Aligned

How NOT to do follow up in 2025 Ft. Leslie Douglas & Will Aitken

I’ve been a VP/CxO for 11 years and have only seen a sales demo like this once. The product was good, but the AE?—it was in those 45 minutes, not the months later, that she won the deal. Here are the 6 things she did that I’ll never forget: 1. The first 5 minutes got me excited to spend the next 45 No sales pitch. No cheesy small talk. A relaxed, casual chat with someone who knew how to create a connection in seconds. Quick and clear alignment on what I can expect from the demo and reference to research she had done, showing she was prepared. 2. She made me RETHINK my strategy Instead of a robotic BANT checklist, she asked me the kind of questions that made me pause. We were having a real conversation, and it led to me thinking critically about my business. By minute 25, I’d gained new clarity on the problem I really needed to solve. I got value, even before seeing the product. 3. Her sales slides didn’t feel like sales slides Zero logos. No awards. She used 2-3 slides purely to highlight trends, walk me through a vivd breakdown of problems my peers are experiencing, and the big picture approach to solving them (that’s greater than their product). It all served one purpose—driving a discussion that drives my business case. 4. She made me forget the demo even existed She refused to rush through features just to ‘cover them all’. The conversation around my problems was so robust that, by the time the product came up, I trusted she had the right solution. She never once made me feel I was being marched through the standard “tour”. 5. She demoed 3 capabilities, and it was more than enough No dumping every ‘bell or whistle’. She covered EXACTLY the key use cases that spoke to my problems, and shared detailed user stories that made me feel as if I was speaking with a peer about how they’re solving this problem. I had a chance to raise concerns and understand how each use case fits into my world. 6. She treated my call like her only priority No wasted minutes. No rushed next steps. By minute 40, she’d set aside enough time to confirm value, propose clear next steps relevant to ME, and raise final concerns. It was the best-managed 45 minutes of my buying life. TAKEAWAY: 40-60% of deals end up in No-Decision. Most times AEs don’t even hear back. They just select a default CRM Lost Reason. Most deals are lost before they even start. Your first impression is EVERYTHING. Make buying experience your unfair advantage. Master how you Open. And you won’t be surprised by how things End. P.S. We built Aligned to help make buying experience an unfair advantage for AEs. A 100% FREE Deal Room used by 35K sellers. Try it: https://lnkd.in/d_49kHZE

How to present your pre-call research Ash Zagst?gives some insight??

When I was VP Sales, my top AE hit 200% of quota 2yrs straight as we went from $1-10M ARR. There was ONE SKILL that set him apart: He was always in project mode with buyers. Here’s his exact workflow that 99% just don’t do: 1. His follow-ups felt like he’s offering 'Project Management Services' Most AEs follow up to push their next step. All they see is quota, so they’ll do anything to just get an answer. Our top AE split his pipeline into two buckets: Bucket A - was in project management mode. A work-back plan from the value delivery date was built with his champions. They revisit it at every meeting. Bucket B - was in project formation mode. He’d re-listen to his calls, read his notes, and tailor his actions. His goal was to clarify why this must be a project, find someone to champion it, or cut his losses. 2. His resource-sharing was an orchestrated buyer enablement Most AE resource sharing is all about THEM. Getting *their* best white papers, or case studies in front of prospects. A spray-and-pray of assets, with little thought about how they tie into the buyer’s journey. Our top AE put a lot of thought into what, when, how, and who he shared with: - ‘What we’ve heard summary’ in email 1 that will evolve into a business case - A document outlining the POC scope shared with the POC team - Requirement list building template shared early in the vendor long-list building - Tailored business case built with their champion ahead of their exec meeting 3. His multi-threading built consensus and champion support Most AEs multithread to get as high as possible to speak with execs. They often do it behind the champion’s back and hurt the deal. Our top AE understood that BTL (Below The Line) of power stakeholders are as important as ATL. He understood that decisions are made in committees, and having multiple champions and strong end-user support is vital for decisions. 4. He created momentum between meetings even more than in calls Most AEs follow up about individual next steps. The problem with that is it’s too tactical. People always procrastinate tasks since it’s noise. Our top AE had a brilliant email strategy. On EVERY single follow-up he included a recap of completed and open milestones until value delivery. Prospects always had their ultimate goal in mind and felt accountable. POC - Done Commercials - Done Executive review - Oct 15 Formalizing - Nov 15 Onboarding - Dec 31 Value Delivery - Feb 28 —— That AE today is my co-founder, Gal Deitsch ?. And that’s what made him start Aligned. 99% of AEs see deals as a transaction to close. Top AEs see deals as projects to facilitate. They become an extension of the buying team. They orchestrate the decision-making process. They offer 'Buying Process as a Service'. P.S. While it takes skills, our vision was that moving from Email Chaos -> Deal Workspace would help manage complex deals as he did—so we built Aligned. #1 G2 Digital Sales Room. Try FREE: https://lnkd.in/d_49kHZE

SDR and AE ??

