrategies #BusinessGrowth

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Importance of Solutioning After sales. Today I want to highlight one key issue we all CSMs face. We often see that that an account has been sold well and has gone live with a signed BRD(Business Requirement Doc) But still after the account has been handed over to a CSM or Key accounts manager, Points get highlighted and once again the CSM needs to invest time in re-implementing the account rather than focusing on adoption and growth in the account. Why this happens? * Is it that the sales have not understood the pain point at time of selling? * Is it the Implementation has not been done according to the BRD? Most of the cases Sales have done their work properly and Implementation also followed the BRD which is mutually signed by both parties. What is lacking according to my experience is the way if advising customer by the Business Analyst when the solutioning is done after sales. Its natural we try to replicate whatever the customer asks and deliver the same but we never advise the customer about the future. Will their users be at ease in using the system? Will the features and ways implemented really are required for the Customer and the ground workers or we are just adding an extra node for the users to work on. Its very important to share experience to the customer while solutioning as you know your product and use cases far better than anyone. Lets help our customers to love the system we implement rather than just deliver the system which they ask for.

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🌟 Unlocking Sales Engineering Excellence: Lesser-Known Strategies for Success 🌟 To stand out in the competitive field of Sales Engineering, embracing unconventional strategies can offer you a unique edge. Here are some lesser-known but highly effective practices that can elevate your performance and deepen client engagement: Unique Strategies for Sales Engineers: 1. Leverage Storytelling with Data: Combine compelling narratives with data visualization to illustrate how your solutions can impact the client’s business. Stories help make technical data relatable and memorable. 2. Utilize Reverse Engineering: Start by understanding the end-goal of your client’s requirements and work backwards to show how your solution fits into their larger picture. This method highlights your deep integration capabilities and alignment with their objectives. 3. Implement Cross-Functional Training: Gain insights from other departments such as marketing, product development, and customer support. This broader knowledge base will allow you to offer more comprehensive solutions and demonstrate a deeper understanding of the entire product lifecycle. 4. Focus on Micro-Demos: Instead of lengthy, all-encompassing demos, focus on shorter, issue-specific demos that address particular problems or features. This targeted approach can be more effective in addressing specific client concerns and can lead to quicker decision-making. 5. Develop a Feedback Loop with Product Teams: Regularly provide feedback from the field to your product teams. This loop enhances product development with real user insights and demonstrates to clients that their feedback is valued and impactful. 6. Practice Empathetic Engineering: Cultivate the ability to not only understand but also anticipate the emotional and business needs of your clients. This emotional intelligence can help you forge stronger connections and tailor your approach more effectively. By incorporating these innovative strategies into your routine, you can enhance your value as a Sales Engineer and foster deeper, more productive client relationships. #SalesEngineering #Innovation #DataStorytelling #ReverseEngineering #CrossFunctionalTraining #MicroDemos #FeedbackLoop #EmpatheticEngineering #ClientEngagement #TechSales

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THIS! If you are adding pipeline without increasing your win rate, your sales will never grow. The keys to sales growth are: running a balanced business, building pipeline you can win, knowing when to say “no” (and having the courage to do it) and increasing your win rate by understanding why you lose. Add strong Challenger-minded sellers, some sales process rigor, a comp plan that incents growth and voila!

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In the role of Sales Executive, one plans for coming FY. Strategy, tactics, tasks, so and on so forth. PPT, Dashboard and….God knows what. Stress, pressure, tension… I keep it SIMPLE. Put confirmed 2X PURCHASE ORDER of my FIXED COMPENSATION on the table in Q1. Helps me in mapping QX. Thoughts? #sales #enterprisesales #cybersecurity #services

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Streamline Real Estate Sales with Salesforce Managing leads, properties, and customer relationships can be overwhelming. Salesforce Sales Cloud simplifies it all - Centralize all customer and property data in one place. - Automate follow-ups and contract workflows. - Gain actionable insights to close deals faster. -Transform your sales process and focus on building lasting client relationships. Let’s connect to explore how Salesforce can elevate your real estate business! Brigade Group Mantri Developers Pvt. Ltd. #salesforce #realestate #business #leads #customersucuss #salesefficiency

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Did you hear what Rahul Dravid is talking about these days? #GrowingWithIndia #IndiaGrowsWithSalesforce

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"The Weightage of Revenue Metrics in an Organization's Performance Evaluation" 💰 Revenue metrics play a crucial role in performance evaluations, especially for sales-focused positions like sales representatives and account executives. At Sprinto, Revenue metrics for sales-focused positions contribute to only 50% of the overall evaluation. You may ask - where's the rest 50%? 🤔 🥇 Quarterly OKRs - The Professional Development Cycle. 🥈 Sales Rep Competency - Sales Skills. 🥉 Sales Excellence - Win Rate, Avg Deal Size, Deal Tenure, Revenue Per Lead, etc. Questions? - Shoot them up in the comments or DM me directly! #Sales #PerformanceEvaluation #RevenueMetrics #SalesExcellence #CareerGrowth #Sprinto

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Why Net Sales Efficiency Score Trumps CAC in Channel Sales ROI for SaaS In the world of SaaS, particularly when dealing with channel sales, traditional metrics like Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) can be misleading. Here's why Net Sales Efficiency Score is often a more accurate measure of ROI in these scenarios: 1. Pricing Structure Disparities: - SaaS providers often use different pricing models than their channel partners. - Example: We price based on transaction volume tiers, while our partners charge per user. 2. Definition of "Customer": - In channel sales, the end-user isn't always your direct customer. - We consider the channel partner our customer, as they're the ones paying us. 3. Misleading Data: - CAC based on end-users can lead to inaccurate insights when your revenue isn't directly tied to user count. - Our model allows unlimited users but caps transaction volume, making user-based CAC irrelevant. 4. Apples-to-Oranges Comparison: - Comparing CAC across different pricing structures doesn't provide a true picture of efficiency or profitability. Net Sales Efficiency Score, on the other hand, focuses on the relationship between revenue growth and sales/marketing spend, providing a more accurate and comparable metric across different sales models and pricing structures. It's important to note that CAC remains an excellent and often ideal metric for direct sales scenarios. However, in a world where channel sales are increasingly important for SaaS growth, it's crucial to use metrics that truly reflect your specific business model and provide actionable insights. For channel sales, Net Sales Efficiency Score does just that, giving you a clearer picture of your ROI. By understanding when to use CAC (direct sales) and when to rely on Net Sales Efficiency Score (channel sales), SaaS companies can gain a more comprehensive and accurate view of their sales performance and ROI across different Sales strategies.

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