Matt Plank

To all SDRs or anyone entering B2B sales, read this post to avoid falling into common traps. 1. The most successful AEs I have met were the best SDRs. 2. SDRs who didn’t excel in the role and are now AEs are still struggling to generate their own pipeline. 3. AEs who skipped the SDR role, often due to an MBA or strong interview skills, fear switching jobs and roles without inbound leads. They’ve never faced the grind of building a pipeline from scratch, filled with rejections. 4. AEs who have never been an SDR majorly rely on their SDRs or Inbound leads from marketing to help them build pipeline and if any Quarter they don't get inbound or enough meetings from SDRs they sh** in their pants. 5. When these AEs become managers, they often question their team—"Where are the numbers?" or "Why isn’t there a pipeline?"—instead of guiding them on building it. Lacking experience in pipeline generation, they fail to lead by example and eventually lose the respect of their team. Learn the art and science of being an SDR and excel at this job at any cost, you will never have to look back or depend on anyone for pipeline EVER. Prospecting and Generating Pipelines is fundamental to Sales whether you are an SDR, AE, Sr Manager, or VP if you don't know how to do OUTBOUND you will continuously live a sales life of fear and anxiety. So SDRs ask yourselves do you want to be such AE and Managers in the future who depend on others to determine their performance and faith or would you like to own your job? #sales #prospecting #outbound #pipeline #sdr #ae #b2b #saas

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People don’t realize what “closing skills” are in sales, and they’re not “is persuasive.” Reps with closing skills CONSISTENTLY know, can choreograph and advise on how the deal gets signed and returned. And their forecast accuracy reflects those skills.

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Dear fellow salespeople: If you have friends, family, clients, or colleagues in the LA area, please extend a little extra kindness right now; they’re likely not doing okay. Press pause on calling your California prospects and instead take a moment to check in with them. A quick message or thoughtful gesture can go a long way in offering support during tough times. Let's prioritize empathy and genuine connections in our work. After all, sales is not just about closing deals; it's about building relationships that matter. Stay safe, everyone 💜

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New sales ops hires have no idea what they are getting into with Salesforce. Here's why: Imagine you’re building a deck. And you are given the keys to a Home Depot. You have access to unlimited equipment and supplies. But you get no instructions on what deck you are building or how to build it. This is what situation most sales ops roles are in with Salesforce. Without training in its full capabilities, admins will be stuck and overwhelmed. This is why I created the Salesforce Accidental Admin Accelerator for sales admins. I recently did a webinar on YouTube that talks about how we are helping SalesOps and sales administrators with Salesforce. You can view it here: https://lnkd.in/g297XegA

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Most sales leaders focus on their top performers. But your best reps will crush quota whether you help them or not. Here's the uncomfortable truth about scaling revenue... Your top 10% will succeed despite you. They'll figure out how to sell your product and close deals even if you give them zero support, no collateral, and an undefined ICP. But you can't build a scalable revenue engine on top 10% talent alone. It's just math. Even with a rigorous interview process and strong recruiting brand, our 12-month retention rate at Levelset was around 55%. And that was GOOD. The key to scaling isn't finding more unicorns. It's raising the floor for everyone else. That means writing down exactly what success looks like. Not just hoping good people will "figure it out." I learned this the hard way. For the first 4 years (or so), we closed deals almost in spite of ourselves. No real sales playbook. No defined process. Just talented people working hard. When we finally documented our exact process - from first touch to close - our ramp time plummeted and consistency shot up. The uncomfortable truth? Most founders spend way more time recruiting than preparing to train and support their hires. Your playbook doesn't need to be fancy. Start with one document: "How to Run a Demo." Make it painfully detailed. Your top reps will hate it. Your new reps will love you for it.

