Sales; Professional Services
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 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 MoreConversion is About Math, and That’s About Competing
To Help You Win… My client is a DUI/DWI attorney in Illinois. And last year, when we started working together, she was grinding to grow her firm. She’d been building it for 7 years, on her own. She was doing it all. Filing. Drafting. Meeting with clients. Going to court. Working with the ad agencies…
Read MoreGetting Home
Or, How to Find The Real Issues If you’re a regular reader, you know I love the game of football. I coached it, I played it, and I still follow my Vols even after a decade of incompetent leadership. And sometimes, it provides a helpful metaphor for sales. Today, we’re talking about “getting home.” But…
Read More