sales strategy

Unlocking Growth: How TriState Fabricators Transformed Their Sales Approach

By soshaughnessey

Have you ever wondered how a well-established manufacturing company can revolutionize its sales strategy? The journey of TriState Fabricators, a premier metal fabrication shop in the Midwest, offers compelling insights into this process. In a recent interview, I sat down with Joe Vogt, President and Owner, and Jonathon Padial, VP of Sales, to discuss their transformative experience.

With his 20-year tenure at TriState, Joe Vogt recognized the need for change to scale the business. The company’s sales approach was primarily reactive, relying on RFPs and inside sales personnel. But how do you shift from this traditional model to a proactive, growth-oriented strategy?

Enter the game-changers: a fractional VP of Sales, a robust CRM system, and comprehensive sales leadership training. These tools provided the structure and visibility that TriState had been lacking. Joe Vogt hired Sean O’Shaughnessey, CEO of New Sales Expert, to come in and revamp the sales organization and install best-in-class practices. Sean entered as the VP of Sales and quickly assessed the need to understand the deals better, so he installed Pipedrive as their CRM system. He also started to train the salespeople in the needed sales skills during L10-style meetings patterned after EOS L10 management meetings. To get closer to the biggest customers, the company started to have quarterly business reviews with the biggest and most profitable customers.

Vogt praises O’Shaughnessey several times in the full interview but at one place said, “So I look at Vistage as my board of directors essentially. You were an internal board member for me. I never met anybody with more sales knowledge in my life.”

After several months, Vogt and O’Shaughnessey agreed it was time for TSF to run autonomously and without Sean’s help. After an intense interview process, they hired Jonathon Padial to be Sean’s heir apparent in sales leadership. Coming from a software background, Jonathon continued the emphasis on Pipedrive and a structured sales process. “It’s allowed us to really capture more and for my team to see what’s coming in,” Padial noted. But is technology alone enough to drive change?

The fundamental transformation came from empowering the sales team. Vogt and Padial underwent Certified Sales Leadership (CSL) training, which Padial described as his “bible” for navigating leadership challenges. This training, coupled with their involvement in Vistage and implementing the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS), created a powerful trifecta for growth.

But how do you manage such significant changes in an established company culture? Vogt stressed the importance of communication and structure. “If you give structure with the change, it really helps. And you get the people to understand why you’re changing and what the benefits are going to be,” he explained. This approach has led to a more engaged and cohesive sales team than ever before.

Looking to the future, TriState Fabricators is poised for controlled, strategic growth. With plans to incorporate AI and new manufacturing technologies, they’re positioning themselves at the forefront of the industry. But as Padial reminded us, success in manufacturing isn’t just about technology – it’s about relationships and exceptional customer service.

Are you curious to hear more about TriState Fabricators’ journey and gain insights that could transform your business? The full video interview delves into their experiences, challenges, and strategies. It’s a must-watch for any business leader looking to drive growth and embrace organizational change. Don’t miss out on these valuable insights – check out the full interview today!

Navigating Through Sales Slumps: A Strategic Approach for Sales Leaders

By soshaughnessey

Like any other profession, sales is not immune to periods of underperformance or slumps. These periods can be particularly challenging when a top performer in your sales team is slumping. Addressing this issue effectively can significantly improve the productivity of your sales processes, ultimately leading to increased revenue for your company.

Various factors can trigger a sales slump, but it often implies a deviation from the sales process or strategy. Sales is a time-based process, not a transactional one. It involves selling to other businesses, which takes time. Therefore, as a sales leader or CEO, it’s crucial to identify when the sales trend starts to slide. This identification is not just about revenue; it requires a retrospective look at the early stages of a sale. If there aren’t enough leads or active relationships in your pipeline, you can foresee a slump and take proactive measures to change outcomes.

A common mistake is focusing on the revenue loss resulting from the effort expended. A more constructive approach is to evaluate the salesperson’s activities in the sales process. If they do the right things daily, they will quickly work out of the slump. The focus should be on maintaining an effective pipeline and executing all the necessary tasks, such as good scoping and discovery calls.

