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Most companies think they have a pipeline problem. They don’t. They have a qualification problem. I’ve watched sales teams chase opportunities for months, burning through resources and energy on deals they were never going to win. The symptoms are always the same. Forecasts that look great on paper but never materialize. Deals that were supposed…
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Most CEOs think they need more leads. They don’t. They need to stop wasting the leads they already have. I was talking to a CEO last week whose company spends $40,000 a month on marketing. His close rate is 18%. Industry average is 35%. Quick math: He’s burning $22,000 a month because his team can’t…
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Last week, I listened to a four minute sales call that went from small talk to quantifying a $10 million problem. Most salespeople would have blown it in the first 30 seconds. Here’s what happened: The prospect mentioned his team was dealing with “projects stacking up.” The average salesperson would have immediately pitched project management…
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NOTES FROM NORTHWOOD Myth #1: “Just hire a closer” Most CEOs think their sales problem is closing. It isn’t. I promise you this isn’t the problem. For most people, they need leads, and they need to build a case for your company, and they need to find money, and qualify the deal, and differentiate you….
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You’re not bad at hiring salespeople because you lack experience. You’re bad at hiring salespeople because you’re optimizing for the wrong things. You hire for industry knowledge when you should hire for sales DNA. You hire for relationships when you should hire for the ability to have uncomfortable conversations. You hire people who interview well…
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Had a conversation with a client last week that made me want to bang my head against the wall. His sales team was “crushing it” on activity metrics. Calls made. Emails sent. Meetings booked. The dashboard looked beautiful. But their close rate? 12%. When I asked what they were doing on those sales calls, I…
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NOTES FROM NORTHWOOD I got a text from a client last Tuesday that made me stop what I was doing: “We hit 94% of goal this quarter. Team’s celebrating. But honestly? I’m frustrated. We should be crushing these numbers, not barely hitting them.” This CEO runs a $30M company with what most would call a…
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NOTES FROM NORTHWOOD Hey there… Last week, a CEO called me frustrated. His top performer just gave notice. “I don’t get it, Adam. We pay him well. He’s got great territory. He was killing it.” Then he told me the real story. This rep had been asking for coaching. Wanted help on bigger deals. Kept…
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NOTES FROM NORTHWOOD You know that feeling when your GPS tells you to “turn left in 500 feet” but you’re already past the turn? You’re committed to the wrong direction, burning gas, and now you have to figure out how to get back on track. Meanwhile, your passengers are asking “Are we there yet?” and…
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NOTES FROM NORTHWOOD It’s July, and college football teams across the SEC are deep in summer workouts. No games. No crowds. No glory. Just the grinding work that determines who wins championships in the fall. I was thinking about this while reviewing a client’s sales pipeline last week. Their team looked busy. Lots of meetings….
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