Tag Archive for: Candidates

For as long as enterprise software has been around, the default go-to-market (GTM) strategy was to create as much noise as possible to garner attention around your product and go after hand-raisers and high-fit prospects with a sales team. This is what some refer to as the volume lead-based model.

Though this model is not entirely obsolete, it’s proving to no longer be as effective as it once was. This is partly due to the fact that it causes many inefficiencies throughout the sales process but more likely due to the fact that, regardless of the field, most markets software organizations target are becoming overcrowded with vendors. This oversaturation is leading to a lot of noise within people’s inboxes and making it much harder to stand out to actually capture someone’s attention.

What many have proposed as a solution to this problem is an idea called Account Based Marketing or ABM for short. If you’re already working in sales or marketing for a tech organization it’s likely an acronym you’ve already heard many times before. However, it seems to have many different meanings to different people, which begs the question, what exactly is ABM?

ABM takes the traditional lead-based model and flips it on its head. Rather than targeting as many people as possible and having a sales team try and find the needle in a large haystack, this process starts first by identifying high-value clients the company would like to have a very specific focus on. Once this target list has been identified, highly personalized and tailored strategies are then put in place with messaging that will hopefully prove to be too enticing and relevant to ignore.

It is a means of finding greater success with outbound marketing & sales campaigns through more effective collaboration. There are benefits to be gained from simply improving communication among the various departments, tips for which we’ve written about before, but when that isn’t enough leaders need to consider systematic changes to their GTM strategy that can provide greater efficiencies which in turn will hopefully lead to greater revenue.

To some, this may mean simply adding digital advertising campaigns to focus on companies that the sales team is planning to go after. The additional air coverage will very likely have some impact in improving engagement results but ultimately that would only be a piece of the puzzle.

ABM in its entirety should really be a cohesive effort to have a 1:1 conversation with an organization on why and how your solution can provide value the prospect currently doesn’t have at their disposal today. There should be the same unified message being delivered across every channel used to reach these leads/prospects and this message should evolve as the sales cycle continues to develop. 

For example, if we were an ABM platform vendor the first course of action would be to raise awareness on the value of ABM in general to develop an internal need. In a true ABM strategy, there would ideally be material related to each prospect’s situation or environment to more easily help them more concretely envision what benefits they can achieve by adopting a new solution as opposed to proposing hypothetical scenarios.

Once the need has been developed, the next course of action should be to differentiate your solution from other vendors in the market. The messages being delivered here could touch on how your solution works better with the technology investments a company already has in place or superior capabilities you have over your competition. Relevant case studies and customer testimonials would also be gold at this stage in the process. 

As these conversations develop the onus to develop these responsibilities will fall less on marketing and more on sales to receive the baton the bring it across the finish line. From a high-level perspective, there should be a gradient pattern of share in responsibility where early engagements have the ball in marketing’s court and later phases of the engagement would be on the sales side.

Now as a sales professional, marketing will essentially view you as another arm or channel they can use to reach target accounts. Typically though this would be reserved for those accounts that are showing some level of interest. 

From a day to day perspective, your responsibilities won’t change in terms of how you’re carrying out your job. A switch to an ABM strategy will more than likely simply mean a switch in focus for what companies you go after and why. You’ll still need to go through the motions of qualifying your opportunities and facilitating the conversations with a personal touch to bring to close.

In summary, the true role of a sales professional within ABM should be to provide a human touch or element through rapport and empathy that’s often hard for marketing teams to achieve through their typical channels. If you’re interested in learning more please comment below and let us know what you’d like to learn more about.

If you’re looking for other sales advice you’re also welcome to check out our other articles on the Rainmakers blog. Of course, if you’re looking to break into or find a new opportunity within tech sales you can also find listings for your future job on our website at https://www.rainmakers.co/

What Is A Brag Book?

Nutshell.com defines a Brag Book as “a collection of testimonials, case studies, or pictures from satisfied customers. For example, a sales rep can present their brag book to prospects to illustrate their prior successes and how they’ve exceeded their client’s expectations.”

As someone in a sales position at a tech company, you know what your sales manager loves to see out of your key metrics. Those same metrics can be used when applying to future sales positions, and that’s why a brag book is an asset to your continued success.

Your brag book should contain records, key metrics, or verifiable numbers that speak to your skills. Include items like:

• Three years’ worth of sales figures, ranking reports, and awards
• Any standout accomplishments like “#1 sales rep” in the company
• Email examples that speak to your talent for communicating with active and prospective clients
• Three years’ worth of W-2s and YTD earnings to back up any sales claims you make

The key metrics can be broken into two categories: Quantity and Quality.

