Edward Golod

Life science sales reps Here's the best time management advice you won't hear from the gurus: Disqualify deals quickly. Nothing wastes your time more than chasing unqualified opportunities that string you along. Avoid happy ears. Spend less time on bad deals. Spend more time prospecting the right deals. Your win rates will go up. Your stress will go down. Want to learn how? Join Succession

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You're tiering accounts in your new territory.. You have three levels, Tier 1, 2, and 3. Tier 1 - Strong ICP/high propensity to buy, high touch/customization Tier 2 - Decent ICP/medium propensity to buy, blend of custom and automated Tier 3 - Poor ICP or low propensity to buy, high automation Typical distribution of tiering would be something like this: Tier 1 - 10% of accounts Tier 2 - 30% of accounts Tier 3 - 60% of accounts What's the typical distribution you see?

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Most B2B sales math is flawed, or just wrong. The biggest problem with this is that companies base Sales team staffing, activity requirements and GTM investment on these numbers, wasting millions.  According to the cognoscenti: 8-12 = Touchpoints required to book a meeting with a B2B executive 1% = Cold email response rate 24% = Cold email open rate 36.4% - 47% = Percentage of enterprise AE's who hit quota 91% = Percentage of sales teams that failed to achieve >=80% of quota targets I am not saying that the above data is wrong, as these measures have proven to be pretty accurate. I am saying that the expected execution that is being measured is either fundamentally flawed or antiquated. So, WHAT is being measured is the problem, not the measures themselves. This is about addressing execution quality vs. quantity, and yet so much of our execution still focuses on coverage and activity vs. productivity. What is observably true: The majority of prospecting content is low value, one-to-many messaging that favors coverage over focus and quality, making it very easy to quickly recognize and dismiss. The majority of sales processes require current FY, in-market demand to function, which means that vendors are lagging/chasing the prospect/customer, and often direct competitors, leading to low win rates and wasted SG&A. We all know this math: 67% to 77% = The percentage of the “buyer journey” that is completed digitally before they speak to/engage a salesperson/vendor. If you want to successfully engage an executive, tight focus on your compelling financials mapped to how they are measured and paid is required, not optional, especially in a NNN motion. This takes time and expertise, but when done properly this indexes to 7-13% engagement rates after an average of 3 touchpoints. Getting this right indexes to higher: TCV, win rates, revenue velocity, and quota attainment rates. Execute objective project and program (engagement) management skills vs. typical sales methodologies, requiring value driver based DCF analysis, joint RACI and critical path determination 👉🏼up front👈🏼, and win rates will increase. Technology has evolved, business has evolved and it is time for decades old sales processes and prospecting approaches to do the same vs. fine tuning what has proven to not work well at scale. Without fundamentally evolving HOW and WHAT we execute, the above numbers will not change. How much more of the above math do we need to prove this? #b2bsales #b2bgtm #salesenablement

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No one taught you solid GTM fundamentals It's no wonder your pipeline looks so sad right now Everyone defaults to more volume of leads. The math totally makes sense. But .... Have you revisited your segmentation and messaging? Defining your market segments can't be an afterthought. It's the most mission-critical task for revenue. Companies look generic in the market, because they're thinking generic. Here’s how to do it right: 1) Define Clear Objectives: - Why are you segmenting the market? - New logos? - Marketing efficiency? - New product launch? 2) Use Multiple Segmentation Criteria: - Demographic - Psychographic - Geographic - Behavioral - Firmographic This is a true complete picture. 3) Conduct Thorough Research to Understand: - Characteristics - Preferences - Behaviors Short on time? Use Perplexity. (seriously, 75 minutes yesterday I blew the doors off a business model) 4) Ensure Segments are Measurable and Profitable: - You can only do this when you have segments ;) 5) Test and Iterate: - Experiment on your segments and follow data. - Then, adapt or double down. Avoid these mistakes: 1) Overly Generic Segmentation: - You can't describe a segment in less than 10 words. - That's not granular enough if you can. 2) Ignoring Data and Insights: - Very few companies use data correctly. - Go take a class or hire someone to help. 3) Lack of Alignment with Business Goals: - Is this aligned with your GTM motion? - Retention is different from new logos. 4) Neglecting to Reassess Segments: - The market changes faster than ever. - This is not a set-it-and-forget-it exercise. If you really understand your market, your messaging becomes easy breezy. When your messaging is easy breezy, it's easier to buy from you. Is 75 minutes spent worth a healthier pipeline?

