Posts by Adam Boyd
The Operating Rhythm Behind Real Forecasts
A CEO called me a while back frustrated with his forecast. Same story I’ve heard a hundred times. The number in the CRM said one thing in the last week of the quarter. The number that actually closed was 20% lower. The board was unhappy. The CRO was rebuilding the dashboard to figure out what…
Read MoreBuilding a Sales Engine to Double Revenue by 2028
Len Naumovich built Primo Designs from a basement screen press into a mid seven figure branded apparel and promotional products company operating across the Midwest. The operations were dialed in. The reputation was strong. The team was lean and efficient. The only thing missing was a sales engine to feed the machine he’d built. After…
Read MoreWhen Not to Hire a VP of Sales
A CEO called one of our consultants last month ready to hire a VP of Sales. Budget approved. Board pressure mounting. Job description already drafted. Our consultant’s answer surprised him. “You don’t need to hire yet.” Most recruiters never say this. The reason is simple. Most recruiters get paid a percentage of the salary on…
Read MoreWhen The Sales Consultant Pitches The CEO
Imagine a sales consultant walks into a CEO’s office. The slide deck is forty pages. The logos in the case studies are impressive. The methodology is their proprietary 12 stage framework. The CEO hasn’t said a word yet. By the end of the pitch, the CEO knows three things about the consulting firm. The methodology.…
Read MoreIndustry Experience Is The Most Overrated Line On A Sales Resume
A client of ours hired a guy for a sales role in an industry he’d never worked in. Zero experience in the space. None. Nada. Zilch. He’d been selling something completely different. The hiring committee wasn’t sure about him. The other finalists had ten years in the industry, the right contacts, the right vocabulary. He…
Read MoreWhat to Say When a Prospect Pumps the Brakes
A rep I worked with was losing deals at the finish line. Not because his discovery was weak. Not because his presentations were off. He’d built real relationships with his prospects. They liked him. Meetings went well. And then he’d get to the end of a call, the prospect would say “let me think about…
Read MoreFour Questions About Sales (Most CEOs Won’t Like Their Answers)
I’ve been doing this for twenty years. One thing I’ve noticed. CEOs who have a broken sales organization usually know it. They just can’t name the specific thing that’s broken. So they hire. Or they swap out the CRM. Bring in a new VP and wait to see if anything changes. Sometimes something changes. Usually…
Read MoreWhat I Tell Clients Before I Do Their Sales Kickoff
A company called me a few months ago. They wanted me to come in and do a sales kickoff. Two days, the whole team, big energy to start the year. I told them I’d do it. I also told them they were probably wasting their money. That’s always an awkward conversation. They’re expecting enthusiasm. They’ve…
Read MoreThe Most Common Discovery Mistakes in Mid-Market Sales
I show a clip from Friends in my sales training sessions. Ross and Rachel just fired their male nanny. His name is Sandy. He’s warm, present, great with the baby. Ross hates him. Always has. He just can’t explain why. Sandy takes the news graciously. Says he had plenty of other offers. He chose them…
Read MoreStop Adding Steps: Why Simpler Sales Processes Win Deals
When More Process Isn’t the Answer If you haven’t seen Armageddon, here’s the scene I keep coming back to. NASA needs to drill a hole in an asteroid. They bring in Harry Stamper. Bruce Willis. The best driller alive. They show him the shuttle, the crew, the equipment. They show him their version of his…
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