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It's a big one today as Sean from HubSpot joins James on Behind the Madness! If you're looking to increase your sales then this one is for you, James and Sean share their top sales tips to help supercharge your business growth.
A podcast helping companies grow with marketing strategies, automation and time-saving tips and creative solutions.
Ep 25 - How to up your sales game - Top tips from inside HubSpot!
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James: [00:00:00] Welcome back to behind the madness where we talk about business growth, ways to work smarter and the fundamentals of business, all geared to unlocking your brand's peak performance. I'm your host, James Roberts owner, and founder of method. And today I'm joined by Sean from HubSpot. We're going to talk over some of the ways that HubSpot are approaching sales and extract some tips from Sean that will help you lift your sales game.
But before I jump in, I wanted to let you know about ways that you can contact the show. We have some great content and helpful tips currently going out on Instagram, which is probably one of the best places to find us that is at hello, underscore method, but we've also introduced a new email podcast.
Hello, method dot code at UK, where you can give us any feedback or ask any questions that we will try and answer on future episodes. So let's jump in on today's episode, how to up your sales game and top tips from inside hubs.
[00:01:00]
James: So welcome to behind the madness, Sean.
Sean: Hi, James. Uh, thanks for having me on, um, hope you're. Well, today.
James: all. Yeah. Very well. Very well. The, the hot weather's passed us by which is making it a lot easier. Let's start with a bit of background around you and your role at HubSpot then Sean.
Sean: Yeah. So, so even taking it before that. So I am have been working in, in the tech industry in Dublin for about 16 years now, which makes me feel very old saying that . Um, but, but it's the truth. So I spent like 10 years in, um, Pretty large Oracle, which would be a pretty large enterprise type company. Um, and then I moved on from Oracle to a startup called Datadog, um, where I spent about three years.
It was an exciting role. Um, again in Dublin, like where I was one of the first employees. So very, very different to, uh, my experiences in Oracle. And then since then I am for the last upcoming up to two years in September, I've been working in HubSpot. So [00:02:00] my, my role in HubSpot would be, um, a channel account manager.
So what, what is a channel account manager? So essentially I work with a book of partners, um, roughly around 15 of them. And my role is to help them kind of. Getting in the right kind of sales processes in place, making sure, like, obviously I'm connecting them to the right people in HubSpot when they are working those deals, but like making sure they're going in pitching HubSpot correctly, have an understanding of all our products and offerings and kind of supporting them essentially in terms of billing their pipeline and working with them collaboratively on deals together as well.
So essentially, like that's pretty much like a, kind of a high overview of, of my role within hubs. Obviously my previous experience as well.
James: Perfect. So, yeah, as Sean says that he's our, uh, he's our cam, which is, uh, as he says, a channel account manager and keeps the pressure on us and also an amazing resource that all partners within HubSpot kind of do get, um, which is ideal. So Sean I've always had in my [00:03:00] head that. Uh, with any of these big kind of American organizations and their sales teams, it's all kind of baseballs in hand it's headsets on, and it's ringing bells kind of when all those deals are closed, all the high fives around the office, how does that kind of compare to, to HubSpot?
How does that relate?
Sean: I, I genuinely say it's like chalk and cheese. Like, so I think a lot of people like in your, you watch films like Glen, Gary, G Ross and all those kind of like old school sales films. And that's like the impression a lot of people have, like where you're. As you alluded today earlier on ringing bells and kind of thing.
So it's a very, very different environment, like, and like HubSpot really kind of pride themselves in terms of, of the environment. They create further employees as well. So like it's very structured like in your management and the rest of your team really do give you support, making sure that like we work together as a team.
And I, and I mentioned collaboration with our partners, but it very much is a collaboration kind of internally within HubSpot as well. Whereas, [00:04:00] like we really work together as a team with the common objective, like is what HubSpots motto is. We wanna help businesses grow. Um, and that's our main objective.
And like, we, we, we're certainly not a pushy organization either. Like while, while we're massively growing consistently, nearly doubling our customer base every year. Like, it it's very much. Going in there and understanding the customer's needs as opposed to pushing these products kind of on them going, oh, let's buy marketing professional, for example, or sales, professional or enterprise.
Like it it's about understanding their needs, their challenges, and really delving into that. And as opposed to pushing a solution on them, What HubSpot liked to do would be really to kind of then tailor a kind of demonstration or, or a presentation like to their specific requirements, as opposed to going, this is what we can do.
