Jorge Chacon

Improved ramp time for new reps by 40% Some CROs see the value and still want to wait for the “right time” (ie. after SKO, after year end) Other CROs like Brent Thurrell see the value and move fast knowing now is the only time. A big reason why he’s running a half a billion ARR revenue org. Decisive and knows the moves he made earlier in the year start paying off in Q4 and in Q1. Your next year starts now. #TOP #Sales #Training

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The transition from founder led sales -> a repeatable GTM motion is hard... Extremely hard. There are so many things to consider to mitigate risk and get as many repetitions on closed loop feedback as quickly as possible. -> what profile of a rep should I hire -> how to assess the right talent -> SDR or AE or growth hacker type or both -> what channels should we be testing -> what does good look like? What does great look like? -> how do I know if we’re making progress? And so much more… We’re discussing all this live next Tuesday at Kiln. If you’re in Utah, come check it out: https://lnkd.in/eQ9dyJK4

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Public SaaS sales efficiency metrics continued to UNINSPIRE in Q1 Our focal point as always: How much Sales & Marketing dollars are spent to acquire $1 of Net New ARR This figure has exploded from ~$1.50 two years ago… to ~$2.30 last year. As for Q1?  More of the same!  Barely moved.. (The chart also shows the same metric removing Stock-Based Compensation from S&M – a better benchmark for privates, since SBC is ~0 for them.) Stay tuned for more Q1 benchmarks and a tally of winners and losers. #SaaS #Metrics #Benchmarks #GTM

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“Lack of visibility is the enemy of revenue.” Joe Vitalone (Strategic Advisor, Extreme Networks) said this on a recent Clari webinar. And I couldn’t agree more. Without visibility, CROs and revenue leaders: - Miss critical deal insights that could help prevent slippage or loss. - Struggle to set accurate forecasts because they don’t have a full view of the pipeline. - Lose alignment as marketing, sales, and customer success aren’t operating from the same data. - Fail to spot revenue leaks early, allowing problems to grow unnoticed. Visibility isn’t optional for revenue professionals — it's a must-have.

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When AI Prompts go wrong... Here are some emails written for a CRO. The goal was to write a 1st draft for compelling AI emails, and then this happened: Email 1: Subject line: sales team plateau Hi Bob, Noticed Replate's recent sales team expansion. Are your new hires drowning instead of swimming? Stagnant revenue growth might be the canary in the coal mine. Our sales training throws new hires a lifeline. It transforms struggling recruits into revenue-generating powerhouses faster than you can say "quota." Ready to turn the tide? Email 2: Subject line: price war trap Hi Bob, Read about the cutthroat competition in food recovery. Ever feel like you're in a race to the bottom on pricing? Your profit margins might be gasping for air. Our sales training is your secret weapon. It equips your team to sell on value, not price, skyrocketing your deals out of the bargain basement. Curious how to break free? Email 3: Subject line: pitch perfection Hi Bob, Is your sales pitch putting prospects to sleep? Missed opportunities could be piling up like unwanted leftovers. Our sales training serves up a fresh recipe. It helps your team dish out compelling stories that leave clients hungry for more. Appetite for success growing? Maybe it's because it's Friday, but I actually kinda like them. What do you think?

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Everyone in your revenue org has a different view of what's going on. Learn how to leverage it: VPs: “We’re tracking behind on our Q3 revenue target. We need to increase our ACV by doubling down on Enterprise opportunities.” Sales Managers: “We’re tracking behind our Q3 revenue target. We don’t have enough opportunities to double down on. We need to increase our outbound activity to drive pipeline.” Account Executives: “I’m behind on my Q3 target. Building more pipeline isn’t going to help me this quarter. I need to close at least 50% of my open opportunities to get back on track (even though my average is 25%).” Same Problem. 3 Completely Different Approaches. If you work in revenue enablement, you have the unique opportunity to be a bridge between team members at every level. Here’s what that sounds like… To VP’s: “If we want to increase our team’s ACV by moving up market, we’ll need to audit how we qualify opportunities and make sure we’re getting the right stakeholders involved in discovery. Do you have time to collaborate on a new rubric for our SDR’s and AE’s to qualify champions? I’d expect this to take about 3 months before we start seeing consistent results. Is there any opportunity to focus on mid-market win rate in the meantime?” [Once approved, go to your sales managers] To Sales Managers: “I understand we need more activity, but until our reps are identifying the right people to get on a call, it’s going to be wasted effort. Leadership is working on a new qualification framework for next quarter, but in the meantime, you can still hit your target by focusing on moving more of your existing pipeline in S2 & S3 into later stages in the sales cycle. What are some high-value deals that you feel are stuck right now?” [Then, go to your reps] To Sellers: “Your managers have identified some deals that are stuck in the early stages of the sales cycle. In the past, I’ve noticed you tend to use discounts as a lever to push deals through faster. How would you go about advancing these deals if you weren’t able to discount them at all?” By taking the time to listen to different perspectives from across the org, Enablement becomes a force multiplier that get’s everyone moving towards the same goal.

