Success in sales can be planned. In my years of establishing, leading and growing global teams in Sales and Account Management, I have learned how to build a machine that produces results. If you have trouble setting up your team or establishing an experiment based approach to improving your funnel - let me help you navigate the first obstacles. The first steps in a new role or position expand down the line and are vital to your success. I have lead local teams with only 4 people up to global departments with more than a hundred employees. At the moment I am responsible for our sales and account teams in Germany, New York and Hong Kong. The knowledge on how to be successful in Sales is not something you are born with. I made my fair share of mistakes, I learned how to do it better and of course I had my own mentors. Never be afraid to ask someone who has done it before. They probably had help at some point, as well. This is why I am here - to give back what I received. I am also more than happy to talk about team management, sales strategy, Account Management, processes, international expansion or hiring. Just bring your questions and let's see where they lead us.
My Mentoring Topics
- Creating and growing sales teams
- Understanding the sales funnel and conversion rates
- Selling in the German (European) market
- How to solve the hiring problem in sales
- How to approach your personal career, how to chose the right job and employer
E.
15.November 2021It was a great session by Tom. I've got some ideas for myself, which I am going to implement.
N.
20.October 2021Thank you Tom for giving me such a valuable input and advice. I already took a lot from our first session and am also implementing some bits into my business. I am looking forward to catching up soon!
F.
1.September 2021Die Session war super hilfreich, sehr angenehm und hat mich positiv überrascht. Ich habe keine offenen Fragen gehabt, doch sehr viele Punkte, die ich im Nachhinein angehen muss. //Wenn es Verbesserungsvorschläge geben muss, dann das man sich vor dem Gespräch anschauen kann, welche Fragen man initial adressiert hatte. (Systembedingt)
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From Impossible to Inevitable - How SaaS and Other Hyper-Growth Companies Create Predictable Revenue
Aaron Ross, Jason Lemkin
Key Facts or Insights from the Book Nail a Niche: The initial step of any business should be to pinpoint a specific market segment that it can dominate. Create Predictable Pipeline: Businesses need to generate and enhance predictable lead generation channels to ensure sustainable growth. Make Sales Scalable: Implementing a sales model that can be replicated and scaled is crucial for exponential growth. Double your Deal-Size: Increasing the average contract value can significantly boost your overall revenue. Embrace Employee Ownership: It's essential to cultivate a culture where employees take ownership and responsibility for their work. Define your Minimum Viable Footprint: Understanding the least amount of effort required to achieve sustainable customer success is key. 7 Sales Acceleration Strategies: The book presents seven distinct strategies to speed up sales. Understanding Hyper-Growth: Hyper-growth is a different ball game, and understanding its dynamics is vital for survival and success. Importance of Customer Success: Ensuring customer success leads to customer retention and upselling opportunities. Role of SaaS in Growth: Emphasizing the important role Software as a Service (SaaS) plays in achieving hyper-growth. In-Depth Summary and Analysis "From Impossible to Inevitable" is a comprehensive guide for SaaS and other hyper-growth companies looking to create predictable revenue. The book, co-authored by Aaron Ross and Jason Lemkin, draws lessons from their experiences in high-growth SaaS companies and provides actionable advice for businesses aiming for exponential growth. The book begins with the concept of "Nailing a Niche". This is an extension of the marketing principle of segmentation, where a business identifies a specific market segment that it can dominate. The authors argue that a company must fully understand its niche, its customers, and their problems before attempting to scale. This is an important factor I've observed in successful hyper-growth companies. Next is the concept of "Creating a Predictable Pipeline". Ross and Lemkin emphasize the importance of generating and enhancing predictable lead generation channels. Through systematic prospecting and nurturing, businesses can ensure a constant influx of potential customers, reducing the unpredictability of sales and ensuring sustainable growth. The book then delves into "Making Sales Scalable". The authors propose implementing a sales model that can be replicated and scaled. This involves separating prospecting and closing roles, utilizing technology, and implementing a customer-centric sales approach. "Doubling your Deal-Size" is another insightful concept. Ross and Lemkin suggest that by increasing the average contract value, businesses can significantly boost their overall revenue. This involves understanding customer needs, providing value-added services, and effective pricing strategies. The book also highlights the necessity to "Embrace Employee Ownership". Cultivating a culture where employees take ownership and responsibility for their work leads to increased productivity, innovation, and customer satisfaction. The concept of "Minimum Viable Footprint" lays emphasis on understanding the least amount of effort required to achieve sustainable customer success. It encourages focusing on what's essential and eliminating non-value adding activities. "The Seven Sales Acceleration Strategies" outlined in the book provide a roadmap to speed up sales. They range from improving lead generation to enhancing sales training, leveraging technology, and optimizing sales processes. "Understanding Hyper-Growth" is an essential part of the book. The authors point out that hyper-growth is a different ball game, with its own unique challenges and opportunities. Understanding its dynamics is vital for survival and success. The "Importance of Customer Success" is reiterated throughout the book. Ensuring customer success not only leads to customer retention but also opens up opportunities for upselling and cross-selling. Finally, the book emphasizes the "Role of SaaS in Growth". The authors argue that the SaaS business model, with its recurring revenue and scalability, is well-suited for achieving hyper-growth. In conclusion, "From Impossible to Inevitable" provides a comprehensive roadmap for businesses aiming for hyper-growth. Its principles and strategies, if implemented effectively, can lead to predictable and sustainable revenue growth. Drawing from my years of experience in this field, I can affirm that the insights provided in this book are not only practical but also essential for any business aiming to scale.