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Competitors in your deal? Do discovery exactly like this. Figure out things like: ▶ How the prospect will decide which vendor to select ▶ What factors are most important to them ▶ Who else they're talking to ▶ How far along they are in conversations with competitors ▶ Anything they've particularly liked/disliked about them 𝗗𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗲𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝘀𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗸𝗲𝘆 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗼𝗿 𝗻𝗼𝘁? An example: Imagine you're an AE at Gong. You're in a competitive deal with a low cost competitor. How do you decide which of their dozens of features to emphasize to this particular prospect? Pick the wrong ones and the prospect thinks they're paying a premium for features they don't need. Pick the right ones and the low cost competitor might become totally non-viable to the prospect because they're missing something you have that's essential to the prospect. 𝗧𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝘀𝗸: 1️⃣ "So it sounds like you’re looking at us, [competitor], and maybe one or two other providers. How are you thinking about how you’ll evaluate the different options? Have you thought about which factors might be most important to you?" 2️⃣ "Okay cool so you’re looking at [competitor] – lots of folks look at them too. I’d be curious to hear, how’s the conversation going with them so far? Have you spent a lot of time with them?" 3️⃣ "Nice. Has anything stood out to you in your conversations with them? Like good things or potential concerns? Like maybe you saw a particular capability or something you really liked or you’re worried another provider might be missing something that you think will be important to you guys?" (note: I talk a lot about features here because they're simple examples, but in reality, I'm connecting all features back to the prospect's desired results and outcomes; e.g., "given the total amount of revenue this initiative will drive is the main thing your CMO is gonna ask about, let's make sure we spend a lot of time talking about...") Anything else folks should consider in competitive discovery?

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2🔑-- Alignment + Customer Obsessed The full SalesIntel.io podcast drops tomorrow but here's a sneak preview.... 🗝 Alignment You must get aligned on your metrics. If you're not all working toward the same goal, how can you expect success. 🗝 Customer Obsessed There are a lot of companies who talk about being customer-centric but do your action speak louder than your words. Can your customers articulate how you've delighted or exceeded their expectations? This will lead to referrals and help with partnerships! What is your favorite tip to unlock growth? #randispeaks #sales #GTM

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Life science sales leaders: This is one of the biggest levers you have full control over. Compress the time from "we need to hire" to a fully ramped sales team. At some point, you'll have a conversation where the actions are to hire and grow the sales team. The speed at which you go from that conversation to a fully ramped sales team will make or break your annual target. Here's what a typical scenario looks like: - Decide it's time to grow - Find the right reps (1-3 mo) - Convince them to join you (1-2 mo) - Wait for their notice period (2-8 weeks) - Onboard them (1-2 months) - Fully ramped and hitting quota (3-6+ months) That's 7-14+ months from "we need to hire" to fully ramped. Not including any turnover and miss hires (which will happen). Here's where you need to step in. Compress this timeline by 2 months on a $1M annual quota and you'll generate an additional $160K/rep. Scale that across 5 reps and you've added $860K to your top line. It's 100% in your control. 5 ways to compress that timeline - Use a recruiter to find the best sales talent quickly (one that specializes in sales hires) - Create a comprehensive onboarding program (don't get lazy here) - Continuously train and upskill each rep (your product training isn't enough) - Enable them with tools and tech that make them efficient (make the investment) - Fill their pipeline with hot leads (either outsource or dedicate a team to this) As a sales leader, many things are outside your control, but this process should be a well-oiled machine. P.S. If you want help with this, it's what we do at Succession