Quantity-driven metrics include:

• Accounts called
• Leads sources
• Emails
• Calls
• Connects
• Demos
• Opportunities

Quality-driven metrics include:

• Contacts sourced per account
• Calls per lead
• Unique leads called
• Connect Rate
• Demo to opportunity Conversion
• Calls per opportunity
• Connects per opportunity

How do you track those, where do you store them, and how do you present them to future hiring managers to ensure you get the job you deserve?

We have found some tools to help you track, store, and share your metrics accurately and somewhat variable way with future hiring managers as you advance your career.

Call Activity Scorecard

This call activity scorecard helps you set goals and track the number of calls you make each quarter, and how many conversions, opportunities created, and wins result from those calls.

Weekly Email Tracker

This easy weekly email tracker helps you track the number of emails, unique people emailed, how many new prospects are being contacted, the number of deals closed due to emails, etc.

Sales Activity Worksheet

This sales activity worksheet assists in tracking metrics like the number of hours worked per week, your weekly/monthly/quarterly goals, leads generated, the size of details, and contracts signed.

Rekener

Rekener is a sales rep scorecard software provider that helps track leads, quotas, opportunity stages, and KPI trends.

Rainmakers

Recording your metrics is an important habit that will pay off when it’s time to look for new sales opportunities. For example, when you sign up for an account on a job site like Rainmakers.co, your numbers and sales figures are displayed on your profile for companies looking to hire proven salespeople.

Finding the best sales tech job is a challenge. It requires hard work, focus, and resourcefulness. The skills we will discuss do not only apply to land a job. They will help you become a rainmaker for your company. No matter what your experience in the field, if you come at this with a positive attitude you can land that great new job in sales tech.

However, a positive attitude will not take you the entire way. Nobody can just walk in the door at Apple and demand the job of their dreams. You will need to spend some time in the industry before big companies will even consider you. Don’t think that can skip the line to the top. This is your career, prepare for a lifelong commitment to mastery.

Consider this process as the first step to focusing on your craft. You may need to begin at smaller companies that don’t necessarily have the brand awareness of your dream job. In fact, starting your career at a small company with an unknown brand can be a great opportunity. If you can help a small company grow exponentially, then you will have a real victory on your resume. The more you succeed, the more leverage you will have in the industry.

Perhaps, however, you’re already experienced in sales and are looking to improve. We believe that even the experienced can benefit from going back to the fundamentals of what makes a good salesperson. Apply the lessons we will discuss in our lessons, and you’ll go from good to great.

The key here is what is the best position for you. Everybody has their own particular set of skills. The worst thing you can do is take a new position that does not play to your strengths. So we already know you have to hustle, be motivated, and know how to produce results in order to get the best job possible. Now let’s look at how to nail down that position that you know you can thrive in.

Radar

Nobody is going to hand you the ideal job. No matter how long you meditate and visualize the job you want, nothing will happen until you go out and make it happen. Part of that process is being aware of what’s going on in the industry. Make a list of companies you are interested in and learn as much about them as you can.

Learn about their culture and work life. See if you can determine the quality of the company before you even make an effort to apply. Find the networking events they attend, connect with them on LinkedIn or their social channels. Do everything you can to make connections and source information. Not only will this inquisitive mindset help you in getting the right job for you, but it will also help develop your skills when you’re actually working in sales.

Sales Landscape

According to LinkedIn, sales is the single most important component of a strong candidate. There are so many ways people can distract their employers from the fact that they may not be good at sales. They can decorate their resumes, lean heavily on their college degree, or even point to their numerous extracurricular activities. Always remember this, nothing compares to the ability to makes sales.

We will talk a lot about the macro level of hiring in this industry and as you read you will be achieving the goal of educating yourself on the topic. But this does not mean you can rely on this program alone. Seek out friends in the industry and start networking with companies even though you know you don’t want to work for them. Any connection is a good connection in sales and individual growth.

The Interview Process

Learning more about sales will make you see the world a bit differently. You will begin to see more and more things as a sales process. There’s something you want, but you can’t have. Therefore you develop a way to communicate what you want, a way to offer equal or greater value, and finally closing the deal.

The interview process is no different. Your potential employer is looking for something and is willing to offer something of value in return. After you decide that you are willing to accept what they will offer, then it’s your turn to prove to them you can return the exchange with something equal or greater. This is much easier said than done.

The best way to start with your best foot forward is to make sure all written communication is perfect. There is no excuse for typos here because you have plenty of time to read through your writing multiple times. Be clear and concise, do your best to judge the situation to see if slight humor or a complete dry interaction is necessary.

Research everyone you make contact with during the hiring process. The more you know the people you’re interacting with the better you will feel when you come face to face with them. If you know who they are before they know you, you will display a sharp intellect and a real desire to be a part of the team.

Like every sale, you need to be committed to the close. Whatever they throw at you be ready to meet their needs and move on to the next step. Do not procrastinate on replying to emails or sending the necessary documents. This will be an immediate red flag for them and they will quickly pass you up for someone more diligent.