Ryan Kilpatrick

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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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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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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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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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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Elite SDRs are the backbone of high-performing sales teams. Here's what makes top performers like Dylan Matteo & Reeve Markowski stand out: 1️⃣ Obsessed with Metrics: They optimize outreach, ensuring every action drives pipeline growth. 2️⃣Business Leaders: They understand how their role fuels the bigger GTM strategy and long-term client success. 3️⃣Attention Commanders: Their outreach breaks through the noise, delivering personalized value that gets noticed. 4️⃣Technical Masters: Deep product knowledge and tech-savviness empower them to engage prospects with authority. 5️⃣Passionate Advocates: Their belief in the product creates authentic connections that drive results. Invest in top-tier SDRs to fuel sustainable growth and scale your sales success. #SalesExcellence #SDR #BusinessDevelopment #Growth #SalesLeadership #GTM #Tech

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The LinkedIn feed can be intense after your favorite team clinches a title. Shoutout to my Boston Celtics! It feels like sales leaders are so eager to get off a take (that's not great) about the team and weave it into how it relates to sales, their day to day etc. Leaving me to think "did you even watch the team this year". Here is the one thing I think ALL sales leaders should take away from Head Coach, Joe Mazzulla Practice sessions can inadvertently lead to social loafing. Take the dreaded call listening meeting, for instance. Often, it’s a mixed bag of sales reps with varying skill levels. The seasoned reps might mentally check out, thinking, “This doesn’t apply to me.” 🙅‍♂️ Instead, consider this: Give them back that time. Host a separate meeting where they’ll gain real value—whether it’s diving into negotiation tactics, exploring fresh perspectives, or sharing success stories. 🚀 My former boss Nick LeBlanc took initiative and we tried something different. Inspired by Chris Voss’ Masterclass on Negotiating, we watched one episode per week (usually 30-45 minutes long). During our former call listening slot, we dissected the session, discussed tactics, and brainstormed implementation. 🧠 The result? 🌟 Our team achieved significantly better outcomes than traditional call listening. Oh, I'm still #OpenToWork. I know, I'm shocked too 😂 If you think I could be a fit, check out my recommendations and ping me! #sales #negotiation #tech

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3 Ways Private Equity and Venture Capital Firms Use Salesforce to Improve Operational Efficiency. https://lnkd.in/eBwXMvN9 Simple overview for PE and VC firms.

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When I chat with sales leaders about their team using ChatAE to standardize their desired call prep & post-call processes, I hear one of two VERY DIFFERENT things: 1. "Oh this would be great for our SMB/Commercial team who are doing tons of calls each day and the reps are more junior OR 2. "Our Enterprise team would eat this up, they're doing tons of manual research into their top accounts and anything that can helpn with that is super valuable" Is this a good thing or does it mean we aren't clear enough about who ChatAE is for? I think it's a good thing The reality is different segments of sales teams have differetn reasons for standardizing call prep and post-call processes For an SMB/Commercial team doing tons of calls each day, with mostly junior reps, being able to standardize best practices and do things like call research, discovery call prep, follow-ups and next steps planning the RIGHT WAY is hugely valuable For an Enterprise team, each account is GOLD. Any edge, and I mean ANY EDGE, you can gather from pre-call account or prospect Research is hugely valuable: either for breaking into the account or being 10x smarter in your first sales interaction I think we'll continue to see both SMB and Enterprise sales teams adopt AI tools that help with call prep/research and other admin post-call tasks. They'll just have different reasons

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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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What should you do when a promising deal goes dark? 🧐 Sales Manager David Mansfield shows how ZoomInfo Copilot can help you identify and re-engage with key contacts to get your deal back on track. Don't let a stalled opportunity mean a lost deal. Learn how ZoomInfo Copilot's AI capabilities make it easier to multi-thread, connect with decision-makers, and keep the momentum going. ⬇️ #ZoomInfoCopilot

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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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ICYMI I am fired up about being back in the GTM Software / Sales Execution Software space with Accord. It’s created a jolt of energy and excitement in my day to day... BUT…it has also highlighted the struggles a lot of organizations have when it comes to consistent org-wide execution. In the conversations I have been having, 2 areas really stick out with ENT deals, that are more important now than ever. 1. Stakeholders (and there are a lot) They enter deals at different times with different goals --> How quickly you can get them up to speed and how clearly you can show you understand their challenges, decides if the deal moves forward, and how fast 2. Buyers have to, and this is full stop, be able to show their EB / Leadership, etc that they did a thorough, in depth evaluation of the software they want to get approved. Buyers aren’t evaluating solutions like yours everyday - you need to make it easy for them to sell internally. --> If this cannot be shown or proven, this can kill a deal, slow down a deal or welcome competition into the deal In the coming weeks, I will highlight not only how customers are solving these two use cases to drive revenue and execution, but also how leaders are measuring execution in deals, enforcing value selling, improving multi-threading and more PS - The Detroit Lions play on MNF this week 🦁

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Mega dealers vs the rest I’ve spent the best part of the last decade working in hyper growth SaaS (Salesforce & ServiceNow) In that time I’ve worked with & led some incredible sellers, and studied them Here’s what sets the true big deal giants (high 7 and 8 figure ACV deals) apart: 1) Belief They believe almost fanatically in their pursuit and ability to help their customer fix big problems They inherently also understand that they must focus. This is important as it shows 2) It’s on them - they take FULL responsibility They show up, and understand that the buck stops with them No excuses 3) They go together, not alone. They understand that an unfair share of resource on their customer will lead to oversized reward As such they recruit people (at all levels) to their cause Lead without authority And orchestrate for success Whether the markets good, or bad these people deliver time & time again Right now I think there’s a lot to learn in this!

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For my Boston followers, just a reminder that the phone has the highest conversion to meeting across all other channels, and we have a big game 2 tonight ☘️☘️ Reveneer #salesdevelopment #outboundsales #leadgeneration

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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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40 proposals sent out in June. 19 in July (so far). 11 of these already Closed-Won. 90% self-sourced. Every one of these deals has one thing in common: They all started with an objection. Which is why I am thrilled to introduce what I’ve been building in the background, and training with in my free time. A game-changer for all SDRs and pipeline-generating AEs. The brand new Flight Deck - a Cold Call-specific Objection Handling Flashcard Deck! 🚀 📞 Cold calling can be tough, but with these flashcards, it's about to get a whole lot easier and way more fun. Designed specifically to help reps overcome objections and book more meetings, this deck is your new secret weapon for smashing your targets! 💪 ✨ What's Inside? - Real-life objection scenarios - Proven tactics and responses - Quick tips to keep you sharp and confident Purpose-built to boost rep success and turn cold calls into hot leads! 🔥💼 Whether you're a seasoned pro or just starting out, this deck will elevate your cold calling game to the next level. Check it out below: 🔗 sales-flightdeck.com Use code "earlybird" for a nice lil discount at checkout. If this deck doesn’t pay for itself 10-fold in the first month, send it it back for a full 100% refund. #SalesSuccess #ColdCalling #SDR #AE #ObjectionHandling #SalesTips #BookMoreMeetings

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I sat on a seller workshop yesterday where sellers were discussing deals. Number one challenge? Multi threading. While this is pervasive across all deals I notice a massive challenge with current clients. Deal is signed, we’re implementing… and we get stuck at the operational level. Yes – we try and drive exec presence to QBRs etc but how do we continue to engage appropriately at different levels throughout the partnership and keep it value focused? Meet the Value Altitude Framework. Where process meets platform and you can systematize value based communication to the C-suite (Summit), Directors and PMs (middle altitude), and ground level (users). Read more below.

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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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