Here are links to the five posts from last week and things to steal for yourself and/or take back to your team. Click through on each title for more [each article has a voiceover as well].
To the articles:
“Too Expensive” Isn’t About the Price
The insight: A prospect saying “too expensive” usually points to a discovery, multithreading or negotiation problem.
Change this: Before you discount ask a question like “Too expensive compared to what?” The answer will guide you as to which problem you’re actually trying to solve (budget, competitor, value etc.).
Weak Deals Aren’t All Weak the Same Way
The insight: There is a lot of nuance within weak/at-risk deals and treating them all the same way ignores opportunities to pull deals forward into the quarter.
Change this: Sort at-risk deals into Young, Obstructed and Walking Dead (YOW…yes we created an acronym!). Work certain obstructed deals to pull them back into the quarter, accelerate some young deals and give walking dead deals one last attempt before you kill them.
Get There Early and Shape the RFP
The insight: An RFP is mostly decided before it’s written. If you didn’t help shape it then you’re probably too late.
Change this: Get in before the RFP exists and multithread your way to the people shaping it. Then ask a question like “What do you wish you could make a requirement but haven’t seen any product solve yet?” And deliver those things!
A Technical Win Isn’t a Closed Deal
The insight: A technical win tells you almost nothing about budget, procurement timelines or who actually signs. You still have to sell.
Change this: Run the technical evaluation in parallel with the full sale. While product and engineering help win on the tech, the rep keeps working the sales process and leaders still hold them accountable for that process.
Your First Ten Customers Are a Signal
The insight: Early customers often come from investor intros, friends of the founder or big discounts. There are signals in those early customers but it’s not a pattern yet.
Change this: Split your early customers into two piles: those you could win again the same way and those you couldn’t. Build your ICP, messaging, and personas only from those you could win again.
