When looking at a problem, I have a simple framework for evaluating what’s wrong. Is it People, Product, Playbook or Process (or some combination thereof)? When the 4 P’s are all aligned and functioning well, great performance follows. And if we aren’t hitting numbers or executing well, then something within the 4 P’s isn’t right. […]
Perfecting the SDR to AE Handoff
Last week I spoke on a panel at the Salesloft Rainmaker event on the topic of perfecting the handoff of a prospect from the SDR to the AE. The handoff can make or break the sale. This is a topic often left orphaned by sales leaders and something that needs far more attention than it […]
Are You SaaS God?
You know when you get a song stuck in your head and it won’t go away? What about getting a parody of a song stuck in your head? Yeah, that happened to us recently and so we just had to do something about it. If you know me, you know I love Eminem. And since […]
When Should You Hire Your First SDR?
A new sales leader reached out this week to ask when she should hire her first sales development representative (SDR). What a great question, and luckily, it’s a pretty black and white answer. Let’s start with when it’s not time to hire your first SDR. It’s too soon to hire your first SDR when: You […]
6 Ways to Create a Culture of Customer Success
As the leader of the customer-facing parts of a SaaS organization, I was quick to take accountability and responsibility for “customer success”, which of course really meant customer retention. It took me many years to realize how flawed my thinking was and to come to understand that Customer Success is bigger than any single department. […]
A SaaS Startup Sales Team Org Chart Example
I get a lot of questions from startup founders, as well as new sales team leaders, about how to organize the SaaS sales team, and what roles are needed to fill at key stages. The answer is surprisingly simple and pretty ‘textbook’. Maybe not so surprising is how few SaaS sales teams follow that textbook […]
How to Hire a Contracts and Compliance Manager
Last week I shared the reasons why your SaaS probably needs a contracts & compliance manager. Hopefully, I made the case and at least inspired you to consider this important role. Here’s more info on how to hire a contracts & compliance manager—what to look for, how to interview and get them up to speed. […]
Does Your SaaS Need a Contracts and Compliance Manager?
Yes! No matter what scale you are, if you are selling a SaaS product to the enterprise, you should hire a contracts & compliance manager as soon as you can. This role can accelerate your sales cycle, and help you meet the demands of the enterprise buyer. A contracts & compliance manager tames the chaos of […]
My Favorite Sales Engineer Interview Questions
There are only three things that matter when hiring a sales engineer. Culture fit, ability to understand your product & sales process, and their ability to demo. Everything comes down to these essentials. Here is how I screen for all three. Culture I’ll keep this one brief. You need to make sure your candidate can […]
In SaaS Sales, Meet Your Prospects at Their Point of Awareness
If you are selling SaaS in a nascent or developing market, your sales reps must meet their prospects at their point of interest, or awareness. And to do this, they must be experts at funnel-aware conversation skills. This is one of the most obvious, but also, overlooked sales skill to cultivate in a SaaS sales […]
