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The world of sales has transformed in many exciting and inspiring ways: Forget the sleazy salesman stereotype you are used to, today sales success is all about making meaningful connections with clients. Salespeople need to be transparent, and even more importantly, knowledgeable in their field. Staying up-to-date new technology and industry trends is crucial for pushing your product to the top, otherwise you WILL fall behind. However, the art and science of selling involve more than industry expertise. For any product, or person, to be successful they must be backed by an efficient sales team, the right connections, and a perfected process. This week on SaaS Insider podcast, host Shira Abel spoke with Whitney Sale on how to combine these principles to achieve sales success.
Whitney Sales is a business leader, General Partner of Acceleprise Ventures, and the founder of The Sales Method, a consultancy which helps startups identify their target markets, establish strong sales teams, and launch their product to market quickly and successfully. Whitney has been helping start-ups grow for 10+ years and is an expert in leading sales organizations, consulting sales teams, and guiding early stage sales. She has lead four companies to Inc’s 500 Fastest Growing Companies list including LoopNet, Joby, Meltwater, and SpringAhead. Whitney’s knowledge and passion make her the perfect person to explain how to master the process of successfully launching a product into a new market.
Selling today is easier, and harder than it has ever been in different ways. During the interview, Whitney discusses how the innovations in technology make it easier to introduce your product into a new market and successfully displace any existing competitors. However, the constant novelty in the market makes it crucial for you to always be paying attention and staying up to date on the newest technological advances.
Staying current and relevant is crucial, but as Whitney explains, it is only a piece of the successful sales puzzle. When launching a product into an unknown or already established market all salespeople should identify three factors about their target buyers:
- Whether they are facing a pain and whether your product’s benefit alleviates this pain
- Whether a portion of their budget is being allocated to relieve this pain.
- Whether you have access to the people dealing with the pain and making decisions about the budget.
Identifying these factors provides a solid foundation for any sales and marketing team to begin their product journey.
Throughout the talk, Whitney Sales emphasizes the importance of making the right connections and asking the right questions. Relationships are crucial in the world of sales. The key to success is a strong team and a complementary dynamic between sales and marketing departments. Making the right relationships outside your company is also essential: Whitney describes the importance of connecting with champions, who make things happen and avoid talkers, who waste your time. Research and transparency are also crucial mechanisms for developing maintaining valuable relationships in the sales world.
This talk makes it clear that, with the right tools, anyone with a desire to sell and willingness to listen can succeed in sales. No matter your field, Whitney Sale’s insight into the process of successful selling is extremely valuable. Tune in to learn more.