We're great. Like, so I think kind of back to kind of your original point as well, James, like. I think sales in general, particularly as we've moved to the world of SAS cloud, [00:05:00] like it is very much changed and like it's a competitive market out there as well. Like, so we really need to start kind of like understanding the customer's needs.
And I think that's one of the best changes I've seen in my kind of time within sales. Like now it's really about helping the customers with their issues as opposed to telling them like what they need to do. Like, so I, I hope that answers your question.
James: selling. Yeah, exactly. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And, and I think it's kind of what we've always done in terms of what we do as an organization is, is kind of the similar, which I think is why we were so nicely aligned to HubSpot when we, when we did join. Um, but yeah, it does come back to you are you're helping your customers.
You're helping them and you're not selling to them. I think there was an old analogy where. If you were, uh, turning up many years ago with your cart and you had the brush, you could turn up with this broom and say, this is the best broom in the world. And there was kind of no, no one else to kind. Question it, whereas now, obviously in the world that we are living in, um, you've [00:06:00] got all of the comments, you've got feedback, you've got testimonials and it, you can be very quickly found out if you are just trying to, to kind of get that, that quick win.
Um, so yeah, I think, you know, helping people, uh, and, and aligning, as you said, exactly, aligning their needs to your offering, I think really works well. Obviously you, you say, obviously it's about this team collaboration. How does that, how does that work in the office? How what's your kind of day to day look like?
How's your typical day pan out?
Sean: Yeah. So, so what I typically go in using, like, obviously I work for HubSpot, so using a lot of the HubSpot tools that, that are in place, I would go in, have a look at my tasks. Like, so that's the first thing I would. Block off my calendar. And I do think a very important kind part of, of any kind of salesperson's role is to be able to manage your calendar.
So what but why, what I mean by that is like, kind of blocking off times, like where you're going to do certain activities as well. Like, so I would spend the first hour, even hour and a half, some morning, like [00:07:00] catching up on my tasks that I would've set in, like our, our HubSpot CRM system, making sure I'm actioning all of them as well.
James: So their, their follow ups, their email people, all of the, all of the kind of reminders, as you said, that you're getting from all of the
Sean: Exactly. Like there might be like, I might have had a call, like with a prospect. Yeah. Yesterday, for example, like, so making sure that I have a task set to send that follow up email, like with clear next steps and agendas and all that kind of good stuff within the emails. Um, and then like one of the important part is kind of as well, kind of going into my pipeline.
Typically I'd go. Have a look at my, what my pipeline is like for the month, understand where the deals are within the sales process. What do I need to do to get those deals to the next step? Like, so it might be, you just had a discovery call with someone, for example, like, how am I gonna bring that deal on to excuse me.
Onto solution presentation. Um, U usually what I like to do, and as, as I mentioned at the start of the call, like part of my role would be like as a channel [00:08:00] account manager. So I would spend a lot of time strategizing with my partners like yourself, James, as well, like where we, we would go in and kind of focus on kind of number one, like.
Where can I support you in the deal process? How can we go in and build more pipeline for yourselves? Like understanding, like, and I, I basically have partners at like very different levels. Like, so HubSpot have a process, you'd have an UN tiered partner, a gold, a platinum, a diamond and a lease. And I, I have partners at every kind of.
Tier that it is within HubSpot as well. So like your elite partners, for example, like would be very self-sufficient, but like still, like, they need to be kind of speaking to more direct or growing their pipeline where I would have new partners on. And I I'm basically bringing them through like the, like 1 0 1 of sales, some are coming in, like from a marketing background they haven't really sold for.
So I'm helping them kind of gap or fill in some of the gaps in terms of upskilling them or are providing them with content. That's obviously going. To make them like, for example, a [00:09:00] small example of that, like, I would give a good like discovery question list to kind of some of my, uh, partners as well to go.
This is how you should structure your kind of discovery call or, or something along those lines anyway. But, um,
James: I suppose, yeah. As you said, people will come in from those different levels where they've had, they've had no processes in place. They've had nothing kind of set, they're doing it, very ad hoc. They've not even probably had the HubSpot tools. It's probably those partners are probably coming in and, and learning all these tools as well.
