Michael Remley

Average Contract Value by segment: Strat - $278K ENT - $180K MM - $57K Direct correlation with your expected payouts? Yes. Average OTE by segment: Strat AE - $280K See more: https://lnkd.in/gEqj9YQz ENT AE - $255K See more: https://lnkd.in/gb7GeWzW MM AE - $165k See more: https://lnkd.in/gDkDDg5w The larger the deals you're selling, the more earning potential. The more earnings potential, the higher the expectations. All open SaaS roles here: https://lnkd.in/ggz4efaD Any of these surprise you? 🦙

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Many sales organizations spend days or weeks on account prioritization and territory planning exercises. There's got to be a better way... If you're heading to Gartner CSO next week, don't miss Ami Arad's presentation on May 21 at 2:05pm! He'll contrast the traditional ways sellers prioritize their accounts and the new way made possible through buyer intent and predictive models. Get the details here: https://okt.to/GhFXdQ

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The possibilities for autonomous AI agents are endless. But, before humans hand over important tasks, orgs need to get their employees ready. Learn how @Salesforce is helping employees trust and work with the autonomous AI agents coming to their offices:

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𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐧 𝐎𝐮𝐭𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐚 𝐓𝐨𝐨𝐥𝐬 𝐈𝐬 𝐇𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐁𝐚𝐜𝐤 For years, sales teams have relied on tools like ZoomInfo and Apollo to gather contact information and make cold outreach. The idea was simple: the more contacts you had, the more sales you could close. But that approach is no longer working. 𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐞’𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐲. Many of these tools were created over a decade ago, and they simply can’t keep up with the complexity of today's sales landscape. Sales teams end up spending countless hours personalizing messages, only to realize they’re still working with outdated and incomplete data. It’s no longer enough to scrape the same databases and hope for a response. The process is inefficient, and it doesn’t deliver the results sales teams need to justify the time and money invested. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐡𝐢𝐟𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐚-𝐃𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐒𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 Imagine if, instead of manually searching for contacts, you could leverage the data your customers already know—like the problems they face and the solutions they need—and combine it with publicly available data to strategically target the right companies at the right time. What if, instead of relying on a single database, you could pull insights from over 50 different sources, helping you uncover the most relevant, actionable data? You wouldn’t just be asking, “Who should I contact?” 𝒀𝒐𝒖’𝒅 𝒃𝒆 𝒂𝒃𝒍𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒂𝒏𝒔𝒘𝒆𝒓 𝒘𝒉𝒚 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒃𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒆𝒅. For example, imagine being able to match a newly posted job to a recent hire, giving you immediate insight into the responsibilities that person now holds at their company. This kind of intelligence would allow you to tailor your outreach in ways that directly address their new role and challenges, rather than sending generic messages based on incomplete or outdated data. 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐳𝐞𝐝 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐚 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜 𝐎𝐮𝐭𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬 Now, take it a step further. Imagine having the ability to detect specific signals from a company that show where they’re struggling and where your product could help. What if you could identify companies with an increase in Google reviews mentioning inefficiencies, signaling a need for automation? Or pinpoint departments that are lagging behind in adopting new technologies, opening up opportunities for a conversation about department-specific solutions? By tapping into this kind of data, you wouldn’t just be sending out cold emails—you’d be addressing real problems in real time, with highly relevant messaging that speaks directly to your prospect’s pain points.

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Everything wrong with Software Sales: Tons of demands from others. Low flexibility oneself. 0 value creation. Reps have 1 job to source & close deals. Create, articulate & capture value. Happy if a rep gets paid $1M. If (s)he creates 4-10x that. The value here is 0?