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I’ve helped 12+ AEs and SDRs transition into SE/SC roles. There’s no doubt that you can earn a lot as an AE. AEs can make $1,000,000+ in a good year - a very lucrative career path. But the reality is most AEs don’t get there. It takes an exceptional AE to earn consistently at high levels, year in and year out. (I personally would be a terrible AE 😅) A big reason why folks pivot to Sales Engineering is because the earning potential is solid and much more consistent. That’s what the data in the image shows: 36% avg quota attainment for AEs vs... 74% for SE from this same company, with similar OTE’s As an SE, you don’t always have the extreme upside* that your AE counterpart will, but your income is more stable. (*there are some companies that pay SEs similar to AEs, with SEs able to clear $1M+ in a great year, though this is more of the exception than the rule) As an SE, there’s also less pressure to hit quota, quarter after quarter. The roles are different, with different responsibilities and varying degrees of risk (and upside). Both paths can provide tremendous opportunities depending on your strengths and the type of work you enjoy. Hope this provides some perspective for those who are considering SE or AE career paths. #sales #presales #compensation (source: RepVue)

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Being a TOP 1% sales rep is hard. First you have to: A) learn how to do so many fundamental things the right way then B) practice executing what you’ve learned then C) unlearn how you were initially taught to speak to buyers then D) talk to buyers in a different way you were taught while still keeping those same sales fundamentals in mind Because buyers don’t want to feel like they’re being sold to. Sellers don’t want to be free consultants. Eventually a prospect needs to buy. There’s a middle ground that comes with good sales training, practice and experience. My man Will is well on his way to getting this right.

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Sales leader doesn’t figure it out in the first 6 months? Fire em? What does it mean to “figure it out”... Hitting revenue targets that you drafted up on a spreadsheet? If you think hiring a vp of sales is your silver bullet to all revenue problems, there’s a good chance you’re wrong. If they aren’t smashing quota in the first 6 months, maybe take a more holistic view of what’s going on. I know quite a few sales leaders that saw little to no growth for 2,3,5 years then hit huge revenue targets, just here in Utah. Why are we so transactional with sales leaders sometimes?

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CROs: Run this outbound play to break into massive accounts 👇 Most CROs don't engage in deals. Or help reps break into ent/strat accounts. I've never been a CRO before—so I can't tell you whether that's good or bad. You have a lot of responsibilities as a CRO. But, I recently met a CRO who lands meetings with the C-Suite in MASSIVE accounts. The biggest companies you can think of in every category. The key principle: Power is more willing to engage with power. Leverage the C-suite title. Here's how it works: ✅ Pick 10 accounts to get started Choose the top 10 accounts that can make the quarter/year if you win them. The best accounts are ones that reps have worked but not been successful in breaking through. We'll assume you're already going after low-hanging fruit accounts where execs have existing relationships. So we won't count those as part of this exercise. ✅ Work in tandem with a great SDR Pick one of the top SDRs to help. Ideally, this is someone with great leadership potential that you want to promote at some point. ✅ Optional: Give the SDR access to your LinkedIn account This one will make you uncomfortable. You also have the option of creating a separate LinkedIn account as well. But give the SDR autonomy to send approved messages. ✅ Execute the outreach The SDR should do basic account research to find existing initiatives where your solution can add value. Then they need to research the individuals in the C-suite to find podcasts interviews, features, etc. if available. Pick 1-2 similar customers to mention in the message. This should be mentioned in the outreach, along with how you can add value. CTA: Ask for 10 minutes. Send via email and LinkedIn message or InMail. Here's what an example message could look like. --- Eric, Solid Q1, and congrats on the success of Nordy Club sales. Looks like membership growth is a key growth lever. I imagine member retention is a big focus. Our team has had tremendous success helping CVS, BestBuy, and Kohl's run world-class membership programs. Opposed to a quick 10-minute chat to learn more? Jason ✅ Run intro call These will likely go longer than 10 minutes. And the CEO will send you over to someone else in the C-suite. Run a solid intro call and make an offer to introduce key team members on your side. ~~~ The email/LI message should have all of the components of a great cold email: research, problem, social proof, and CTA. But the big difference is leveraging a c-suite title to get a meeting in the c-suite. I wish more CROs and execs in companies would leverage this approach. Agree or disagree? #sales #outbound

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David’s S&M as a % of net new ARR is basically the same thing as net new CAC ratio and at 2.3x it’s running high. Even if you back out stock-based compensation (SBC) it’s still running above 2.0x. And these are best-in-class public companies. But despite historical comparisons is 2.0x too much to pay for a $1 of new ARR? It depends, mostly on expansion potential and stickiness. If paired with a high NRR, it works. If paired wtih a low GRR or a short CLT then it might well not. But, more than anything, make sure you look at it both ways — relative to past norms and relative to future value.