And they've had, you know, they're probably doing it from referrals. They're doing it from emails that are coming in from their, from their, uh, from their. Or potential leads, but there's been no set processes, I guess. So do so. Is that something that you would focus on a lot outlining processes that you can work with, that you can work with these partners and work with yourselves
Sean: Yeah. No, absolutely. And what I would say there is like, for, for any company, no matter how big or how small you are, like. One of the most important things is having a defined sales [00:10:00] process in place. Like, so that, that is really important to me. Like, so why is it important to have like a sales process in place?
So like, it's really like for, for your prospects, like showing clear next steps kind of, and it really builds certainty for you and your company as well. Like, so it's basically able to show like that you are controlling the sales process. And as a lot of people like are coming under impression that the buyer wants to kinda.
Control the sales process, but they wanted assurance off the, kind of the seller, uh, for want of a better word, like kind of to be able to go in there and show them that like, you've got a clear kind of structured kind of process in terms you've done this before. A lot of times, like the buyer. May not have had any kind like sales or buying experience as well.
Like, so you are giving them that assurance that like, I'm here, I've done this before. We've done it with similar companies like you. So we know as well, like what it also kind of allows, um, that the salesperson to do is kind of. It's [00:11:00] able to really kind of manage your own timelines and your forecasting, like, like it really keeps your offering kind of at a top of an agenda as well, like, and kind of, and it really like lowers kind of your chances of like a prospect ghosting you as well.
Like, um, what, what I mean by that as well is like, if you are constantly kind of, as I mentioned earlier on, I would make sure I'm sending the follow up emails to the prospect outlining what we've discussed and clearly outlining. What we would basically, um, like to kind of go through on our next call as well.
Like, so it kind. Brings me onto a couple of things as well, that like, I would feel very important as part of the sales process always have an upfront agreement. Like, so when you get onto a call, like really go in and kind of go, why are we on this call today? Like, so like, I dunno, like kind of like an example, I suppose, of something like that will be going like, look today we have 45 minutes schedule for a call, uh, determine.
Spot is a good fit for your business. Like, does that time still work for you? And [00:12:00] naturally, like you'll have questions about HubSpot and the tool itself and the pricing. So that's obviously telling them what they're hoping to get out of it. Then you go something like, I would like to understand the structure of the business, your decision making process, your current strategy.
Um, Before going into kind of a presentation. Does that work for you? So always kind of going back and like asking them the question on it and then like, I'd say something like, typically, like the next steps would be kind of to provide, if we are a good fit, we to schedule a more tailored presentation.
Like, um, so some of the concerns that I have would be kind. Not having clear next steps in place, but the end of the call. Um, so what we should do at five minutes at the end of the call is discuss what we've gone through today and, and basically kind of going, this is what I understand. And you're saying kind of getting their clarification, like all the way through that process as well.
James: So you're
summarizing kind of, as you
go through it all. And, and at that end kind of getting they're they're, they're, uh, confirming that, that [00:13:00] they're understanding it, right. I guess
Sean: Yeah. Getting their buy in as well. Like James, like is very important, like, so just like always getting their buy in and their feedback. Like what, what I would say like, and if just seeking specifically, I suppose, about a discovery call like that, you're trying to understand their business. It's always kind of, I'd say a rule at autonomous kind of.
Getting them speaking kind of 80% of the time and you speaking kind of 20% of the time and like that's important because number one, you're gonna get a lot more information from them if they're speaking all the time. Um, and, and also like, if we're just telling them about how great HubSpot are, whatever your product is, like your, your, your positioning to the prospect, like they don't want to hear how great you are like, and I can do this and we can do everything for.
When they're speaking, like, and, and it's really easy sometimes to do. And like, what I would say is just make sure you're asking open ended questions, like, and like, and there's simple, like easy things go. Why is that important to you? Like what have you tried to fix this before? Like, [00:14:00] What obstacles have you come up against?
Like, it's like, obviously you can't keep going. Why, but why, but why? Like, cause it become a little bit robotic to be honest with you, but it, it, it is very much kind of following up and like, again, going back to like the kind of rule of tone that I would use would be that. Usually you ask a question like, and then if you go, why is that important or something or phrase it like, or describe why this is like important.
It's usually when they start speaking after the third question that you're really, really getting into those kind of pains, I suppose. Like, and,
James: It's
like the five whys. Isn't it from Toyota had the five, the five
Sean: that's right. Yeah.
