Sales Process Optimization

The disconnect between sales managers and reps in 2025 is wild. Manager: "Just pick up the phone!" Rep: *sends 47 emails, 12 texts, 3 LinkedIn messages, and a carrier pigeon* Sound familiar? 😅 After 20+ years in sales, I've watched this communication gap grow wider every year. But here's what both sides are missing: It's not about choosing ONE channel. It's about understanding WHICH channel works WHEN. The most successful reps I've seen? They've cracked the code: **First 24 hours:** • Email → Sets professional tone • LinkedIn → Shows you've done homework • Text → Only if they've given permission **Days 2-5:** • Phone call → NOW it's time (they know who you are) • Voice note → Personal touch that stands out • Video message → Shows real effort **The truth?** Your manager's right - calls DO convert better. You're also right - cold calling blind is dead. The magic happens when you warm them up FIRST. Think of it like dating: You wouldn't propose on the first date. So why are we calling strangers without context? **My top 3 strategies that actually work:** 1. The "Permission Play" End every email with: "Would a quick call tomorrow at 2pm work to discuss?" (They expect it now = higher answer rate) 2. The "Multi-Touch Warm-Up" Email → LinkedIn view → Call within 48 hours (They recognize your name = 3x more likely to answer) 3. The "Context Creator" Reference their LinkedIn post before calling "Saw your post about X, had a thought..." (You're not a stranger = conversation not pitch) Here's the brutal truth: Managers: Your reps aren't lazy. They're adapting to how buyers ACTUALLY buy in 2025. Reps: Your manager isn't wrong. The phone still closes more deals than any other channel. Bridge the gap. Use both. Win more. What's your take - Team Phone or Team Omnichannel? P.S I'm running a FREE 6-week LinkedIn Social Selling Bootcamp starting Monday 15th Sept, grab a free spot here https://lnkd.in/eVmxsMbM

For my first 16 years in tech sales, I averaged 240K/year W2 income. In my last 4 years, I averaged 720K/year. In order to triple my income, I had to change my sales approach entirely. Here's what I changed: I started using a new approach that I now call Yo-yo selling: 🪀 Yo-yo selling emphasizes starting at the executive level, conducting thorough discovery within the organization, and then returning to the executive with a tailored business case. Like holding a yo-yo, you are constantly in communication with the Executive Sponsor and updating them as you collect information and conduct deep discovery lower down in their organization. You are literally going up and down the organization, but always taking everything back to the Executive Sponsor to surface your findings along the way. Here's a breakdown of the framework: 🎯 𝐈𝐚𝐧 𝐊𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐚𝐤’𝐬 “𝐘𝐨-𝐘𝐨 𝐒𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠” 𝐅𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 This strategy involves a three-step process: 1. Start at the Top (Executive Engagement) Initiate contact with a senior executive to understand their most pressing challenges, the reasons behind the need for change, and the consequences of inaction. If your solution aligns with their needs, secure their sponsorship for further discovery within their organization. To secure the Executive Meetings, it's essential to create a tailored POV (point of view) on where you think you may be able to help them based on your initial research of their highest level goals and priorities. Chat GPT has made this research a LOT faster now. 2. Conduct In-Depth Discovery (Middle Management) Engage with department heads and key stakeholders to uncover the day-to-day challenges they face. Focus on understanding their processes, pain points, and the implications of current inefficiencies. Gather direct quotes and insights to build a comprehensive view of the organization's needs. 3. Return to the Executive (Present Findings) Compile the insights gathered into an executive summary and business case. Present this to the executive sponsor, highlighting how your solution addresses the identified challenges. Tailor your demonstration to focus solely on relevant aspects that solve their specific problems. 🚀 Why It Works 1. Accelerates Sales Cycles: Engaging executives early ensures alignment and expedites decision-making. 2. Builds Credibility: Demonstrates a deep understanding of the organization's challenges and showcases a tailored solution. 3. Facilitates Internal Buy-In: By involving various stakeholders, you ensure that the solution meets the needs of all parties, increasing the likelihood of adoption. I'm pleased to share that that Yo-yo selling was recently awarded as a Top 15 Sales Tactic of All Time by 30 Minutes to President's Club, and I received a cool plaque for entering the 30MPC Hall of Fame. Since I have no chance of entering the Hall of Fame for my baseball or golf game, this is a nice consolation prize 😁