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Sales reps today are overwhelmed — large books of business leave little time for prospecting, making it tough to drive growth. But with ZoomInfo Copilot, five minutes is all you need to check in with existing accounts, start an expansion conversation, and engage with a new, likely-to-buy prospect. Watch our own Jake Lehman demo ZoomInfo Copilot’s prioritized accounts, signals, and buying groups features. Coupled with the AI emailer, Jake crafts high-quality personalized outreach to three companies in the time it takes to make a cup of coffee. #ZoomInfoCopilot

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Average Contract Value by segment: Strat - $278K ENT - $180K MM - $57K Direct correlation with your expected payouts? Yes. Average OTE by segment: Strat AE - $280K See more: https://lnkd.in/gEqj9YQz ENT AE - $255K See more: https://lnkd.in/gb7GeWzW MM AE - $165k See more: https://lnkd.in/gDkDDg5w The larger the deals you're selling, the more earning potential. The more earnings potential, the higher the expectations. All open SaaS roles here: https://lnkd.in/ggz4efaD Any of these surprise you? 🦙

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Multi-threading... A skill that's fast becoming the most critical in a sales reps arsenal. Why? 🤔 The market is tough at the moment. 🤔 Buyers are more budget conscious. 🤔 CFOs are asking teams to reduce spend and cut back on investment. 🤔 Prospects that once had buying power and sign off capability now have to get approval from C-Suite. It sounds like an uphill battle 🏃‍♂️‍➡️⛰️ but the truth is, multi-threading is not as daunting as you might think. ⭐️ Here's some tips that have worked well for me in the last 6 months ⭐️ 🗺 Map out your accounts. Org charts are critical for multi-threading. You need to understand who your prospects are, who they report to, and who holds decision making power. Tip - LinkedIn SalesNav let's you build drag and drop org charts! 🗣️ Check with your your champion. Confirm your org chart is correct. Ask them what the process is for bringing on a new vendor. If they don't know, 🆘 they are not a true champion. 📧 Share content early. Begin introducing yourself to key stakeholders quickly. Tip - Connect on LinkedIn with a short and sweet connection request, something like "Wanted to put a face to a name following some great conversations I've been having with (champion name) re (challenge). I'll send over some content via email shortly. I look forward to hearing your thoughts." 🎺 Make sure your content is personalised, engaging, and stands out. TOP TIP - Using a tool like trumpet 🎺 (digital sales room) is a sure fire way to encourage stakeholder engagement. Upload clear and concise value props, how you can solve their businesses challenges, client case studies and more. Ask these contacts to bookmark the page as you will regular update it with content as the deal progresses. And, track their engagement, so you can meet them in the moment. So far, my prospects have been LOVING it! 📞 Pick up the phone. Once you've connected on LinkedIn and sent content, call prospects to ensure that they have seen it. Ask what questions they have and tell them about next steps. By doing the above, when it comes to negotiation these stakeholders will be informed and aware of the entire process to date, and you and your product will be top of mind 🧠 Tenured AE's in my network (I know there are a lot of you), what do you do to successfully multi-thread? P.S. You can guess what I'll be doing in the office today :😉 #multithreading #sales #digitalsalesrooms #dsr #aestrategies

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I was asked what is the fasted way to win new business for sales - get warm introductions in your target accounts. Here are 7 steps that I think will help you get radically more pipeline fast:🔥📈 Inboxes are overflowing, cold outreach is losing its punch. Warm introductions are the key to breaking through the noise and accelerating your sales pipeline. 1. Define Target Accounts 🎯 Zero in on accounts that align with your ideal customer profile. Know their challenges, and understand how your solution uniquely solves them. Focus on a subset you’re confident about – don’t let analysis paralysis slow you down. Key: Don’t get stuck on the first step; just go for it! 2. Identify Connectors in Your Network 🕸️ Expand your network (or automate this with platforms like https://lnkd.in/e-XsFVmR) to match up with contacts who have trusted relationships with key players in your target accounts. Look for people with deep industry and solution experience- they’ll help boost your credibility.  3. Engage with Value First 💬 When requesting an intro, lead with value. Show why the intro matters to their connection and how it benefits them. Remember, your Trusted Advisor isn’t your sales rep – they’re a facilitator of value for their network. Offer insights, unique perspectives, and collaborate in a knowledge exchange. This will set you apart as more than “just another sales rep.” 4. Personalize Your Outreach to the New Contact 🧑‍💼 After a warm into, skip the canned pitch. Reference your mutual connection, then tailor your message to your target accounts needs. Tap into your advisor’s inside knowledge on what truly matters, from active projects to key priorities. This approach makes you relevant, aware, and genuinely interesting. 5. Nurture the Relationship, Not Just the Opportunity 🤝 Warm intros open doors, but it’s the relationships that close deals. Focus on building trust, actively listening, and providing value. Even if there’s no immediate sale. 6. Don’t Forget Your Sales Process 🚀 Whether it’s Solution Selling, MEDDICC, or MEDDPICC, stick to your process to stay on track. Use your advisor’s insights to set you apart, but also to qualify out quickly – if it’s not a fit, pivot to protect your credibility and the trust of your connection. 7. Reward Your Trusted Advisor 🏆 Recognize your advisor’s role in your success! A thoughtful gesture, creative reward, or a few percentage points on the deal can make a significant impact. It shows appreciation, strengthens the partnership, and sets the stage for future collaboration. Warm introductions are your ticket to stronger connections, faster cycles, and higher close rates. Are you tapping into them? 🔑 And if you want to make this easy, check out https://lnkd.in/e-XsFVmR – the first platform designed to automate and scale your ability to find and leverage warm introductions into all of your target accounts. 🔗 #SalesTips #Sales #SDR #SalesPipeline #WarmIntroductions #ForceEquals