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📢 Calling all commercial real-estate pros: Are you leveraging the power of signal-based selling? Imagine if your sales team was notified the moment a company in your area raises major funding, goes on a hiring spree, or starts researching a new office space. With ZoomInfo Copilot, you'll receive real-time insights into the signals that matter most — so your team can engage at the perfect time. Grant Greene, Director of Audience Marketing at ZoomInfo, explains how it works. ⬇️ #RealEstateSales #SalesSignals #ZoomInfoCopilot

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If 40% of your reps aren’t making quota, it’s not a motivation issue. It’s a system issue. Many sales teams suffer from poor quota setting and weak forecasting. This creates a chaotic environment where reps are set up to fail. The fix? → Align quotas with data-backed market insights → Create a cadence for regular forecast reviews → Provide managers with the tools to coach and support, not just supervise Don’t let misalignment cripple your team’s performance. Coach them to success. #SalesEnablement #SalesLeadership #SalesCoaching #SalesPerformance

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Here is the real impact that value selling is having for revenue teams: Tom Pisello David Yockelson 🔑48% improvement in winrate 🔑35% increase in deal size 🔑25% reduction in sales cycle time BUT...... ⛔️ only 19% of reps and 19% of pipeline is using value selling today. BIGGGG opportunity here...!

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SDRs / AEs - Here’s the truth behind how to crush your quota and get you to the top spot on the leaderboard…. Make more calls than your peers It's not sexy, but it works If you’re not converting as well as the top reps Making more dials will give you more opportunities to create pipeline Not only will you generate more Your phone skills will improve with more reps Which will eventually help you cut down on the total number of calls you need to make in the future You can apply these skills anywhere ✌ 🦜

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Your reps are giving too many discounts. You can't blame them for doing their best to close deals but there are alternatives to winning, even in this environment. Today's Gong Labs article covers the important data on the current selling environment: 📈 customer mentions of the economy 📉 how they correlate with interest rates 📊 discount offers 💹 competitive rates And... 🏆 tactics for overcoming these challenges You don't want to miss this one: https://lnkd.in/gjSSwn9t

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11 things world-class sales development teams DO—and what the worst teams DON’T Insights from... → Outbound Squad's experience working with world-class teams at Gong, Shopify, Rippling, and more → Orum's 2024 State of Sales Development report Commentary on how the best sales development teams... ✅ Use AI responsibly ✅ Retain top talent SDRs ✅ Align with AEs ✅ Deal with low-pick up rates ✅ And plenty more 👇 P.S. Watch this video for our full commentary: https://lnkd.in/eBFYfnU3

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This is absolute creative gold! Calling on ALL Sales Leaders, BDR Leaders, and sales reps to take a look at this video. 6sense can help you. #Salesintelligence #accountdata #salesai #predictive #accountprioritization #outboundsales https://lnkd.in/gEc_cv5Q

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Want to increase your income from $100k per year to $300k+ in sales? You have to learn how to create "collective learning experiences" for your prospects. This is what separates SMB salespeople from enterprise sellers. Let me explain... The most likely way to make a $300k+ income in sales is in enterprise sales. Quotas are bigger. Deal sizes are bigger. Commission checks are bigger. The stakes are higher. So how do you close enterprise deals? Every top performer in B2B sales knows that large purchase decisions are made by a group of people. So how do you get a group of people to agree on a purchase? You have to create a "collective learning experience". This is when you get your Champion and your Economic Buyer together in the early part of their evaluation. Together they learn about the problem that they need to solve for the business. When they learn together, they are more likely to agree on the path to solving the problem. Any time you are selling into a group of 2 or more people, you have a dysfunctional buying group. Why? Because people are imperfect at sharing information with each other. This is especially true in business where political and economic dynamics cause people to withhold information. It's our job as salespeople to cut through the politics and get our buying group on the same page. This is why multi-threading, or getting more than one influencer involved in a deal, is very important in enterprise sales. To close enterprise-sized deals, you have to build consensus. You build consensus by creating "collective learning experiences". ___ Make life easier for your champion by using an executive summary on every deal. You can get my free Executive Summary template here: https://lnkd.in/gB-wW2eY

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