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Stop over complicating your sales process. Suspects Exit Criteria - Your ICP Prospects Exit Criteria - Those who engage. Qualifying Exit Criteria - Confirm ICP, understand their use case, and they accept 2nd meeting. They have told you who the skeptics are Discovery Exit Criteria - Understand Economic Impact of their use case(s) and they are willing to bring others into the conversation Selection Exit Criteria - You are speaking with a real decision maker. You have been short-listed. Know competitors, Start to understand approval process and players. Commercials discussion Negotiation Exit Criteria - Confirm commercials and redlines begin. Cannot move to closing unless all redlines and commercials are confirmed. Closing Exit Criteria - No more commercial conversations, Send contract for signature, know when you will get signed contract back

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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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Remember, 90% of the sales tactics, frameworks or whatever else everyone talks about on here... Are companies selling to an ICP just like you. The problem is, many of you aren’t selling to other sales people on here. So, if your not getting 147% open rates and 297% reply rates or booking 728 meetings this month while never making a single cold call… Don’t beat yourself up. Selling is hard. Especially when your buyer isn’t scrolling this feed looking for things to buy. Take what you read, apply it to your situation.

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Here's how I earned $1+ million in COMMISSION in 2017: 👉 My quota was $1 million 👉 10% Commission on ARR ✅ Sold $1.2Million in ARR. ⛔ Put decimal in wrong place while calculating. ♻ REPOST so others can see how to achieve greatness in sales! ♻ #Sales #FinancialPlanning

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Outbound can’t be reduced to a simple science. It isn’t a rudimentary 𝗱𝗼 𝗫 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝗬 𝗳𝗮𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗭 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁 formula. The human element - the aspect of customization and building rapport with prospects - is what most people in sales love. And it’s where top performers tend to differentiate themselves. AI SDRs that require “no human input” seem to contradict the principles of any successful outbound playbook. Instead, we need tools that do 2 things: 1) Increase the wingspan of what is possible for a single person to accomplish. 2) Allow that person to 𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺𝘀𝗲𝗹𝘃𝗲𝘀 and keep up with the complexity of what it takes to run a profitable outbound motion. If you’re interested in a tool that does just that, let’s chat: https://lnkd.in/gjj2Dv7T

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The Unicorn Seller Dilemma! Only 5-10% of candidates interviewed for SaaS sales roles meet the "unicorn seller" criteria—those who align perfectly with your sales motion and target market. These candidates bring industry expertise, technical knowledge, and a proven track record but are highly competitive to secure. Need help finding your unicorn seller? Let’s strategize on how to attract and retain top-tier talent.

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Revenue Magazine latest article: It’s Game Time for SDRs & BDRs: Leveling Up in Sales Development https://lnkd.in/ewG2Cz_J --- Turning SDRs and BDRs into powerhouse reps takes more than meeting call quotas—it’s about fostering a growth mindset. As a sales leader, your role is foundational: nurturing potential, knowing when a rep is ready (or not), and guiding them through structured coaching and accountability. 🏆 The Power of Process Daily pipeline reviews are like game tape for sales. Consistent review, tracking, and follow-up build habits, transforming pre-funnel prospects into real opportunities and teaching reps to push deals forward effectively. 📈 Accountability & Growth Weekly written reviews deepen accountability, adding a layer of focus that CRMs alone can’t deliver. Not everyone will become an Account Executive, but your support equips each rep for growth, creating a strong, driven team. Would you like to dive deeper or would you like a playbook to start? Give me a ring. – Tim

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58% of sales orgs miss quota, according to Gartner. There are many reasons for that, and different reasons for different teams. But here’s the thing…. The answer(s) can always be found in your data. It’s just that most people don’t know how to approach data-driven analysis and strategizing around sales performance problems. Next Thursday (5/9), I’m going to cover how I do exactly that. I’ll walk you through my simple process to quickly diagnose strengths and weaknesses, and then improve a sales process with data. Here’s what you’ll learn: • Techniques to use sales data to improve your team's performance • A simple math formula for breaking through your sales bottlenecks • A 3-step formula for doubling your team's performance • Actionable next steps to improve your sales team's performance Interested in attending? Comment “Yes” below and I’ll send you an invite. (Side note: Make sure to connect with me so I can DM you!)

