Category: Uncategorized

We’ll review how to get the results you’re wanting without having to be stuck in slide-show hell!

It’s remarkable how a single slide can be the key to closing a significant deal. This realization dawned on me four years ago. As a former Gartner analyst and Product Manager, I had been through countless sales calls, assuming that breezing through 30+ slides and a rapid full-feature demo was the most effective approach.

While this method might have seemed efficient from my perspective, it often felt like whiplash to the customer.

However, since this was the standard practice, I never thought to question it and didn’t know that doing this was a death sentence for the call and nearly all of those dreaded “just following up emails” too.

In 2020, I started a Digital Marketing Agency and set my sights on closing the biggest client I could imagine. I had been part of a Sales Mastermind and met a high-performing sales closer who said she wanted to get to the $1 million mark in commissions for the year, but had stopped because she felt the thermostat level of her sales performance couldn’t go any higher.

I invited her to join me on a call, but I didn’t have the typical slide deck, case studies, or photos of my corporate office, all of which were customary in B2B sales. It was then that I had an epiphany, inspired by an experience from 30 years earlier when I worked as a paperboy.

My first job as a paperboy, at the age of 9, unknowingly taught me about sales. Thinking I was merely a delivery boy, I was surprised when my brother, who had his own paper route, encouraged me to write a thoughtful note to each customer at Christmas.

To my amazement, my customers responded with their own Christmas cards and generous tips of $5, $10, and even $15, which was a significant sum in 1987. I realized the impact of personal connection when one customer took my card, crossed out my name, wrote hers, and handed it back to me with a jar of coins, asking me to count out my tip and decide what I wanted it to be.

Fast forward to 2020, when meeting with my big prospect, I showed just one slide with a question, with a slight modification. It said, “What’s the 1 year legacy that you want to have happen?” From that one question, I learned what she wanted genuine help with. I offered her a path to get there and she said “YES”.

It wasn’t as much about closing, as it was listening. That’s how 1 slide starts it all.

We dive into how to make sure the end of the call goes in the direction you want it to, and not just left up to chance.

This story harks back to 1999 when I began my career as an e-commerce analyst at Gomez Advisor, a company akin to Gartner Group but with a specific focus on e-commerce. During that era, there was widespread apprehension about online shopping. It wasn’t until after Jeff Bezos launched Amazon in 1995, leveraging SSL technology from Netscape to create a secure e-commerce platform, that the tide began to turn.

As an e-commerce analyst, my role included creating ranking scorecards for various categories like consumer electronics, online music, and auction websites. Back then, purchasing music meant physically going to a store for tapes, CDs, or records.

My consumer electronics scorecard comprised 150 objective criteria, evaluating websites based on Ease of Use, Customer Confidence, On-Site Resources, and Relationship Services. Surprisingly, in my first scorecard, Amazon didn’t rank number one but came in at number five. Following the publication of my report and related blogs, Julio Gomez received a call from Jeff Bezos himself.

Jeff was keen to learn about the details behind my ranking and the person behind the report. Consequently, Jill, my boss, informed me that we were headed to Seattle to visit Amazon’s headquarters, which at the time were located in an abandoned hospital. The office was a tall, skinny building with personalized whiteboards in the elevator, allowing employees to jot down notes and schedule events, including broomball and ping pong. This casual atmosphere was indicative of the relaxed environment Jeff fostered.

During my visit, I met with directors from various departments, including customer service, warehouse, and user experience. I had the opportunity to discuss my scorecard’s criteria and suggest features like 1-Click shopping, detailed product reviews, and product wizards to enhance Amazon’s customer experience.

After a full day of meetings, I was eagerly anticipating my dinner meeting with Jeff Bezos. We dined at a seafood restaurant on the waterfront in Seattle. As a Bostonian, I decided to forgo the local delicacies and opted for salmon. However, as time passed, it became evident that Jeff wasn’t going to make it. I inquired with the restaurant hostess and learned that Jeff couldn’t make it and wanted us to enjoy dinner on him.

Although disappointed, I flew back to Boston the next day. Shortly after my return, I received a call from a Seattle area code. Expecting it to be Jeff, I answered the call enthusiastically, only to realize it was a former college mate named Nate, who worked at Amazon.

As I reflected on this experience, I realized that while I missed the opportunity to dine with Jeff, there might be another chance in the future. Perhaps through my work with tech companies, I could find myself in a position where a business deal might include a dinner with Jeff as a perk or requirement.

Today, Amazon is valued at about $1.8 trillion, a stark contrast to Best Buy’s $16 billion valuation in 1999. Jeff’s vision and the evolution of his business have led to exponential growth, transforming the e-commerce landscape.

In hindsight, what could I have done differently? Instead of making the dinner about myself, I could have reached out that day for a follow-up call to ask Jeff about his one-year legacy. This approach would have shifted the focus to him, potentially leading to a more meaningful conversation and providing extended value.