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Two Tall Guys Talking Sales Podcast – Destination Success: Mapping Your Sales Strategy with Precision – E97

By soshaughnessey

Join hosts Kevin Lawson and Sean O’Shaughnessey as they dive into the intricacies of sales strategy, drawing parallels to planning a family vacation. As we edge closer to our 100th episode, this session unpacks why having a well-documented and aligned business plan is crucial—akin to knowing your vacation destination to ensure everything goes smoothly. Whether you’re a business owner or a sales professional, this episode provides vital insights into simplifying and aligning your sales strategy for maximum effectiveness.

Key Topics Discussed

Vacation Planning and Sales Goals (00:00 – 02:00): Sean compares vacation planning to setting sales goals, emphasizing the importance of a clear destination or objective.
Aligning Strategies Across Teams (02:01 – 03:47): Kevin explores how aligning individual, team, and organizational strategies can streamline efforts and enhance outcomes.
Simplifying the Sales Process (03:48 – 05:07): The conversation shifts towards simplifying the sales process to make it easy to understand, teach, and implement.
Setting Realistic Goals and Expectations (05:08 – 07:00): Sean stresses the necessity of setting achievable goals that reflect the company’s operational capabilities and strategic direction.
Operational Alignment with Sales Targets (07:01 – 09:00): The discussion touches on ensuring operational capabilities can support the sales targets set.

Key Quotes

Sean (01:44): “Just like when you’re planning your vacation, you kind of have to make sure everybody understands that we are going to get on a plane on this date, at this time.”
Kevin (03:01): “People spend more time thinking about their vacation than they do about their sales strategy. And that’s a miss, but it’s one that we can quickly and simply fix.”

Summary

In this enlightening episode, Kevin and Sean draw an engaging analogy between planning a vacation and formulating a sales strategy. They emphasize the importance of clear goals, alignment across the organization, and simplicity in execution. The hosts share personal anecdotes and decades of sales leadership experience, demonstrating how thoughtful planning can lead to predictable and successful sales outcomes. Tune in to gain actionable insights that could transform your approach to sales strategy. Download this episode of “Two Tall Guys Talking Sales” on your favorite podcast platform today, and don’t forget to subscribe for more valuable discussions!

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Building a High-Performing Sales Team: The Benefits of Recognizing Effort and Results in Sales Meetings

By soshaughnessey

Sales drives the engine of any B2B business. Enhancing sales strategies and management capabilities is crucial to success for salespeople, sales managers, and CEOs of small companies. One aspect of this involves rewarding effort and results during sales meetings. This practice motivates the sales team and encourages them to strive for better performance.

Salespeople are naturally competitive and driven, but they also appreciate recognition. While a paycheck is important, it’s also essential for salespeople to feel valued and appreciated for their efforts. This recognition can come in various forms, from verbal praise to tangible rewards. It’s important to remember that recognition should not be limited to monetary rewards. The simple act of acknowledging someone’s hard work and contributions can be incredibly motivating.

A sales meeting is an opportune moment to recognize and reward your sales team’s efforts. It’s not just about discussing targets and strategies; it’s also a chance to celebrate successes, however big or small. These meetings can be used as a platform to highlight the best practices and strategies employed by the team members, fostering a culture of learning and improvement.

Every salesperson has a unique approach and strategy. If nothing else, they experiment with different ways to share the benefits of their product or ask a particular discovery question. By sharing these individual successes or failures during meetings, sales teams can learn from each other, thus promoting a collaborative and supportive environment. The sales leader may prompt these discussions, but the actual learning comes from the experiences and strategies the salespeople share.