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How most sellers approach cold calls: • Centered around their product • Talk about how their company is best-in-class • Their main objective is to book another meeting How great sellers approach cold calls: • Centered around problems of the persona • Ask questions to understand if they’re relevant • Main obj. is to see if another meeting makes sense

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How did ZoomInfo Copilot help Account Manager Dave Howell close a $195,000 deal? 🤔 From surfacing insights about customer sentiment and product interest to identifying a C-level decision-maker who helped seal the deal, Copilot empowered Dave with everything he needed to win his client's business. Watch the full story below. ⬇️ #ZoomInfoCopilot #sellbetter #gtm #zoominfo

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Whenever an AE is struggling to set meetings, I run a three-step diagnosis: 1) Are you calling the right accounts? Here are a few questions I ask to check territory management strategy: Are the accounts you are working investing in areas tied to your solution? For example, at LaunchDarkly, we look for companies that are hiring developers. If they are hiring developers, they are more likely to be investing in solutions that support releasing software fast without the risk. Are there multiple landing spots for your product? For example, at Qualtrics I focused on accounts that needed to understand brand, customer, and product experience. Three different use cases = three shots to win business at the account. Do you understand the accounts you are calling? Massive budget and multiple use cases won’t help you land an account if you can’t speak their language. Simple question to ask yourself: “If I was in a room with their executive team, could I have a conversation about their business, in their language, without being completely out of place?” Good accounts that you understand are better targets than great accounts that you don’t understand. 2) Are you calling the right contacts? Two questions to ask about the contacts in your sequences: - Would this person personally benefit from our solution? - Is this person at all responsible for solving the business pain our solution solves? No personal benefit = no reason for them to respond. No connection to business pain = no reason for you to want them to respond. 3) Messaging Two points I’m looking for in effective messaging: - Emotional relevance What is the email/phone call your buyer never wants to get from their boss? If your email shows them a way to avoid that dreaded call, it’s emotionally relevant. - Specificity Could you use the same messaging with another prospect? Or, worse, could your competitor send your same email to your buyer? If the answer to either of those questions is “yes,” your messaging isn’t specific enough. Meetings are tough to come by right now. But it’s hard to go wrong if you use the right messaging, with the right people, within the right accounts. Any other tips for how to break a prospecting cold streak? p.s. I recently updated my Leadership Frameworks - my full guide of how I recruit, develop, and retain high performing sales organizations. Get my blueprint here: https://lnkd.in/gWB_Jh8B