I just canceled 80% of our standing meetings. My leadership team thought I’d lost it. 6 weeks later, revenue is up 23%. Here’s what happened: I counted every meeting on my sales team’s calendar: - Average rep: 18 hours per week in meetings - Only 22 hours left for actual selling - Most meetings could’ve been a Slack message or dashboard We were managing the calendar, not the team. So I asked: “If I paid you $500 to skip this meeting and send a voice note instead, would you?” Every person said yes. That’s when I knew we had a problem. I killed every recurring meeting and started from zero. The only one we kept: Weekly 1-on-1s and Forecast calls Everything else: Team updates? Async Slack. Pipeline reviews? Shared dashboard.
 “Quick syncs”? Banned. Three weeks later: Reps went from 18 hours of meetings to 3 hours per week Close rate jumped from 18% to 24% Team morale up 41% Revenue up 23% Most meetings exist because managers don’t trust their teams. We schedule check-ins because we’re anxious. We do standups for visibility. But what we’re really doing is killing 15 hours per person per week of selling time. Do the math: 12-person team × 15 hours recovered × 4 weeks = 720 hours That’s like hiring 3.6 full-time people. For free. Your calendar is your strategy. If your best people spend more time talking about work than doing work, don’t be surprised when you get outpaced. What’s the meeting you know you should cancel but haven’t? #SalesLeadership #WorkplaceCulture #Productivity #Leadership #MeetingFatigue

When I was CRO of a $200M SaaS, doing POCs almost destroyed us—months wasted, team exhausted, buyers constantly delaying. Until my VP Sales said, “Kill the POC. We’ll validate value clearly in 3 hours flat”. Here's exactly how we rebuilt our sales process and cut our sales cycle by 50%: BACKGROUND: We were selling 100% enterprise. POCs were the automatic default: Heavy, technical validation lasting 1-3 months. It was painful… - Sales Engineers were overloaded - Buyers kept delaying due to resource issues - Buyers kept wanting more “just one more test” Initially, I thought: It’s Enterprise, that’s the game right? Until our VP Sales, Idan Arealy, joined. Two weeks in, he tells me: “No offense—but these POCs are total overkill.” “Buyers don’t need these endless tests.” “They’re not doubting the tech.” “They’re doubting the value.” “And we don’t need this complexity to prove value.” So he suggested a simpler, smarter alternative: The 'Use Case Workshop'—and it changed everything. Here’s the step-by-step: —— 1. Kickoff (45 min) - AE positions the workshop immediately post-demo: “Here’s what we typically do next to help validate real-world scenarios in just hours—no heavy lift needed. Shall we set it up?" - SE runs deeper disco into problem root causes in a kickoff call - AE sets clear Mutual Action Plan (MAP) 2. Internal Alignment (60 min) - SE & AE clearly define and build initial use-case solutions - Output: Slides outlining impactful solutions & open questions 3. Use Case Co-Design (45 min) - Live session with buyers walking through scenarios - Collaboratively refine solutions LIVE (e.g. Miro, slides): “Walk me through this problem in more detail—we’ll map exactly how solving it looks." 4. Prioritization & Wrap Up (30 min) - Jointly prioritize top 3 impactful use cases clearly: "Which scenarios, solved, would immediately solve [Problem]?" - Lock down committed next steps ↳ Result? - 3 focused hours (instead of months) - Clear, confident buyers ready to champion - 100% faster sales cycles & higher win rates —— POCs are NOT mandatory. Buyers don't want endless tests. Don’t default to what most buyers ask. Design what will solve what they need— With as little friction as possible. That's: Sales Process Design 101. P.S. We built Aligned to help manage the chaos of Complex Sales. 100% FREE Deal Room used by 40K AEs to run POCs, MAPs, etc. Try it https://lnkd.in/d_49kHZE

By the time you finishing reading this line, six beauty products will have sold on TikTok Shop in the UK. The platform now ranks as the UK’s fourth-largest beauty retailer, behind only Amazon, Boots UK and LOOKFANTASTIC.COM (NielsenIQ). What began as an entertainment platform has evolved into a commercial force redefining how brands launch, market and sell. The UK’s social commerce market is forecast to more than double to £15.7bn by 2028, to account for 11% of online sales according to Retail Economics. Beauty is the crown jewel of social commerce. Our research found that two in five UK social media users have purchased beauty products on social platforms such as TikTok – more than any other category. Its visual, demonstrative nature is perfectly matched to short-form video, where tutorials, transformations and real-world reviews drive discovery and conversion – driven by creators, community and authenticity. Boots UK was one of the first movers with TikTok for Business Video Shopping Ads to make premium beauty more accessible. This closed-loop approach placed shoppable content directly into users’ For You feeds. Now Estée Lauder, owner of Aveda, Bobbi Brown and Clinique, has committed to tripling new product launches on social platforms over the next years. It’s an important reminder of how traditional retailers can embrace new channels by investing, testing and adapting. The rise of social commerce doesn’t stop at beauty. Apparel, home, food and electricals are all fast-growing categories. Younger, affluent shoppers are leading this shift. And if brands want to capture the spend of this core demographic, they need to be where the eyeballs are. Great to discuss this with The Times’ Isabella Fish for their print feature – article linked below. https://lnkd.in/ejSgGAfy   ____________________________________ ⤴ Follow me for weekly retail, consumer and economic insights. ____________________________________