James: D do you find that takes a lot? Practice. And I'm guessing flip side to that question as well. Is, do you also work with scripts? So you've got something to help you along as you're going through all these, but then also, yeah. Does it take a lot of practice and time to kind of get that, those open ears as it were rather than open mouth?
Sean: Yeah. So, so suppose going back to the early days in my kind of sales career, like I kind of lived [00:15:00] by kind of having those scripts, like, and like I'd have like certain questions like that. I'd always ask like, Like straight away going in. Tell me about your business. Like, how do you make money? What are your challenges like and all, and I'd have a list of questions I'd ask, like to define timelines budget.
Am I speaking to a decision maker and obviously going into those kind of paying questions as well, but like, I, I, I wouldn't really use my scripts, um, anymore myself, but I definitely suggest like for newer people, people coming into sales, like to definitely. Have that structure now you don't wanna be like reading, like every question of a script.
And like a lot of the times what you'll find is. Your line of questioning, like would be very deal, get a very different answer all the time. Like, so you have to go with what kind of, what, what your prospect is saying to you. And that'll be kind of really when you delve into it. So in, I suppose the short answer is yes.
Initially I would have those scripts and eventually what will happen is like, those questions will really [00:16:00] become second nature to you as well. Like in terms of what you're saying,
James: I suppose it helps in the early days. Certainly I know we did it through Dan tire's, uh, sales bootcamp, his lines bootcamp, and having those scripts to kind of hand were off the first few calls, which, you know, for. For, if you bear in mind, a lot of people who are gonna be listening to this are gonna be, uh, they're not gonna be doing the calls.
They're not gonna be doing all of those things where it can be really scary to just pick up the phone and speak to somebody from the first time. And having those to kind of hand was quite helpful. But over time, exactly. As you said, you learn to kind of just use them as a, maybe a prompt if you need certain questions, but really listen to what that prospect's saying to you on the phone and, and tailor it that way.
Um, but I also love the idea. Of summarizing and getting their buy in at the end, but also defining out. And it's something we do all the time now is, you know, if you've got 15 minutes carved out for a call, you stick to that 15 minutes and you know, [00:17:00] you let them know that you're coming up to the 15 minutes, there's something on.
And you really, it really starts to focus those calls down to what you need. One thing as well with the sales process. And I don't know whether this is something that you guys do was we will always try and get the next process or the next. Booked in before we kind of get off that call. So as we're talking to somebody we're very much, right, this is what we're gonna do.
This is what the next thing is gonna be. How's your, how's your calendar looking for Wednesday next week. So we we've already, it makes it harder to get out as it were, but, but also you're getting that confirmation, I guess, as you're going, is that something that you, you guys do as
Sean: Yeah. Like I genuinely, that was the next thing I was gonna go on to as well. Like, so I I've discussed already about kind of probably three kind of key steps in controlling a sales process. And what I mentioned was having that upfront agreement and really understanding that pain and asking those open ended questions.
And like, you hit the nail on the head there as well, James, in terms of like having those [00:18:00] next steps and. And that's probably something I didn't do earlier on in my kind of my sales career was very much kind of left it to them to cancel and, and are to kind of contact us like, and as a result, a lot of my deals went to close loss as well, but like, and it goes back to controlling that sales process again, like, so unless you're kind of qualifying out, make sure you have a mutual agreed kind of next step in place.
Like, so you wanna go, right. So what we. Kind of re kind of go through like summarize basically what we've discussed today. So we've covered this from my understanding your three main, like, and usually I try to get three main kind of like little bullet points going we've discussed. For example, you're not getting enough marketing leads.
Um, you, you've nowhere to kind of report on this or, um, you, you, you have no way of sending out kind of mass emails or something. Is that fair enough again, get their agreements and then go. So what I would like to do as a next step now, Is kind of arrange a tailored demonstration to those specific [00:19:00] requirements.
So does that sound good to you? Yes. Um, so, and then really kind of getting that and I always get that time in the calendar when I'm on that call as well. I don't wait around, I, I would get that meeting in going, are you free next Wednesday at three o'clock. Um, and they might say another time, but making sure you're actually getting it in their calendar from them, understanding.
James: saves, it saves a couple of things as Shaun doesn't. It's surely that when it's taking off your plate, you don't have to remember to do anything after the call. You've got it all tied up. Nice. Within that call. So soon, soon as you hang up the phone, there's no nothing for you really to do because you've got the next call booked in.