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Two Tall Guys Talking Sales Podcast – From Zero to Sales Hero: Steve Caton’s Strategies for Small Business Growth – E95

By soshaughnessey

In this episode of Two Tall Guys Talking Sales, hosts Kevin Lawson and Sean O’Shaughnessey are joined by Steve Caton, CEO and Founder of Altezza Solutions. Steve shares his insights on how to build effective sales systems for emerging growth companies and provides a unique perspective on hiring part-time experienced salespeople. Dive into this episode to learn about the challenges and solutions in developing a robust sales strategy for small to mid-sized businesses.

Key Topics Discussed

Introduction to Steve Caton and Altezza Solutions (00:00:15)
- Steve discusses the inception of Altezza Solutions and his motivation behind starting the company.
Challenges of Hiring Salespeople for Emerging Companies (00:02:36)
- Steve talks about the common difficulties small companies face when hiring their first salesperson and offers an innovative part-time solution.
Importance of Sales Infrastructure (00:04:55)
- The hosts and Steve explore the critical components of a sales infrastructure necessary for a sales team to thrive.
Salesperson Integration and Training (00:11:44)
- Steve outlines a detailed onboarding process for new salespeople, emphasizing the first three months of integration.
Preparing for Business Exits (00:07:12)
- Discussion on how business owners can enhance their company’s valuation by building a self-sufficient sales team before planning an exit.

Key Quotes

Steve Caton: “The convincing piece wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be because it was almost like the reaction was, ‘Dang, I never even thought about that. That makes a ton of sense.’” (00:03:58)
Kevin Lawson: “Sales organizations that are evolved, mature, robust, they attract talent…let’s build the organization we all want to work for that attracts the right talent.” (00:10:15)
Sean O’Shaughnessey: “One of the challenges that I have heard from my business broker friends is that when the CEO is the salesperson…they really struggle with the selling of the company.” (00:06:53)

Summary

Don’t miss this enlightening episode with Steve Caton, where he shares invaluable advice on building a scalable sales infrastructure and the benefits of hiring part-time sales professionals. Whether you’re a business owner looking to strengthen your sales team or a sales professional seeking new strategies, this episode offers practical insights and actionable steps. Tune in next week for more in-depth discussions with Steve on creating successful sales organizations.

Transform Your Sales Strategy with the Three-Legged Stool Approach: Resonate, Differentiate, Substantiate

By soshaughnessey

Business-to-business (B2B) sales is more than selling a product or service. It involves a strategic approach that includes understanding the customer’s needs, differentiating your offering, and building trust. This strategic approach is often called the three-legged stool of sales: Resonate, Differentiate, and Substantiate.

Resonating with customers is the first step (leg) in the sales process. It involves answering the questions “Why should the customer act?” and “Why should they act now?” To resonate with customers, you must understand their goals and how your product or service can meet them. This requires careful listening, understanding, and empathy.

The second leg of the stool is differentiation. This answers the question, “Why choose us?” Differentiation is all about highlighting what makes your product or service unique from the competition. This could be anything from superior quality and innovative features to excellent customer service. It’s crucial to communicate this differentiation clearly and effectively to the customer.

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Designing Sales Compensation Plans That Drive Performance

By soshaughnessey

The success of any sales-driven organization in the business-to-business (B2B) space hinges on the sales team’s compensation plan. Over my four decades in B2B sales, I’ve observed that nothing influences the performance of sales personnel more directly than the design and implementation of their compensation plans. Compensation is not merely about rewarding sales achievements but crafting a strategy aligning individual salespeople’s goals with the company’s broader objectives.

A well-structured compensation plan acts as both a motivator and a guide. It compels sales teams not only to meet but exceed their targets, fostering an environment where continuous improvement is not just encouraged but becomes a natural byproduct of the system. For small business CEOs, understanding this dynamic is critical for sustaining and driving growth. Sales compensation is more than just a cost; it’s an investment in the company’s future.

In any sales environment, whether the market is brimming with potential or tightly contested, the compensation plan must be a living document that evolves in response to market conditions, company goals, and team performance. With this adaptability, companies can avoid stagnation or regression in their market positions. As businesses strive to scale and adapt, constructing a compensation plan that genuinely drives the right behaviors becomes all the more pertinent.

