Posts by Adam Boyd
How To Forecast Sales Part 2
In the last article, I wrote about forecasting and the importance of a proper sales process to get it right. Without the right sales stages and milestones, you get the wrong signals. You hear a lot of, “Deal looks good.” “They loved our demo.” “They like us a lot.” And you have 0 idea what’s…
Read MoreHow To Forecast Sales Part 1
You’ve got a goal this year. A number. A target. Will you hit it? Will your team? It’s what you want to know. It’s what your CFO wants to know. It’s what your partners or investors want to know. Forecasting is not as sexy as closing a big deal, but it’s nice if you like…
Read MoreWhat Price Says About You
(Thank you, Giphy) Several years ago, a CEO whose company I had helped took me to lunch. We had barely spoken because I’d worked with his head of sales. He said to me, “I owe you thanks. Because of you, I sold my company for life-changing money.” I asked him how. He said, “Before you…
Read MoreSales Myths CEOs Believe
There are a lot of myths in the world of sales. Unfortunately for CEOs who don’t come from a sales background, they get fooled by these myths. They mistake them for “conventional wisdom” because they hear them so often. Even for CEOs who come from a sales background, it’s easy to believe what they hear…
Read MoreMaking Your Sales Process…Work
Ask yourself if this sounds familiar. You ask one of your employees or team members about an opportunity with a potential new customer. “Looks good,” he says. “Why’s that?” you ask. (credit: giphy) “They liked what we had to show them. I feel good about it.” You ask, “What’s the next step?” “I’m waiting to…
Read MoreLessons From A 73mm ARR Company, 2 of 2
This is roughly a 6 minute read. Last time, I told you about the New York based 73mm ARR company who called me. They called because their sales organization was a mystery to top leadership. Despite being well-funded and lined with industry pros, they weren’t hitting numbers. They were making sales, but not enough.…
Read MoreLessons From A 73mm ARR Company, 1 of 2
Probably an eight minute read In October, I got a call from a company’s COO out of New York. We’d talked before, and I’d done some training for his company, so he was familiar with me. He said, “Adam, we need to talk. Sales missed their goal last quarter, and this one isn’t looking…
Read MoreMissing Your Market? It’s Not Always About Sales Skills. Sometimes It’s About “Fit”
Sometimes, it’s just about “fit.” It’s not how sharp you are, or how well you can sell. It’s not about your prospecting chops, or how you present. It can just be that you miss the mark…with the market. Or as Johnny Cochrane famously said… (thank you, giphy) What does this mean? That maybe you have…
Read MoreNetworking Like a Pro: 6 Must-Take Actions for Referral Success
Some businesses run on referrals. It’s usually because: A. Actually a lower cost of sale to have people refer business to you than search for those deals one by one; B. The service is purchased based on trust (consulting, law, etc…); C. Someone’s afraid to prospect. Let’s skip category C for now, and focus on…
Read MoreGrowth – Whose Job Is It, Anyway?
A client (professional services firm) aims to grow by 40% next year. And it’s doable. The plan is actually simple. A certain level of retention on existing clients/customers, with some predicted growth there, and that takes care of 70% of the growth. The rest will come from new clients/logos. But there’s a problem. And it’s…
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