Most sales VPs I talk to are frustrated. Their teams hit numbers sporadically. Deals slip. Reps plateau. They feel like they're babysitting adults instead of leading high performers. (Is this you?) Here's what I learned scaling teams to multiple 9 figures while hitting President's Club every single year: → High performance isn't about talent. It's about systems. The same 3 pillar system I used as a frontline leader (and now teach to sales VPs at 8 and 9-figure companies) can transform your team from reactive to proactive. PILLAR 1: Systematic Weekly 1-on-1s Not check ins. Performance drivers. 🔹Have THEM verbalize their numbers 🔹Review specific action items from last week 🔹Set crystal clear next actions (so specific a 2nd grader could understand) 🔹Use a pre-meeting form to drive self-awareness PILLAR 2: Weekly Scoreboards Visibility drives behavior. Period. 🔹Stack rank by your most important KPI 🔹Send every Monday morning 🔹Everyone sees where they stand 🔹Celebrate top performers publicly PILLAR 3: Strategic Call Shadowing This is where transformation happens. 🔹Plan monthly in advance 🔹Require agenda with minimum 3 calls 🔹Coach in real-time, not a week later 🔹Start with what they did well, then max 3 improvements If your AE can't prepare a solid half day for their sales leader, what are they doing when you're not watching? The result of this system: → Reps know exactly where they stand and what to do next → Problems surface early, not at quarter-end → Your team CRAVES feedback because they know it drives results → You hit bigger numbers without needing heroics every quarter Bottom line: Stop managing by hope. Start leading with systems. Your team (and your numbers) will thank you. — Ready to systemize your sales leadership? Book a call to see how we can implement this in your organization: https://lnkd.in/ghh8VCaf

I audited $10M+ worth of monthly paid marketing spend in 2024. The truth about marketing in PE port-cos: When you dig into the data, you almost always uncover opportunities to cut CPA and increase conversion volume. But the real aha here is that it’s usually easily fixable issues, not super complex stuff: 1. Port-cos often spend on 'button clickers' instead of 'hand raisers.' Saved one port-co $100k/month by shifting conversion to form completion AFTER watching demos (instead of initial CTA click). 2. Multiple port-cos ran six-figure campaigns on autopilot. No A/B testing, no adjustments, just spend reliant on Google’s algo to make the right decisions. 3. Basic campaign fixes could slash costs in half. Most port-cos pay 2-3x more per click simply due to messy account structure and low quality scores. 4. Most companies try to target too many search terms at once. Almost always, you find that real sales come from a small core set of keywords.  Double down on these. 5. Companies waste money advertising to all regions at once. Focusing on fewer locations (with higher spend) typically improves performance by 20-40%. 6. Basic creative quality control is rare. One company spent $75k monthly on LinkedIn ad creative where half the text was cut off. 7. Marketing teams often throw money at their own brand name in search. That budget is usually less incremental than you think - and better spent reaching new customers. 8. Port-cos focus on ads but ignore where they lead. Better landing pages immediately lower costs and lift sales. 9. You see a lot of money going to channels that don't work. One team cut their cost per lead by 90% just by shifting all ad budget to a single platform (Google). 10. Marketing teams celebrate high MQL conversion rates, but sales can't trace a single closed deal back to those "successful" campaigns. Truth is, most of these issues are fixable. The hard part is finding them. Want to audit your own marketing? Start here: □ Can you link your ad spend to actual closed/won? □ Which campaigns drive real pipeline? □ What are your campaigns actually optimizing for? □ Do marketing and sales measure success the same way? □ Are you paying for traffic you would have already gotten? Otherwise, AMA in the comments. Happy to help!

⏱️ 30 minutes. That’s how long it used to take our reps to build a single quote! Multiply that by ∼ 500 quotes a year = 250 hours of lost selling time. We run a $3M+ outbound engine and every minute matters. So, to fix this, we had to rebuild our quoting from scratch. Here’s how it works now 👇 1️⃣ Discovery: Reps capture ICP fit, blockers, and budget directly in the CRM during the call. 2️⃣ Auto-draft: PandaDoc pulls those fields into a branded proposal template. 3️⃣ Smart pricing: CPQ logic applies bundles, discounts, and approval thresholds automatically. 4️⃣ Routing: Legal tweaks, Big discounts, whatever it is gets instant routing for approval. 5️⃣ Signals: Reps track doc opens + where buyers spend time. 6️⃣ Close: Buyer signs + pays in-doc, CRM flips to Closed-Won, Done. Here are the results we had so far 👇 ✔️ 30+ minutes saved per deal ✔️ Proposals go out the same day, with real buyer context ✔️ Approval cycles went from days to hours ✔️ Sales cycles move faster, so revenue is generated sooner Don't think of the way you handle quotes as admin work. It’s part of the buyer experience, and it can win or lose the deal.  👉 Want to see how this looks in action? Check out PandaDoc: http://bit.ly/3IKLOuf #pandadocpartner #salesops #revops #outbound