To delve deeper into this vital subject, CEOs should consider the immediate impacts of their compensation strategies and their long-term implications on sales culture and employee retention. For those ready to explore the intricacies of effective sales compensation and ensure their strategies are well-suited to their specific business contexts, I am here to lend my expertise. With extensive experience tailoring compensation plans to enhance sales productivity and company profitability, I invite you to reach out for further guidance on crafting a plan that meets and exceeds your strategic goals. You can set a time to talk to me using my link above Book Appointment With Sean.

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Driving Sales Success through Collaborative Learning and Knowledge Sharing

By soshaughnessey

Aiming to increase revenue and boost productivity in sales processes, sales managers and company CEOs are constantly searching for effective strategies to streamline their operations and ensure optimal results. One such strategy involves conducting sales meetings for educational purposes. These meetings focus on enhancing knowledge and skills, and this is where the real game begins.

Imagine a sales meeting where, instead of a mundane round-up of weekly activities, there’s an engaging discussion about a new book that can potentially revolutionize the sales process. Picture a team of four or five salespeople, including you, each reading two chapters of a book overnight. The next day, everyone shares the high-level takeaways from their assigned chapters. This practice allows the team to consume an entire book’s content in a day and empowers each member to become an authority on the subject matter because they’re teaching others. The exercise is educational, promotes team collaboration, and enhances communication skills.

This approach can be extended beyond books to other areas, such as market research. For instance, if a company is looking to enter a new vertical, different aspects of the industry, like market influencers, challenges, and political, economic, and legal factors, can be assigned to team members for research. Each member returns their findings to the team, comprehensively understanding the new market. This practice is not merely busy work; it’s sales-driving work that benefits the entire team and accelerates learning about the new market.

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Using Value Propositions to Stand Out in a Competitive Market

By soshaughnessey

Understanding and effectively communicating your value proposition is crucial for success in B2B sales. It can be the difference between winning and losing a deal. Whether you’re a salesperson, a sales manager, or the CEO of a small company, this topic is extremely relevant.

A value proposition is not merely a catchy slogan or a well-crafted elevator pitch. It is a broader collection of reasons why a potential buyer should choose your product or service. A value proposition identifies the customer’s needs and goals and demonstrates how your product or service can address these.

One key aspect of a value proposition is its ability to resonate with the customer. This involves deeply understanding the customer’s needs and tailoring your proposition to their specific situation. This allows the sales team to find the match between the customer’s needs and your offer. To resonate effectively, you need to answer two key questions for the customer: Why act? And why now?

The ‘why act’ question establishes the need for your product or service. If the customer doesn’t see a need, they won’t be interested, no matter how great your offering is. The ‘why now’ question creates a sense of urgency. Without this, a customer may acknowledge the need for your product or service but see no reason to act immediately.

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Two Tall Guys Talking Sales Podcast – Maximizing Customer Relationships: Insights from Chris Goade – E90

By soshaughnessey

Join Kevin Lawson and Sean O’Shaughnessey in another insightful episode of “Two Tall Guys Talking Sales.” This week, they welcome back Chris Goade from 360 Consulting in Dallas. Chris dives deep into the importance of customer retention and intentional engagement strategies. Discover how to transform average customers into great ones and learn practical techniques to elevate your sales game.

Key Topics Discussed

Defining Ideal Customers: Chris emphasizes the need for businesses to understand and define what makes a great customer, moving beyond just high revenue.
Intentional Customer Interactions: Pre-call planning and intentionality in customer meetings are important to foster deeper relationships and uncover more business opportunities.
Handling Customer Problems: How addressing and solving problems can turn challenging customers into loyal advocates.
Roadmapping Conversations: Strategies for sales leaders to guide their teams in having structured, meaningful conversations with clients.
Growing Existing Customers: Real-world examples of how focusing on existing customers can lead to significant business growth without new customer acquisition.
Salesperson Development: Techniques to help salespeople grow comfortable with engaging higher-level executives and having more strategic business conversations.

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