5 ACTIONABLE TIPS TO BECOME A STRATEGIC SALES LEADER

Early in my career, I was an blindly ambitious, #hustleculture, wide-eyed, AE with a fantastic product, selling ROI, not a strategic bone in my body. I ofetn heard and wasa huge advocate of the "Sales is a numbers game" mentality, akin to throwing shit at a wall and seeing what sticks. I closed a lot deals, but it was a chaotic, stressful process that left everyone feeling like they were on a constant roller coaster, including the customer, with no hope that anything would be change after the sales.?

One particularly rough year, I remember this prospect, they decided against us. politely declining, saying they "Liked" me but they saw some issues with the way we as a company conducted business throughout the sales process that did not align with their expectations for a company they wanted to do business with. They proceeded to offer some insightful (and humbling) feedback, and proceeded to email it to myself, my manager, our director of sales and the VP of sales at our company. They said, "Your product is impressive, we love Patrick, but Patrick's approach/Your approach feels scattered, lacking the insight, process and strategic approach that we require from our vendors. A clear strategy would make a world of difference, and if/when you change, we will look at your company again to see the positive change you have made to reconsider when our new contract is up in 3 years."

This deal was mine to lose, and I lost it! I could have done a million things differently, I left so many stones unturned throughout the precious 3 months of selling. I had zero strategy in place, zero plan, no alignment with my company nor the prospects organization. I lost the deal. And I was convinced that unless something changed, I would continue to lose deals, lose money, and continue on this road of mediocrity that I had become accustomed to.?

I promised, from that day forward, that I would change, that I would never let that happen again (Whatever that was). That lost deal, set me on a professional (And personal) journey of intentional growth aimed at intentional strategy, I promised to never let my prospects down like that again. This shift in approach, mindset and behavior had an immediate impact. 17 years later, it continues to work. And I continue to have a deep intentional strategic approach and plan on every single deal I am personally working or participating in at my company.

My close rate since that epiphany 17 years ago, is a bit over 40%. Here's what I've learned over the years about implementing an intentional strategic plan on every opportunity that pops up in the pipeline:

Having a formal sales strategy in place (And actually following it) will increase your win rates by 21%! A process, or just checking boxes in Salesforce? Strategy is not a one-time plan gathering dust on a shelf. It's a living document constantly evolving with market shifts and customer needs.Your sales reps are on the front lines, gathering valuable customer intel. Tap into their expertise to refine your approach.

Here are 5 Actionable Tips to be a top strategic sales leader for increased revenue, higher win rates, shorter sales cycles, higher deal values and happier customers:

1. Know Your Customer Inside-Out: Conduct market research, analyze customer data, and prioritize ideal customer profiles (ICPs).
2. Align Your Team: Get everyone on the same page. Ensure messaging, value propositions, and sales tactics are all laser-focused on ICP needs.
3. Embrace Continuous Improvement: Schedule regular strategy reviews. Analyze data, gather feedback, and iterate your approach based on insights.
4. Seek External Expertise: ?Don't be afraid to bring in consultants, industry leaders, or subject-matter experts to supplement your team's strengths.
5. Follow the Technology: Use your CRM's, your sales tech, automation tools, and data analytics software to optimize your strategy and track progress. follow the process and continue to look at strategize, deeply utilizing your opportunity management and internal strategy tools that you spend most likely millions of dollars on.

We can no longer just preach strategy, we have live it. We must collaborate with our peers, leaders inside our organizations, our manager, director, vp, the product, SE teams, our CEO, CRO, CMO, CFO, anyone and everyone, to be a top sales strategist. If you get the help you need and implement this change, no matter what level you are at, you will ?? increase your revenue, see higher win rates, shorter sales cycles, higher deal values and happier customers! Do it now, your commissions check will reward you soon enough.

Here's how We help our customers to strategize their sales process and build true differentiation in their industry:

• Develop customized training programs: Geared towards aligning sales teams with specific customer goals and market dynamics.
• Facilitate strategic workshops: Helping leadership teams refine their approach and create winning sales playbooks.
• Connect clients with industry experts: Expanding their knowledge base and building strategic partnerships.

Call to Strategic Action:

Is your company ready to embrace a strategic approach that drives results??

Here's what you can do:

• Subscribe to our newsletter: ?Get weekly insights on strategic selling and industry trends. ([link to your newsletter signup here])
• Let's Chat: ?Schedule a call with our team to discuss your unique sales challenges and develop a winning strategy. https://innovativesellingpartners.com/contact-us

Strategy isn't a one-time fix. It's a continuous journey that builds sustainable results. Let's collaborate and build and be the strategic leadesrs our customers need and deserve!

Share this newsletter with your network and tag Innovative Selling Partners in the comments below! We'd love to hear your thoughts on the importance of strategic selling.

Ready to take your sales team to the next level? Innovative Selling Partners offers a suite of training programs designed to cultivate the skills and mindset necessary for radical boldness. Connect with us today!

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