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SDRs and AEs are sending way too many emails these days. All you need is 4. 𝟭. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗘𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗹 Jill, looks like your team’s growing quickly. How’re you planning SKO for all your new AEs? We help sales leaders pick everything from destination, flights, meals and events. Simply put in your team size and budget and we’ll give you all your options in seconds. Curious to learn how? 𝟮. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝗹𝘆 𝗘𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗹 Here's a quick video showing how you can plan SKO (flights, meals and events) in less than a minute: [insert video] ♻️ And then repeat that (a week later) with a new pain point That's it. 𝗠𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗹𝘆: Don't send break up emails. Those get marked as SPAM. What cold email tips do you have? - Mike G 👉 Join 7,000+ sellers getting my (free) sales newsletter here: https://lnkd.in/gwQVvVBK

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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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The two unbeatable skills of top salespeople: 1. Building genuine relationships 2. Deep industry knowledge These can't be faked or automated. What's your take? Are these the most crucial skills in sales? #Sales

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Mark your calendar for November 13 at 12pm ET for a scary good time...... Varicent's Jason Loh will be chatting with Deloitte's Mark Coleman on how silos in the GTM organization are costing companies millions of dollars in lost revenue. Hear specific examples and actionable strategies that enterprise companies are taking to reduce risk and increase revenue. Link to register in the comments!

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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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As an AE is a high win rate good? Not always. In Q1 my win rate from demo at Nooks was 55%, But my win rate was hurting me Let me explain... -Running too many deals -Discounting and lowering my ACV -Letting large deals slip through the cracks because i was spending too much time on smaller ones Since Q I've cut my win rate in half, but 3x's my ACV What do you think is a healthy win rate? Let me know in the comments

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Join us for an exclusive look into Salesforce’s journey through our own data and AI transformations, similar to that of many enterprise companies happening on July 31st. Learn how we foster a data-driven culture by integrating people, processes, and products together. You’ll hear about: 🔹Analytics Adoption: strategies to bring teams together. 🔸Change Management: key lessons and insights. 🔹User Enablement: best practices on empowering decision making with data. Don’t miss out on understanding how Salesforce leverages Tableau to enhance enterprise operations! https://lnkd.in/guZjRVkU

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The Big Question: Why SFTP can’t keep up? As businesses evolve, many are finding that SFTP is struggling to keep up. While SFTP once offered a step up in secure file transfer, today’s data-driven workflows demand greater scalability, automation and security. It’s time to look at a solution built for today and tomorrow: 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗱 𝗙𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗳𝗲𝗿 (𝗠𝗙𝗧). Read about the limitations of SFTP and why MFT is the future of secure, scalable data transfers: https://lnkd.in/emk9f2HG #DataSecurity #Automation #MFT #FileTransfer #JSCAPE

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One of the senior sellers on my team received a long note of appreciation today from a customer, and it offered an important reminder to all Sellers of a big danger: perfection. What follows is 100% a humble brag but also an important reminder that never in the history of ever has an enterprise technology deployment gone precisely according to plan. Sellers who fail to acknowledge this and and fail lean into it will never be great. Excerpt: “Throughout this journey [we] encountered a steep learning curve as we learned a new product and built it as we went. There were a few bumps in the road, however, thanks to your support, particularly [Sales Engineer’s] technical expertise and [Account Executive’s] adeptness in connecting us with the right resources, we never felt alone in overcoming the challenges that arose.” followed by… “Last week, we successfully delivered [related, dependent project] to one of our sites, and despite a few minor hiccups, the process was remarkably smooth, thanks to the lessons learned.” Any Seller who makes the mistake of conveying an expectation of perfection is (A) losing credibility, (B) doing a disservice to their customer, and (C) not providing the real value most companies need — help. Problems will arise. Stuff will break. Compatibilities won’t compatible. Integrations won’t integrate. Want to help a prospect trust you during the sales cycle? Acknowledge this. Let them know that you know that it won’t go perfectly, but when it does go sideways, you’ll be right there. Want to get a CFO to green-light your proposal over a competitor’s? Offer a simple, direct plan for how you will de-risk their initiative when it goes all funny. “we never felt alone.” Most powerful 4 words out of the 303 in the email. I’ve had the great fortune to work with companies that stood behind their products and weren’t afraid to go the extra mile. If you don't, move. I’d take a 7/10 product with a team that’ll stand behind it over a 9/10 product with nobody to help all day, every day. Experienced buyers would too. I post this while I’m reading a most excellent book, The Transparent Sales Leader by Todd Caponi, on the recommendation of Rob Jeppsen, so maybe I’m over-indexed on transparency this week. Even if I am, it’s still important.