So you don't have to worry about all that time wasted of trying to chase somebody. But what was really interesting, I think what you said was when you were leaving it up to them, you were losing more deals or you weren't closing as many deals when it, what, because and what was that? Was that just drifting because the time was drifting on because you were waiting on them, waiting on them, waiting on them.
By the time you. got back to them. They were already had solutions in place. How, how, how kind of that [00:20:00] correlate?
Sean: Yeah. Like, so like a few things really like, so maybe they just left it like, and there was an expectation that I was following up on it.
Maybe they're speaking with other vendors and, and they're further down the line with those other vendors and they might go, well, Sean, we've been bought getting back to us, like I'm speaking to.
Salesforce or whoever the other vendor is like and going well, they they're cuz they're certainly doing it as well. Like, but, um, yeah, like it really is kind of like going back to controlling that sales process as well. Like it, it, it basically like shows you that, like it shows them like, as you. As the, kind of the seller in, in this instance, like I really kind of in control, you understand their needs as well.
Like, and you, you have like kind of positioned something like going, we will be able to do this kind of in the next step as well. So it just shows, I suppose, an error competency, like when you have those in place and. When I didn't do it years ago, like, like a lot of deals, some would get back to you, but for the most part, like, like a lot of them weren't getting back to me, like, and [00:21:00] like, again, it goes back to kind of your question kind of original question on what do I do on a day to day basis.
That's why it's important to have those tasks as well. Like, cuz if you don't have that structure and you're not setting that time. You, you can be a bit all over the place from a sales perspective as well. So you can be very much kind of going in going, oh, I never sent MD email. Oh, I missed that as well.
Like, so a lot of like being a successful sales person is about having structure kind of in your day to day routines in like everything you do, like should be all kind of taught out like and timed and all as well. Like, so I, I think that is very important. I, I hope that answers your question. I wasn't was too much as that.
James: from our point of view, I mean, obviously we've got, we're a little. Ago now. So we got Andy who helps out with, with the sales front, but when it was all falling on me, I'm obviously trying to do the day job. I'm trying to do a number of other different things. And without if it, if it was leaving it up to me, it wouldn't happen.
Whereas I had, that's why I have to have these reminders. I have to have the tasks. Um, and I have to have that, that prompt of [00:22:00] somebody just telling me, telling me to kind of, to do it. I think also what, coming back to somebody who's outlined a sales process and you are, you kind of kept mentioning that, you know, you wanna make them feel that you are in control and that you, you almost know what you're doing, which I think then certainly from what we do reflects well, when, if you were taking 'em through a sales journey and you've got a nice process that you are doing.
With that, with that prospect, it almost makes 'em feel comfortable that when they do work with you, obviously it's slightly different with a SAS based company. But when they're dealing with us, we're still dealing with them and looking after them in terms of their jobs and their requirements and their needs.
And if you've laid out something with a good process through sales, then they're gonna feel more comfortable about doing the actual work with you, because you're actually gonna look after them and do those same processes, obviously different, but with them when they're actual customers. So I think that's a really, really good point of outlining how.
How long are the processes, how long, and obviously it's gonna depend massively on, on the organization and the, the, the verticals that those organizations are in. But [00:23:00] how, how long does do do those processes take, would you say generally speaking.
Sean: Yeah. Like, like it's a good question. Like in, in some ways you could say like how long's a piece of string, like, because every kind of sales process can be different. So I, I suppose like a typical HubSpot sales process where they'd be buying kind of. Let's say marketing professional or sales professional.
We, we would typically say about four to six weeks. That sales process would, would be, and like what it basically would be like would be, as I mentioned, we'd have that initial, like 30 minute call or introducing ourselves, then what we would bring it into is into that deeper kind of discovery call. Um, the next steps would be more an unlikely, a kind of solution present.
Then I probably we'd set up another call, like, um, that we'd kind of like discuss the pricing, like how this is gonna look like bringing in kind of yourself, a partner like yourself, James, like to onboard them as well. Like, so, and look that, that that's a dream sales process. Like. Like it [00:24:00] all depends. There might be like a, a far more complex deal, like where they might need multiple integrations or they, they might like have different kind of systems they're using.