Here's a breakdown of what an Account-Based Sales model looks like. Designed to drive up win % while landing logos at a higher ACV $ upfront. The big idea: every deal gets a tailored set of account-specific docs, guiding a customer's buying process from problem → outcome. _____ → STAGES & FRAMEWORKS: - BDR/AE's collab on a research-backed POV + draft account plan ↓ - Which drives tailored outreach to engage buying teams execs early ↓ - Buying group collabs on a problem statement, mapped to the priority ↓ - SE's get a pre-demo brief, with a storyline scripted around this ↓ - AE's customer inputs above into a full biz case with target outcomes ↓ - Sales leaders get a written deal brief to spot gaps in < 60 seconds ↓ - Go-live plan shows a path from commercials to customer outcome ↓ - CS gets a handoff doc to guide transition post-sales ↓ - AM's get a written case for expansion to drive upsells Here, you're capturing each customer’s journey in a set of “living” docs that evolve and flow into each other: POV ↓ Account Plan ↓ Demo Brief ↓ Business Case ↓ Leader's Deal Brief ↓ Mutual Success Plan ↓ CS Handoff Doc 100% tailored for each account. Grab a set of editable frameworks for these here: https://lnkd.in/gG3XRbT2 ______ → PRINCIPLES: Written docs are the “container” your process lives in, because: (1) Content = context. Think of it like those Russian nesting dolls — each doc has context from the last doc nested inside the next one. e.g. POV drives a problem statement, that sits in the full biz case, which is context for a go-live plan, etc. (2) Content is evidence. It’s concrete, not abstract: - Less, "It was a good meeting, they're interested." - More, "Here are redlines adding data to our problem statement." It’s how we see where, exactly, a customer is in the buying journey. While making it visible to everyone. (3) Content is influence. It's in the room when you can't be. Scripting internal convo's happening about you, without you. ______ → EXECUTION: This isn't just for key accounts. It scales downmarket, too. It's why Fluint's AI is built around the first "living doc" that writes, learns, and redlines itself inside every deal  (see it here: fluint.io ) Letting you treat every account, like a key account.

It’s humbling: 17 years in sales, $44M+ in B2B deals closed… and I still get ghosted after pouring 40 hours into a pitch. 2 months ago, I sat down with my leadership team and told them: our sales process is broken. Currently: → A “quick chat” turns into 3 Zoom calls. → Weeks of back-and-forth email threads. → Too many proposals that go nowhere. By the time we finally send over pricing, they've either: • Ghosted • Picked someone else • Forgot why they reached out in the first place As much as I hate to admit it, many of our deals at @Incepteo still undergo this process. So, we're making a significant change: Productizing our services. Yes, I know it's a huge buzzword – but here's what we're planning to do: 1) Make it easier for the client to say “yes” People buy when they are excited. People buy when they trust you. They don't buy when they have to wait 2 weeks to understand what they're getting. Imagine if the only way to book a flight was to: → Call the airline → Explain where you're going → Wait 3 days → Then get a quote No one would fly. But, that's exactly what the typical service business' sales process looks like. Proposals (quotes) take hours for us to prepare AND prevent buyers from quickly accessing the information they need. If someone’s interested in working with us, we want to show them exactly what we do and why it works in minutes. To do that, we'll… 2) Build online estimators for our core offers Not every client needs something 'totally unique.' In reality: → 80% of what we do is repeatable → 20% is custom (but can still live inside a well-defined package) So, we're building an online estimator that help prospects get: • A transparent price range • A ballpark timeline • An overview of deliverables This information comes in a few clicks on our website. No calls or weeks of waiting needed. We’ll still add human oversight before onboarding, but this reduces lead time drastically. 3) Communicate the “how” (not just the “what”) Even with clear pricing and timeline, there's still a trust gap. They still need to know: • Why we’re different • What our values are • How we actually deliver the work. Otherwise, we’re just another AI solutions firm with a nice landing page. Clients buy on outcomes AND the process. Now that we've reduced repetitive discovery calls, we can use that time to connect deeply on values and vision. We'll share our 'how' across our website, leadership content, and direct messaging. If prospects can’t tell us apart from 3 other firms charging wildly different rates—that’s on us. It's our job to visualize the invisible. Productizing services makes the buying experience better for you and your customer. • Shorter sales cycles • Less ghosting • Better-fit clients who are aligned with how we work Clarity → confidence → conversions. We're still building our estimation system, but the early signs are promising. Curious to hear your feedback on productizing in the comments.