Since then, I’ve been on over 1,500 sales calls, launched products that achieved their ARR goals in as little as one week, and coached sales professionals to reach their personal goals efficiently. My experience with Jeff taught me the importance of focusing on others’ needs and providing value, a lesson that has shaped my approach to sales and life.

Surprising my company by driving so many leads that they thought Hubspot was broken

Ever wondered what it’s like to push HubSpot to its limits, inundated with a hundred leads in under five minutes? Let me take you back to a moment a few years ago in Las Vegas, where I found myself addressing a crowd on the future of AI and its profound impact on our work lives.

I was entrenched in a tech company recently acquired by a venture capital firm, injecting millions into our growth trajectory. Despite substantial investments in a revamped website and extensive ad campaigns, our marketing efforts fell short. The leads we generated weren’t translating into closed deals, leaving us at a loss.

It was a pivotal moment when I confronted the team with the stark reality of our funnel’s inefficiency. The silence was deafening as we realized not a single marketing-qualified lead had converted into a closed deal.

Then came the opportunity to speak at a fintech event in Vegas, diving into the realm of AI. With a determined spirit, I embarked on crafting a narrative that would resonate deeply with my audience.

As I took the stage, I set the tone with a challenge: could I captivate them as effectively as the keynote speaker before me? With a promise to deliver insights into how AI could enhance job satisfaction, I wove a narrative that transcended mere data points.

Engaging the audience with interactive quizzes and thought-provoking questions, I unveiled the historical roots of AI before delving into its modern applications. But it wasn’t until I introduced two QR codes, urging attendees to share their newfound knowledge with teammates, that the true impact was revealed.

Within minutes, HubSpot was inundated with over a hundred leads, sparking bewilderment and excitement among the sales team. As they sifted through the influx of prospects, the realization dawned: this wasn’t just a surge in numbers, but a testament to the power of effective storytelling and audience engagement.

In the weeks that followed, the magnitude of our success became apparent. Sales directors were overwhelmed with leads, prompting a rare request to halt marketing efforts temporarily.

Reflecting on the value generated from a mere 27-minute talk, it became evident that great pitches transcend marketing rhetoric. They speak to the heart of the audience, eliciting laughter, tears, and, ultimately, action.

As I continue on my journey, I vow to uphold the principles of impactful storytelling and genuine engagement. It’s not about bombarding prospects with information, but crafting a narrative that resonates deeply with their aspirations.

So, I invite you to join me in crafting your sales legacy. What’s that one thing you want to achieve? Let’s start a conversation and chart a course towards your goals together. Click the link below and let’s make it happen.

Why are closed-won percentages for sales pitches well below expectations?

Watch my video to learn one of my key secrets on how to boost closed-won rates just by doing this one simple thing in the first call.

Here’s a written synopsis for those who want to go under the hood to hear how to increase second-call show rates…

🤫Every time a prospect is invited to a sales call, there are multiple opportunities to engage and listen. It might not be the first thing that you say or the last thing that you say, but it’s what you say by not saying it at all.

🎂Flipping the script on sales pitches gives your sales team’s prospects, the subconscious feelings of…

“There’s something about this salesperson…

“I like them.”

“I would invite them to my Birthday party.”

Getting that invitation means your sales team’s 2nd call invitations don’t get ghosted.

🍹The top 3% closer sharks know things that others don’t and it’s sometimes hard for them to explain what makes them so good. I have worked with 1,500 sales reps and discovered what makes the best salesperson better than the rest.

Here’s one tip that I learned along the way. I call it the “Birthday Invite Close”.

What’s nearly everyone’s favorite day of the year? It’s pretty much your birthday unless you’re one of those people who’s going from single digits to double like from 9 to 10 and doesn’t want to wait 90 years until they reach triple digits. Or you are turning 50, 60 or 70 and you’re not ready for that milestone.

So how can this be fixed? It’s simple and not easy. First things first, ask your prospect why they joined the call. The first thing they say back to you is what I call the “Birthday Wish List”.

When that question isn’t asked, the “Spaghetti Effect” goes into gear and the sales rep tends to say, let me show you my 220 slides and a 30-minute demo that goes to 57 minutes into the call where the rep gasps for air and says the demo can be finished on the next call and mentions, “I left you a few minutes for questions.”

Seriously, that’s the kiss of death for most deals! When this happens, the prospect thinks of your pitch as attending your Birthday party and they regret showing up. Instead of getting to go on roller coasters or bumper cars, all they got was a hall of mirrors where they were eagerly looking for the exit.

This is not unlike a reference in a Reddit for Business post that mentions each year a prospect sends a “Happy Birthday” note to the sales rep, yet ignores all of the salesperson’s messages.

How might a sales rep’s first sales call feel cold to a prospect and make them disinvite you from all of your messages?

Having a prospect book a follow-up call with you where you won’t get ghosted is like having them invite you to their Birthday party because they trust you.