And like, they have to know how these will work together. Like, so, like at sales process, I've had sales processes that have taken kind. Six seven months, even some that have taken up to a year. Um, obviously you're gonna invest more time in a bigger deal as well. And there's probably a few more steps involved, but what I do think, and what's really worked well for me in terms of controlling that is having a kind of mutual action plan.
And, and what I mean by mutual action plan is like, it's a document, like an Excel sheet that I've set up like, and document like nearly you go into these things and work backwards. So. What date do you want your decision made by? Like, so we wanna be open live and running on our systems by September the 30th and 2022.
So right before month, what has to happen? In that kind of process [00:25:00] in order to get us there. Like, and, and again, and this is a document I would share with the clients and I've found kind of the time in terms of my opportunities I'm working on have kind of reduced, uh, reduced massively because like I'm controlling the sales process as well.
And I'm cladding out all those clear steps. Like of some of the things I mentioned that happens in the sales process, but they might go, oh, I have to have an internal call with the board, for example, but documenting all. When is that actually gonna take place? It's gonna take place on the 3rd of August.
Okay. So why don't we put something on our calendars? You have that meeting on the 3rd of August, we'll have a catch up on 4th of August to see how it's going, like, but so it gives you, and like, if you, if you have a manager, like I sit down with my manager, like, and we do forecast reviews, like, and I don't bring up this document go.
This is when they wanna make the decision. This is everything that we are aware that has to happen as well. Like, and like, when it really works well, like these mutual action plans is. They like, it could be shared with multiple people in the organization you're [00:26:00] prospecting to, um, and they're updating all the fields going, oh, we have to do this and what we have.
And then, then, you know, you're in a really good place with a deal as well. Like, because you kind of know, okay, we've got key stakeholders in here. They're buying into this process as well. Like, so like, So to answer your original question, I suppose, like how long does the sales process? It could be anything, depending on you're offered, you could sell something in two days.
But I suppose my point I'm trying to get at really is kind of going, you can't control that process as well. And by having those activity plans by always putting next steps in place by kind of getting their buy in because. Like what another really part of it as well is kind of what we would call getting a champion in a company.
And what a champion is in a company is someone that like is selling for you internally. Like, so typically, like I'd be speaking to a marketing manager, if they're, they're buying kind of our marketing hub, like, and a lot of the times HubSpot is probably you, you know, James is, is the best marketing tool out there in [00:27:00] the market.
Like. A lot of times they want HubSpot, but the CEO go, I don't care what you want as well. Like, but you, you, you wanna make sure that like you are giving her like, or him all the right materials, like in there to kind of go, okay, well, what do you need in order to get this across the line? Like, and what.
James: And in terms of material there, what are you, what are you kind of giving out? Is that blog stories? It's articles, it's videos. It's whatever relates to that need of, let's say that marketing manager then to provide it to their stakeholders or their bosses to convince them.
Sean: Exactly. Yeah. It could be any of those. What I do a lot of the times actually is do a little. Now I don't do a 50 page deck, like, or slides, anything like that, but I would give kind of four or five slides to, to that person, like, and basically go in and kind of go like, what are the challenges we have? Like, so they're sitting in like with, with their CEO or CFO or whoever their, their board members are, uh, exec level people are.
And then clearly going, these are the challenges that we. This is how hopes buck [00:28:00] can fix it. Um, and then really kind of just showing like where we can add value. Maybe I might even put in a case study, like of, of a relevant organization, like to them, like in the same industry, the same size or something like that, where we can actually go in and, um, go right.
We've worked with companies like yours, B. For, so I, I think that has worked really well for me in terms of having that little deck, like kind of two year kind of the champion, like, um, and, and I do think it's very important to have a champion, like in all your kind of buying processes, like, and really working closely with them.
But then what that will happen as well is like, They will be happy to introduce you to other key stakeholders as well. Like your, your CFOs, your chief revenue officers, your CEOs, like if they get involved in the process as well, like, but that's when you know, you have a really good champion too.
James: Perfect when they're include you. Right. So kind of bring this to a little bit of a close and I think we've. Um, loads. Um, we might have to get you back on Sean and, and kind of deep [00:29:00] dive into some of these, some of the points that
we've raised, but kind of as a, a little bit of a closing question, what would you be your top tips for kind of anybody, uh, working in sales who kind of wanna improve their game?