Maria Bross?'s hot take on enablement to see real impact?

I texted a prospect at 8pm on a Sunday. It was EOQ and a critical deal—for both of us. By Monday, we closed. Yes, that text didn’t blow up the deal or feel pushy. My champion even sent a big thank you note, CC’ing my CEO. My point? If you’re an AE who’s afraid to text a prospect, you’re selling as if you’re inferior. (And your buyer will see you that way, too.) If we’re working hand-in-hand toward a critical business outcome. If I’ve shared my deepest challenges, political battles, and personal motivations. You’re not just a vendor—and I’m not just a buyer. We’re partners. Equals. - You are my path to success at work. - I am your path to success in this deal. This relationship is intimate and urgent. If I don’t answer a key question or you spot a crucial gap? Hell yeah. TEXT ME. I want that outcome as much as you do. And if I don’t seem to care—don’t waste your time on me. You’re not “pushy”. You’re committed to helping me win. You’re not “less”. You’re the expert solving my problem. When you see yourself as a trusted authority, so do I. Own that role. Too many AEs are insecure—or don’t know how to use each channel. Here’s the short version: 1. Email — Scheduling, official updates, multi-threading, meeting prep, and longer-form follow-ups. 2. Deal Room — Project management, resource sharing, champion collab, key questions, and centralizing critical info for multiple stakeholders. 3. Text/Slack/LinkedIn — Building personal relationships, urgent questions, “unblockers,” and POC support. Buyers hate reps who tiptoe around them. I’ve texted prospects on weekends more times than I can count, and they appreciated the clarity—and the faster turnaround. Stop being a “surface-level” seller. You’re not a waiter. You’re not a vendor. You solve critical problems. Act like it. Lead. P.S. It’s end-of-Q1—no better time to start. Send that text.

Here are 3 things that are "mission-critical" for any salesperson Shoutout Sarah Brazier ?? ??

Behind every Type A sales rep is a Type B partner working in Finance, IT, HR, or Legal What does your S/O do?

Enterprise Sales is a different beast. You’re thinking about it all wrong. The difference between a $50K and a $500K deal is NOT fancy Negotiation skills or Disco tactics. You need to learn BUSINESS ACUMEN like a VP. I’ve worked 100s of $6-7 fig deals. Here are the 5 hardest lessons I wish I knew before going upmarket: 1. AEs Don’t Close Deals—They Rally The Troops Lone wolves don't close 7-fig deals. Enterprise AEs are like film directors—connecting champions, execs, and influencers across both companies, so the deal feels inevitable. It’s never about one hero; it's about orchestrating every player: CEO who shares the vision, VP Product who tackles tough questions, Exec Sponsor who secures buy-in. High-stakes deals demand the best your company can offer. Great AEs know how to get it. 2. Complex Sales = World Class Project Management In enterprise deals, you’re more PM than a seller. Big deals die in the details: missed tasks, unaligned stakeholders, and endless email threads. New people jump in mid-cycle, each needing context. Your job: bring order to chaos. Protect momentum, keep everyone aligned, and ensure nothing slips. Top AEs co-create timelines, organize materials in Deal Rooms and tailor every detail. 3. AEs Master Buying (not Selling) My biggest breakthroughs came not from sales training but from buying software and interviewing CXOs. That’s when I realized: If you understand how budgets, approvals, and internal priorities work, you don't need sales tactics. Empathy becomes your superpower because you know what each stakeholder needs (financially and politically) to say YES. Want to excel at enterprise? Study how companies justify ROI, CFOs think, and champions navigate approvals. 4. There’s No Sales Process—Only a Buying Process Your buyer doesn’t care if you’ve hit Stage 3 in your CRM. They care about their own maze of priorities, budgets, and internal politics. Top AEs ‘dance’ around the sales stages. They choreograph moves based on what the deal needs next—like looping in a board member to champion them behind the scenes or going after end-users to outshine a competitor who started at the top. 5. AEs Think Transformation, Not Pain Points Execs won’t write $1M checks to fix a clunky spreadsheet workflow. They need to see a solution driving company-wide impact—like a strategic pivot or entering a new market. If you’re only uncovering small headaches, expect a small deal. But connect those symptoms to a transformation—and the CFO listens. —— Enterprise sellers think and act like business leaders. Not salespeople who want to close deals. Yes, they know the fancy sales tactics. But that's not the point… When buyers see you think like them. When you work a deal like it’s their internal project. You unlock trust that deserves 6-7fig budgets. P.S. We built Aligned to help manage the complexity of Enterprise Sales. A 100% FREE Deal Room used by 35K sellers. Try it https://lnkd.in/dsD8s6gd