Hey there 👋
There’s no doubt, this is a challenging time for tech. Plummeting valuations, layoffs, and uncertainty about what comes next.
As someone responsible for revenue growth of an early stage startup… I empathize with the AEs, CSMs, and sales leaders out there. Selling in this environment is just flat out harder. Budgets are being reduced, and anything that isn’t a “need to have” is getting cut.
But I’ve always believed that the toughest circumstances create opportunities for growth and to come out stronger on the other side!
As a revenue leader or rep, this downturn is the perfect time to up-level your sales team’s efficiency. It forces you to focus on the highest-impact activities, and cut the distractions.
That’s why I’m hosting a masterclass: How to Hit Your Sales Goals During a Downturn!
When: Thursday, June 16 at 1pm Eastern / 10am Pacific
We’ll cover:
💯 Making the most of your pipeline – every Lead & Opp matters
❗ Positioning your product as a “need to have”
⏰ Managing timelines & stakeholders when budgets are tight
Featuring veteran sales leaders:
- Renu Gupta, VP of Sales at Thrive
- Elizabeth Andrew, Head of Sales at Netomi
- Jamie Wheeler, Head of Sales at MessageBird
- Ross
In this newsletter:
- 3 reasons to use mutual action plans (+3 mistakes to avoid)
- Interview w/ Jared, co-founder of RevGenius
- How Atrium up-leveled their sales process to move up-market
👉 3 reasons every seller should use mutual action plans
I talked to sales & CS leaders from Salesforce, Hypercontext, and KURIOS recently about how to win & expand more deals with mutual action plans.
The key takeaway? Every seller should be using MAPs for their deals! Here’s 3 reasons why:
1. You get to be a partner instead of a “sneaky salesperson” 😇
Buyers don’t need (or want) to be sold to. They need help understanding how your solution fits into their world long-term, and ensuring it can actually solve their problems.
Mutual action plans enable you to help your buyers buy and be successful in your product.
With MAPs, you can guide buyers through the buying process, set clear expectations, and build trust – so that “you’re now seen as a partner instead of the sneaky salesperson” as Ryan said.
2. Provide a clear path to “yes” or “no” 👍
A lot of new reps are afraid of getting a “no” or hearing bad news from prospects – and buyers sometimes feel bad about saying no. But the goal is to get a definitive “yes” or “no” in all your deals.
By using a MAP to outline all of the expectations and steps in the evaluation process, you make it much easier for buyers to say “yes” or “no” (and avoid the dreaded “maybe”).
Even if the answer is “no,” you can learn from it to improve your process or product.
3. Set customers up for long-term success 🏆
Don’t end your MAP when the deal is signed. Use your mutual plans to ensure your customers get to success in your product, so you’re more likely to sign long-term, raving fans.
Reasons to use MAPs for the entire customer journey:
- Loop more stakeholders into the deal earlier to reduce friction
- Help your buyer look past the finish line and imagine when they sign, not if they sign
- Show that you’re still there as a partner even after the deal closes
As Jocelyn said: “Mutual plans bring everyone together and de-risk the deal.”
Now that you know 3 reasons to use MAPs… here are 3 mistakes to avoid!
🎙 On the Podcast: Jared Robin, CEO & Co-Founder of RevGenius
Jared Robin has worked a variety of sales & leadership roles over his 15+ years of experience – from Fortune 100 companies like FedEx to early stage VC-backed startups.
Needless to say, he knows the challenges sales leaders/reps face every day!
That’s why he started RevGenius, a community where 27k+ sales, marketing, rev ops, and CS pros get inspired, learn, and grow.
Check out our 15-min interview with Jared on the podcast to hear why you should be involving CS before your deals close (and more advice!)
🚀 How Atrium up-leveled their sales process to move up-market
Atrium is a data-driven sales management platform that empowers AE, SDR, and CS managers to improve team performance with data.
Led by Co-Founder & CRO Peter Kazanjy, Atrium’s sales team started growing and selling to larger orgs – but they realized their process for communicating & collaborating with prospects wasn’t scalable:
💻 Too reliant on Google Sheets & Slides
⏰ Time-consuming & unorganized
🚫 Lack of alignment on buyer requirements
With Accord, Atrium manages their sales process more effectively so they can win bigger deals:
🏆 Better deal management: control timelines and stakeholders
📁 Centralized resources so everyone stays in the loop
🤝 Professional buying experience as they move up-market
Learn more about how Atrium up-leveled their sales process with Accord!
Thanks for reading From Vendorship → Partnership! 👋 Anything you want to see more of next time? Let me know!
Ross Rich (CEO and Co-founder)
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