ViewWho - The A Method for Hiring
Geoff Smart, Randy Street
Key Facts and Insights The hiring process is crucial: The authors emphasize that the hiring process, which is often overlooked or rushed in many companies, is a critical aspect of business success. The “A Method”: Geoff Smart and Randy Street have developed a unique hiring strategy, the “A Method”, which emphasizes the importance of hiring “A Players”. Definition of “A Players”: These are the top 10% of talent available at any given pay level. They are the best in their field and bring exceptional value to a company. Four parts of the “A Method”: The method consists of Scorecard, Source, Select, and Sell steps, each of which is critical in hiring the right candidates. The Scorecard: It is a blueprint of a role, indicating what the person needs to achieve in the role, and what kind of person they need to be to succeed. The Source: This is about how to find “A Players”. They can come from networking, direct applications, or through headhunters. The Select: This phase involves a series of structured interviews to assess whether the candidate is an “A Player”. The Sell: Once the right candidate is found, the company needs to sell itself to the candidate, just as the candidate has been selling themselves to the company. Structured interviews: The authors suggest conducting a series of structured interviews, including the screening interview, the focused interview, and the reference interview. Importance of reference checks: The authors stress the importance of conducting thorough reference checks to verify the candidate’s abilities and fit for the role. In-Depth Summary and Analysis The central premise of "Who - The A Method for Hiring" by Geoff Smart and Randy Street is that the hiring process is crucial to a company's success. The authors argue that hiring the right people - or "A Players" - can make a significant difference in a company's performance. As a professor who has been dealing with human resource management and recruitment strategies for many years, I find their argument compelling and well-supported by real-life examples and cases. The "A Method" for hiring proposed by the authors is a systematic approach to hiring the best talent. It comprises four key steps: Scorecard, Source, Select, and Sell. Each step is critical and requires thought and planning. The Scorecard is essentially a detailed job description that outlines the expectations from the role and the characteristics needed to succeed in it. This approach is in line with the competency-based approach in human resource management, where the focus is on identifying and hiring individuals who possess the necessary competencies to perform a job effectively. Next, in the Source phase, the authors suggest various ways to find "A Players". This may involve networking, direct applications, or using headhunters. This emphasizes the importance of having a broad range of sourcing strategies to reach the best talent. The third step, Select, involves conducting a series of structured interviews. This starts with a screening interview, followed by focused interviews, and finally, a reference check. Each interview is designed to assess different aspects of the candidate and determine whether they are indeed an "A Player". This rigorous selection process echoes the importance of using multiple assessment methods in the selection process, a concept well-established in the field of human resource management. Finally, the Sell phase emphasizes that recruitment is a two-way street. Companies not only need to assess candidates but also need to sell themselves to potential employees. This is a crucial point, especially in the current job market where top talents often have multiple job offers to choose from. One of the standout points from the book is the emphasis on conducting thorough reference checks. While reference checks are often seen as a formality or are overlooked altogether, the authors argue that they can provide valuable insights into a candidate's abilities and fit for the role. In conclusion, "Who - The A Method for Hiring" offers a systematic and effective approach to hiring. It emphasizes the importance of each step in the hiring process and focuses on hiring "A Players", the top 10% of talent available at any given pay level. By following the "A Method", companies can significantly improve their hiring process and enhance their overall performance.
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K.
1.August 2022Hi Tom, Thank you very much for your guidance and all your tips. It really helped me to cope with some challenging situations and to understand better how to deal with it.