Hey there 👋
It’s all too common to see BS shortcuts on LinkedIn touting someone’s “overnight success.”
You know the ones… “last year I was [insert bad situation] and now I’m the best at [insert role], and you can follow these simple steps to get there too!” 🙄
But every lasting success is actually built over years of commitment.
Being great at anything takes time, patience, mistakes, more mistakes, persistence, and belief.
Take me as an example: my first sales call was awful. I wasn’t naturally a great writer. Accord’s MVP didn’t work. I’ve made terrible leadership decisions at times.
But if you’re focused on building good habits, open to improvement, and aiming to get just a little better every day… you’ll surpass even the smartest person who isn’t working on themselves and striving for success.
So as we dive into December & probably the busiest month of the year – I’m feeling extra grateful for the chance to build Accord, the incredible people I get to work with, and all the things I’ve learned along the way.
Here’s to not taking shortcuts and always striving for 1% better 🙌
- Ross
In this newsletter:
- Introducing our exclusive MAP workshop series
- The latest & greatest from the podcast
- Recommended reads & a holiday sales gift bundle
🎓 You’re invited to enroll in MAP University!
I’m super excited to announce MAP University: an interactive, invite-only workshop series where like-minded sellers & sales leaders meet to dive into all things Mutual Action Plans.
Learn from the pros about how to get started with MAPs, level up your sales playbooks, engage your buyers, and win more deals!
Here's what you’ll get:
✅ 3 live and recorded Mutual Action Plan workshops led by top sellers & sales leaders in December - January
✅ Free Accord access for you & up to 10 teammates: follow along with the workshops & build your own playbooks
✅ Access to more exclusive MAP resources, including a Slack community with your peers
In the first workshop with MAP pros from Atrium & Zerigo Health, we’ll dive into the benefits of Mutual Action Plans for reps → sales leaders, walk through the basics of building a great MAP, and share playbook examples.
All workshops will be recorded and shared, so no worries if you can't attend sessions live – you'll still get access to the same resources.
Ready to win more deals with MAPs? Sign up here!
🎙 On the Podcast
Have you caught up with our latest sales leader interviews on the podcast? Here’s the two most recent ones – only 15 minutes each for a quick listen in between calls.
🎧 Trent Dressel, Senior AE at Qualtrics
Sneak peek: “In sales we need to give, give, give and offer as much value to our buyers as possible. If you provide enough value first, you lay the foundation for a strong partnership – and buyers will reciprocate by giving you their time.”
🎧 Eric Ortner, VP of Sales at Handle
Sneak peek: “It’s easy to say ‘listen to the market, listen to your customers,’ but very few companies do this as much as they should. Spend a LOT of time with your customers and let them drive your development and story.”
🎁 Fresh Links
📚 The Qualified Sales Leader by John McMahon: How have I not read this book before?!
I finally got the chance while OOO last week, and it should be required reading for any CEO or revenue leader. It hasn’t been since I read The Transparency Sale that I resonated so strongly with a book about B2B sales. Highly recommend checking it out.
✨ Salesmas: We’ve teamed up with Vidyard to spread some holiday cheer!
They’re offering a bundle of gifts, including chances to win some pretty cool prizes and up to $10k in discounts & offers (including from Accord 👀) Sign up to get your presents!
Thanks for reading From Vendorship → Partnership 👋 I'd love to hear your feedback on this edition. Hit reply to send me a note!
Ross Rich (CEO and Co-founder)
P.S. If you like this newsletter and want to support it, you can:
1. Tell a colleague about Accord
2. Simply forward this email to a friend with an invitation to subscribe