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Selling is a confidence game. Top sellers sell with conviction. Here are 7 ways to gain confidence in selling. 1. Practice. 2. Role play. 3. Do the reps. 4. Get feedback. 5. Celebrate wins. 6. Learn from losses. 7. Know what you sell. The seller on top of the mountain didn't fall there. Take pride in the work. The hard work will take you to the top. How do you build confidence in your selling?

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Use this QR code to purchase my new book "Above Quota Sales Management" for $15.00 directly from Ingram, almost a $10.00 discount from the published price of $24.95. This book follows the success of "Above Quota Performance", which was primarily intended to increase the sales performance of sales pros. AQSM is a guide book for sales managers and includes many tips and techniques to get the best out of your sales team.

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If you're struggling to get your prospect to agree to next steps, try this approach on your next sales call: It's called the "5 Minute Drill" and includes 3 questions to help drive your deal forward. Note - you need a FULL 5 minutes for this. Even if that means you need to end your conversation a bit early. Rushed discussions about next steps aren't good for anybody. 🟢 Step 1: Ask them - do you want to keep moving forward? There's no sense talking about next steps if they don't. Pulse check their sentiment by saying something like: "We're coming up on time. How are you feeling?" "What did you think? Worth exploring more?" If YES, move to the next question (below) If they NO (or they seem unsure) - uncover their objection by asking them where you missed the mark. Now you at least have the REAL objection and the time to try and overcome that objection. ___ 🟢 Step 2: Timeline [Seed The Timeline] 𝘎𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵. 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘢 𝘧𝘦𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘟, 𝘠, 𝘡 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝘘4. 𝘐 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘸𝘦'𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘭𝘺, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘶𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘨𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘪𝘯 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘯𝘦𝘹𝘵 𝘧𝘦𝘸 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴... [Ask] 𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯'𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶'𝘥 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦? It's hard to recommend the proper next step if you don't understand the urgency (or lack thereof) If they need a solution implemented in a WEEK, you're probably gonna need to move faster than if they want to implement in 6 months. ___ 🟢 Step 3: Recommend Next + Next NEXT Steps [𝘕𝘦𝘹𝘵] 𝘈𝘸𝘦𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦. 𝘒𝘦𝘦𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘑𝘢𝘯𝘶𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘧𝘳𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘥, 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐'𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘦 𝘥𝘰 𝘯𝘦𝘹𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘥 60 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘶𝘵𝘦𝘴 𝘥𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢 𝘥𝘦𝘦𝘱𝘦𝘳 𝘥𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘺𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘴 𝘥𝘢𝘴𝘩𝘣𝘰𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘤𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘥𝘦𝘮𝘰. [𝘕𝘦𝘹𝘵-𝘕𝘦𝘹𝘵] 𝘐𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘨𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘭, 𝘸𝘦'𝘥 𝘵𝘺𝘱𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘰𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘻𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘊𝘍𝘖 𝘑𝘢𝘯𝘦 𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘧𝘭𝘰𝘸 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘣𝘦 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘤𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘺𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘴 𝘥𝘢𝘴𝘩𝘣𝘰𝘢𝘳𝘥. [𝘝𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘦] 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘯 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘺𝘰𝘶'𝘷𝘦 𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘵? You should always make a recommendation for how to proceed- your buyer is not a professional buyer and it's your on you to help guide them. It's OK if they disagree with what you recommend! Gives you a great chance to run some discovery on what their buying process looks like. ____ What 

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B2B Sales Leader: Multi-threading is really important. But also: → Doesn't train reps on mapping accounts → Doesn't give reps talk tracks → Doesn't give reps budget to get external help Then they wonder why → Reps only have 1 person involved in their deals → Deals stall and land in Closed Lost → Deals slip to next quarter Stop wasting money on buying more sales tools. Reps don't have a tool problem. They have a skill problem. Give them the skills they need to go wide and deep. If you're a rep reading this, this image is something I call Multi-Threading Compass Concept 📌 Me and Andy Aveyard, Head of MM Sales at Zoom discussed it Watch the interview here: https://lnkd.in/e-Cp4M7Q Most reps are in a rush to get to power [North] → But they're not ready → They don't have a clear business case Instead, focus on going East and West → To find and build more Champions → Gain wider consensus Then go South → To win over power users → Create raving fans Then, take your business case to the Economic Buyer. It might take longer. But you'll win more deals. Let me know what you think about the interview above!

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