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Top Sellers aren't begging for specific features to beat competitors Or more training... what do they think will help drive more revenue?? 👀 See the report below for the real data 👀 Met with killer revenue leaders at Gong's annual conference last week and read their report on the "State of Sales Productivity" Similar to what we saw re: GTM Execution being a top priority for Founders / CEOs, this report shed light on top challenges impacting reps and hindering productivity... And it resonated. The least motivating thing when I was a seller? Wasting time OFF THE FIELD updating fields + busywork that didn't help my customers / prospects. I've yet to meet a successful seller who'd rather focus on internal tasks vs spending time moving deals forward... No surprised the top 3 areas that negatively impact rep productivity: 61% - Admin Tasks 47% - Inneficient processes 37% - Time management *Spending time on non-selling activities is de-motivating *BS internal processes slows down deals *Time is the most valuable asset to sellers / Opps (time does kill all deals) From spending time obsessed with making customers successful and being at the top of the leaderboard, I can tell you firsthand most GTM tools don't help with what frustrates the field the most. And is why I felt passionate enough to quit an amazing gig at Stripe to build Accord. To win in 2024's market, every moment counts. Revenue leaders can’t expect their team to be hit targets if they are not setting them up for success. Take the admin work out of it, and have fields populated automatically IN the flow of work. Build a repeatable playbook that is foolproof and can help leaders identify slipped deals, before they slip Make sure you team isn’t spinning their wheels on pipeline or activities that don’t move the needle. Are you making sure your team is motivated, focused on their customers, and setting them up for success going into the final weeks of the year and into 2025?? 📈

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AI’s Impact on Sales Coaching and Performance Feedback 🎓 Sales coaching has traditionally relied on human intuition, but AI is now transforming it into a data-driven discipline. By analyzing performance metrics, AI provides actionable insights that improve individual and team outcomes. 📊 Platforms like Chorus.ai and Gong analyze sales calls, emails, and interactions to identify patterns of success. They offer real-time feedback on tone, language, and strategies, helping reps refine their approach. Imagine having a coach that listens to every call and provides tailored advice—it’s a game-changer! 🗣️ AI also tracks performance over time, identifying areas for improvement and recognizing top-performing behaviors. This fosters a culture of continuous learning, boosting morale and productivity. 🌟 Moreover, AI facilitates personalized training. Instead of generic sessions, reps receive insights tailored to their unique strengths and weaknesses, accelerating their growth. 🚀 Ready to revolutionize your coaching strategy? Check out tools like Chorus.ai or Gong to leverage the power of AI for performance feedback. #SalesCoaching #PerformanceFeedback #AI #Chorus #Gong #Innovation Author: Ankit Shukla

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🚨 The uncomfortable truth about sales leadership 🚨 Sales managers obsess over data, forecasts, and quotas. Sales reps chase autonomy and quick wins. But the buyer? They just want their problems solved. See the disconnect? If your sales team isn’t leading buyers through their journey, you’re not closing deals—you’re becoming just another vendor. Let’s get real. Are we enabling reps to be buyer mentors, or are we stuck managing quotas? Drop your thoughts in the comments 👇 #SalesStrategy #BuyersJourney #CustomerCentricity #SalesTransformation #ComplexSales #HeroJourney

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Amen to this. Senior leaders need to get involved in the details and understand the structural and operational issues in their organizations that lead to customer churn. You hold the power to improve the quality of your product and the value of your service - you're customer facing Sales and CSM teams do not.

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SELLERS! check out Marcus Chan onboarding playbook (youtube link in comments) #sales #salesonboarding #rampperiod #quotacrusher #milliondollarcloser

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In 3 months, we’ve seen a 20% increase of pipeline in validation stage or greater. And here’s why… ✅ We’re aggressively training all SDRs on exactly what the full sales cycle looks like for our prospects. 👉 Driving stronger alignment with AEs. 👉 Supporting the team's development into closing roles. 👉 Allowing us to compensate our SDRs for activity further down the funnel. If you’re looking to improve the retention rate of your team, remove the disconnect, and build better pipeline, don’t cut SDR enablement at just the initial meeting. This approach will have a strong impact on pipeline - yes. But more importantly, it’ll have a huge impact on the development of SDRs 🏆

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How did ZoomInfo Copilot help Account Manager Dave Howell close a $195,000 deal? 🤔 From surfacing insights about customer sentiment and product interest to identifying a C-level decision-maker who helped seal the deal, Copilot empowered Dave with everything he needed to win his client's business. Watch the full story below. ⬇️ #ZoomInfoCopilot

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