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Salesforce has upped their game, requiring 3x pipeline coverage instead of the usual 2x. Sales Strategies Need a Refresh. But too many companies are stuck in old habits. The reason? Sales cycles are stretching out, deal sizes are shrinking, and win rates are dropping. Here's the reality: Industry average quota attainment is now below 40%. On the other hand, Salesforce is pushing for more pipeline coverage to tackle these challenges. They’re also boosting enablement, and training, and adding AI tools to support their sales teams. The biggest SaaS players accept that old sales models don't fit today's market. They're also following in Salesforce’s footsteps of more pipeline coverage as a solution. But for most companies, reducing quotas might be the best move. (depends on where they stand) However, if you can invest in generating more pipelines, it’s smart to adapt to the current sales game. Avoid the costly cycle of hiring and hoping. Instead, focus on realistic adjustments to your sales strategy. Do not stay traditional when the market is dynamic.

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2.8k SFCC stores do $1m+/yr. 1.4k do $5m+/yr 1k do $10m+/yr 704 do $50m+/yr 281 do $100m+/yr There are huge brands on Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Definitely a higher concentration of public brands than on Shopify. But the Shopify market is so much larger in the $1m - $100m segment. It’s still the greatest opportunity in eCom. #Shopify

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95% of demos are awful. Here's a 5-step checklist to avoid being a part of the statistic: 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝟭: 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗔𝗔? Every ‘real’ deal has one. It’s an acronym for what the buyer is trying to Fix, Accomplish, or Avoid? → Why is it a priority → Why now? This will become the foundation for your storyline. (𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳) ----- 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝟮: 𝗗𝗲𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗪𝗶𝗻 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗺𝗲𝘀 What are the 1-3 “win themes”? Are they unique to your solution or company? Weave these into your message to help answer “why us?” ----- 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝟯: 𝗖𝗿𝗮𝗳𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 Most demos are trainings disguised as demos. → They lack structure → Jump aimlessly from feature to feature The best demos: → Flow logically → Are told as stories using the buyer’s language → Help the buyer visualize how they’d use your product Write your story as an outline or word-for-word script. ----- 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝟰 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝗽 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝗻𝘃𝗶𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 I hate when sellers say “Sorry, ignore the demo data” This is almost always in your control. ALWAYS prep your demo with their terminology, workflow, etc. Plan out the exact: → Pages → Clicks → Fields Control the controllable and avoid having to say: “Sorry, my internet has been spotty all day” “This is a demo environment so sometimes it’s a bit wonky” “I think someone messed with my demo data” Don’t be lazy. ----- 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝟱: 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗿𝘆 𝗥𝘂𝗻 Never do a demo without a dry run. It will allow you to make changes to the story and flow. How often has your SC said something during a demo and you thought… “What the hell are they saying right now?” If you didn’t do a dry run - it’s your fault…not theirs. Own the prep. Own the outcome.

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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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Great post (...and I need that knife) on the topic of quota attainment and the impact it has on sales. While in this post it's about sales interviewees asking about it, it is important to realize that this is #SalesOps / #Revops as well as sales leaders' role to make them fair and achievable. But why do you rarely hear about any companies that really do this right? More often than not, the miss is that the incentive compensation plan is great, an awesome plan, opportunity to make great money, but....the quota makes hitting it unachievable. #SalesPlanning is the connective tissue between your #ICM solution and finance, and too often it is still managed in EXCEL! Quick Fact: If sales turnover averages 35%, many orgs have reps leaving and joining every day so when doing the annual sales planning, it can't even be completed before it needs to change and this process goes on daily throughout the year, a big reason why it is so often a miss. Oh and did I mention no data to inform the decisions the front line sales managers have to make? #TakeFinanceFurther #CFO #CRO

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