#491. A Pattern of Note-taking Drives Sales Success. With Derek Draper.
Derek Draper, CEO of Pattern, an application that’s an enterprise notepad for sales teams, joins me on this episode of #Accelerate!
KEY TAKEAWAYS
[Click the TimeStamp to listen to play the episode from that spot!]
[:59] Derek sees ‘overwhelm’ as the biggest single challenge sales professionals face today. Sales is increasingly complex, and sales reps are asked to manage a lot of relationships.
[4:14] Salespeople do not have the advantage today of controlling the buying process. Today the buyer controls it to a greater degree than ever before. They make price and value assumptions before they ever interact with a salesperson.
[6:11] The book Absolute Value asserts that the abundance of information online gives a buyer a much better idea of the experienced utility they can expect from a product.
[12:31] Hiring for Customer Success, Marketing, and Account Executives, and other non-technical roles from the SDR pool is better for company culture and success than hiring externally, in Derek’s experience.
[17:32] Pattern is in the form of a digital note, that puts information back into Salesforce. Instead of using an off-the-shelf took, use a tool that is fully interactive with Salesforce. This is a strong fit for account executives.
[20:31] Derek explains the Pattern process, compared to using Evernote or Apple Notes. Derek says users have reported a savings of five hours per week over other note apps they have used. They no longer block time to update pipeline.
[22:02] Making notes on site gives a more accurate account, and more data, than filling out call sheets at day’s end. Derek says some reps like to refer back to their notes; others get the value from recording them. Pattern helps with ‘overwhelm.’
[23:54] Pattern can help you recap a meeting for the customer. The best customers are those who are happy with the process. Your attention to their needs is a big part of their satisfaction.
[25:40] Derek’s vision for the future: at some point there will be a portal where the buyer and seller can communicate effectively, and work together; not against each other.
[28:23] Andy cites the Challenger Customer, about the buying process. Companies have a strong approval process, but a vague buying process. Derek recalls his sales trainer told him, “Buyers want to be led.”
[33:00] If you skip a step, you have to come back to it, and it’s hard to get a customer on a discovery call when you’ve already given them your proposal.
[33:24] The book Getting Things Done, offers a five-step process, but responding to an inbound lead takes 24 steps. It requires discipline and thought to organize them. The top salespeople do every step 1% better than anyone else.