Tom Mallens’ Post

How technical knowledge helps in the overall sales process. 🗒️📊 ✓ it boosts your confidence while discussing your product and its benefits ✓ You can tackle questions over competition ✓ You will be able to extend your discussion with proper impact ✓ Even having a lot of technical information, you can highlight 1-2 relative points in short communication or on the go discussion. ✓ You can find out what is lacking if you are aware with all things so you will not repeat mistakes. Overall your sales call gets closed with positive, either you will get a deal or you will leave an impact.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝗮 𝘀𝗮𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂? 𝗠𝗶𝗻𝗲: Always be prepared for things to go south, or 𝗣𝗟𝗔𝗡 (Predict, List, Address, Neutralize). 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗜𝘁 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀: 1. 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗰𝘁 what can kill the deal - competitors, budget cuts, decision-maker changes, or unclear value leading to no action. 2. 𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁 each potential problem. 3. 𝗔𝗱𝗱𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀 each potential problem by finding solutions: • Show differentiating features and discuss ROI • Offer flexible payment terms if possible • Multithread • Share relevant case studies 4. 𝗡𝗲𝘂𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘇𝗲 the risks: • Assign yourself tasks to address each challenge. • Set deadlines. What’s a sales framework that works for you?

Top 5 things I've learned in years as a sales consultant 1. The sale doesn't end when you get the PO. - You build relationships by taking care of your customer, no matter where they are in the sales cycle. 2. Pre sales engineers should be your best friends. - They are exposed to the entire market. Nerd to nerd - stay close to them. 3. You should be your customer's trusted advisor. - You are equally responsible for maintaining the relationship with your customer as your AE. 4. When you don't know, SAY YOU DON'T KNOW. - You will destroy your credibility pretending to know things you don't. No one knows everything. 5. It's not always about a faster box. - It's never ONLY a technology decision. Deployment, knowledge gaps, lead times, and price play a part. Don't ever forget - It's not just about selling the ✨thing✨. It's your business to care about your customer's business.

Here’s one for a Tuesday morning: Are sales skills more important than technical knowledge? For me, sales skills are the most important factor in any business. You have to sell yourself first - before technical knowledge even comes into play. If you can sell yourself effectively, people buy into you, and that trust builds the foundation for the relationships needed to generate any transaction. That’s not to say technical knowledge isn’t important - it absolutely is. But becoming an expert takes time, and if people trust you, they’re much more understanding when you don’t know the answer right away. What matters is showing them you’ll find out and deliver. Sales opens the door; technical knowledge keeps it open. What’s your take?

If there's any time of the year to start installing Joint Execution Plans, or Mutual Action Plans, now is the time. With a few factors in mind, you'll see why: 1.) Your prospects, though heavily entrenched in the problems you are solving, do not live and breathe sales like you do; therefore, it's unlikely they understand the ebbs and flows, complexities, and processes behind procuring software/products - be their Experience Engineer. 2.) Everyone's favorite/least favorite time of the year is coming up - The Holiday Season; it's the place where great deals go to die (or get punted to next year). A great way to combat this? Get everyone on the same page, same timeline, and same velocity. 3.) Last, but certainly not least, companies may have leftover budget from the year, and are looking to make upgrades, or investments for '25 - use this to your favor, and accelerate the deal with a Joint Execution Plan. There are many ways to go about a Joint Execution Plan, but here's how I like to go about it: After you've qualified the opportunity, and both parties have agreed that there is mutual interest, roll out your sales process/the most common cadence that is taken in order to get to an end result of buy/not buy. Place dates, milestones, key people, and outcomes. Ensure you highlight that this is how you see things being done most commonly, but offer up the ability to change it all, to accommodate their process. You can say, "This is generally how we have gone about this process with customers similar to you. Does this mimic your internal process, or does their need to be some retooling? We want to ensure we match your energy, process, and cadence." Simple as that - it opens the door for further qualification, and importantly, deal timing.

One common mistake in sales is focusing too much on the product rather than the customer’s needs. This can lead to a disconnect where the customer feels like they’re being sold to rather than helped. How to Avoid This Mistake: Active Listening: Pay close attention to what the customer is saying. Ask open-ended questions to understand their needs and challenges. Solution-Oriented Approach: Instead of pushing the product, focus on how it can solve the customer’s specific problems. Tailor your pitch to highlight the benefits that matter most to them. Build Relationships: Establish trust by showing genuine interest in the customer’s success. Follow up regularly and provide value even when you’re not making a sale. By shifting the focus from the product to the customer, you can create more meaningful connections and ultimately close more deals12. Do you have any specific sales scenarios you’re dealing with right now? 

3 phrases that destroy your authority: (Especially during a sales conversation) 1. "I think" 2. "I believe" 3. "I feel" Why you should avoid them: — They make you sound less confident — They make you appear uncertain — They make you less credible Instead, replace them like this: "I think" → "I know" "I believe" → "In my experience" "I feel" → "Our data shows" And 2 bonus ones with examples: "I'm confident" this proposal will meet your expectations. "We recommend" using the product this way to achieve your goals. Here's the deal: The words you use matter. They can be the difference between closing the deal or hearing another "I'll think about it". Learn to use the right ones. --- Want to get better at sales? Give me a follow. Or send me a DM for 1:1 help. I'll gladly share my 25+ years of experience with you.

Boost your sales with a thorough audit! 🚀 Every successful sales strategy starts with understanding your current process. This post helps you uncover opportunities for growth and efficiency to take your sales to the next level. https://lnkd.in/ej6RBMNX

My engineering background became my biggest asset in sales. We were in a high-stakes pitch. A major client. New line of vehicles. The pressure was immense. The client's technical concerns were mounting. Our usual pitch? Falling flat. I could see the doubt in their eyes. We were losing them. Then it hit me. I drew on my engineering expertise. Dived into the technical details. Explained every intricate part. Every feature. Every benefit. Their eyes lit up. Their doubts? Dissolved. Their questions? Answered. I turned the tide. From skepticism to trust. From doubt to confidence. We secured the deal. The client chose us. Not just because of the product. But because of the clarity. The assurance. The trust. They said my technical knowledge was the key. The deciding factor. This wasn't just a win. It was a triumph. This is the power of leveraging your background. Remember this: It's not just about selling. It's about connecting. It's about solving problems. It's about building trust. Use your unique skills. Dive deep. Be the expert they need. Turn their doubts into confidence. Their questions into trust.

Step 1 In Sales: Understanding Your Solution You cannot be successful as a sales professional if you do not understand what you’re selling. “I sell pool chemicals” “I sell construction services” “I sell SaaS”. No. You sell the ability to enjoy your backyard pool, you solve an infrastructure need, you help your customers perform their business tasks faster, more efficiently and most cost effectively. In B2B sales, you need to solve a business problem. No business problem, no sale. No pain, no gain. You need to understand what business problem your solution solves. Stop thinking “What’s in it for me, the sales professional(WIIFM)” ( 💰 , duh), And start thinking “What’s in it for me, the customer” The only way you're going to get time of day from a potential customer is if you can tell the, why your solution is useful to them! Tomorrow, Step 2: Identifying your customer