Sean: Yeah. Like it it's a good question as well. Like, and like there's so many things I could say here as well. Like, so what, what, what, like I find initially kinda like in, when I was in my early sales days as well, like is. Kind of understanding, like, don't have happy years, don't be listening. Kindness are going, oh yeah, they need marketing and oh.
Or they need a sales tool or a service tool or whatever product you're selling, like and going, oh yeah, that's great. And like, we we're like have that, like, so we're gonna win. Like, like I really try to identify why they won't buy. Like, and that's really important. Like, and so asking questions, like stuff, like why will he not move forward with us?
Like, have you ever done this before? Tell me about your process. Like who else is involved in this decision making process? Uh, do they want [00:30:00] anything, like, is it just you like and all like, and like what objections do you think your colleagues would have? Like, can you think of three reason why this won't be approved?
Like, and look, they might seem like negative questions, but like, if you've identified all of them as part of the process, like you, you. And the worst thing to do is get dragged along in a sales process. And look, I think everybody has been guilty of doing that at some stage or another where you're going.
I think they wanna buy, I think they wanna buy, but like you
probably haven't asked those hard questions and. What that will do is like, there's no, there's nothing wrong with qualifying out of an opportunity. Like, and I think like more junior sales people, like, are afraid to qualify out, ask those hard questions, like, but like, it's your time?
Like your time is just as important as the. As the prospect's time as well. And, and you have to realize that, like you don't pander to kind of what they want and like letting them, as I mentioned, controlling a sales process, you be selfish with your time as well, and be prepared to qualify out as well.
Like, and like there's [00:31:00] a. Kind of like asking those questions seems there's a statement, like shy kids don't catch the candy. have I hair before. Like, so like what I mean by that and how it relates to what I'm saying as well as going on. If you're not asking those tough questions, like, um, that, like, why are we, why are you in it?
Like you really have to know that as well. So, so that's one point, um, Like suiting. I probably going back on some of the other stuff I mentioned earlier on like, and not for one to be kind of repetitive, but like I can't stress how important it really is as part of the, the sales process to kind of have that upfront agreement in place really outlining from the call.
Again, this shows control going like kind. What are we going to cover today? How I'm gonna help you? What, what I need to understand from you as well. Um, and having those clear steps in terms of what we're gonna cover, having those. And look, as I mentioned earlier on there's no harm having kind of like a scripted questions as well, initially in your call, but like really having [00:32:00] those, how am I gonna delve into this pain asking open ended questions, making sure they're kind of speaking the majority.
If you are kind of speaking a lot more than. I genuinely think that there could be a problem there because you wanna be hearing them like kind of speaking and going through their challenges. Cause there there's an emotional side of it as well for them like cuz number one, they don't wanna lose face in the company.
Like as in like, oh, I don't wanna bring this poor product in like, or I don't wanna kind of make this investment that doesn't work, but they want to kind of come off and show like I've made this business better by bringing. Whatever tool or, or whatever product or feature like that, that the, the seller is offering as well.
Like next steps as well. Next steps, like is another kind of point. I certainly would kind of really reiterate in terms of going through kind of having that plan in place, getting something in the calendar. Understanding who the attendees are going to be getting a time, a date, getting that meet and link out, like sounds simplistic stuff like, but I [00:33:00] can guarantee you a lot of people don't do that.
And the kind of the sales process as well. I can. Yeah. So that's pretty much most of the things I can think of off the top of my head. I think that's five. Anyway, James, I'm
not a hundred percent sure.
James: brilliant. Yeah, no, that was good enough. It was good enough. I think you're right. I think everything point that you've kind of raised, opens up another avenue, which we can delve into. And as I mentioned before, it'd be great to kind of have you on in another episode where we can.
Pick on a subject, obviously covering sales as we know, as we found out is, is a big old subject, but I think as you said, having those strategies in place, so Sean, thanks so much for today. It has been amazing, as we said, we've covered some, uh, some great topics, uh, and also got a little bit of insight into HubSpot and the fact that you're not ringing bells and you're also working as a working as a team, which I think is much better.
So thanks for your time today,
Sean: thanks for having me on James. Really appreciate it.
James: No problem. So if you've enjoyed this podcast, make sure you subscribe, leave a review wherever you listen. Remember you can always drop any comments directly to us on our email podcast. [00:34:00] Hello, method dot code at UK. That's it for this episode. So thanks for listening and we'll catch you next time.