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Leadership – Change Ahead

Team,

We have had a lot of changes since last year.

There is the worst Global Pandemic in over 100 years, Toilet Paper Shortages, Grocery Limits, Failed Businesses, Economic Collapse, Stock Market Volatility, Riots in the Streets, Curfews, Quarantines, and the Highest Unemployment since the Great Depression.

We are on our 3rd CEO since December. It has only been six months.

Our President has resigned.

We have an entirely new Executive Team bringing in their tribe and with-it significant change.

We have new tools, processes, metrics to live by and requirements.

We are forecasting weekly and sometimes more often.

Everyday there is something new.

We are a new Team this year. A Team of highly skilled, highly trained Professional Sales Experts.

We are an Elite Team with High Expectations and high quotas to match.

We are an Outside Field Sales Organization. The expectation is that we make things happen and go the extra mile.

We do not wait, we do not accept mediocrity.

We strive for excellence. We expect results because we take action to drive them.

More changes are coming.

Change is constant.

Nevertheless, we must FOCUS!

The Compound effect is our way to success. (From the Book: “The Compound Effect” by Darren Hardy)

Doing the right things over and over will reward us with results.

The right things are listed below and are expectations.

Expected Behaviors:

Ability to Listen.

Ability to follow Directions.

Ability to be Coachable.

Have a Positive Attitude.

Take action and execute.

Be creative to win.

Ability to contact Key Decision Makers at the C-Level.

Ability to accurately forecast.

Ability to CLOSE.

Ability to Execute with strong Prospecting, Discovery, Hyper-Qualifying, Presenting, Negotiating, and Closing Skills.

Closing: ASK for the order! Pick up the phone to close the deal. Don’t rely on email. Track the PO like a shadow at every step. Do not rely on the channel to do your job. The customer not responding is not a valid excuse. Who else have you called? What else have you done to close the deal? Call the CIO, CFO or other Executives. Ask one of our Executives to engage the customer if needed. Do not lose alone.

Building Pipeline: Prospect every day. Use email, phone, any tool available to help build pipeline daily.

Training: Be an active participant in trainings. Ask questions, learn, understand.

Self-Improvement: Actively read, train to get better at sales skills. Read all of our product datasheets to understand our solutions.

Helping Teammates: Be there for your peers, help each other build pipeline, close deals, strategize to grow the deal.

One Thing: What is the ONE THING you can do to increase sales? (From the book: “The One Thing” by Gary Keller & Jay Papasan)

Work with our Business Unit, BU counterparts, Distribution, Resellers, internal and external resources to help build and close deals.

Be Adaptable, success depends on it.

When the going gets tough, the tough get going! (Wrestling Coach)

Doing the right things will not only ensure that you survive change but it will help you to THRIVE!

Jerry Lang

Money – Booking The Deal Now Scripts

Money – Booking The Deal Now Scripts

Team,

Please use the following process to ignite 🔥 a sense of urgency to book the deal now. (Timeline: Could be Today, this Friday, 2^nd Friday of the month or last Friday of the month, the sooner, the better.)

The Reason: Many times, I have sent an email to a reseller asking – “Have you heard from the customer regarding the last quote sent?” Common Reseller Response: “I haven’t heard anything.”

Try these proven email strategies to help seal the deal.

Email:

To customer: Sally

CC: Other customer team members and the Reseller

Subject: Following up to see if you received the PRODUCT quote?

Hi Sally,

Hope you are well!

I’m following up to see if you received the quote for the PRODUCT?

Thanks,

(Depending on how the customer responds, you can take direction for the next step in the dialogue. If they received the quote, you can ask if there are any questions, if they would like to schedule a call to discuss and if you can get the PO by X. If they did not receive the quote, that is an issue with the reseller. The email should light a fire and the reseller should get the quote out. If not, ask the customer if you can provide another reseller. Work through the process to ensure the customer has what they need in order to book the deal as quickly as possible. Get the deal off the street.)

If the deal is required to go out to bid: Follow similar email language as above. (Do this 1-2 days prior to the bid closing to ensure the bid does not get canceled due to a lack of qualified bids)

Email:

To customer: Sally

CC: Other customer team members

Subject: Following up to see if you received enough bids for the PRODUCT?

Hi Sally,

Hope you are well!

I’m following up to see if you received enough bids for the PRODUCT bid?

Thanks,

(Depending on how the customer responds, you can take direction for the next step in the dialogue. If the customer did not get enough bids, ask how many they received and how many they need. Maybe you can send a list price direct quote to fulfill the requirement. You may have to engage with multiple resellers to ensure the bid gets enough quotes to be executed on. This is your money to lose, act quickly.)

Act and ASK with a sense of urgency, book the deal now!

Jerry Lang

Software Sales Funnel

Software Sales Funnel

Loyal customers are more valuable than 100 leads and easier to sell to than acquiring new customers.

Don’t build your Sales funnel from the top down. Build it from the bottom up, like you’re building a Pyramid, and here’s why…

Loyal customers at the bottom of the funnel (Already Purchased) are closer and more willing to make a new purchase.

If you start at the top with awareness content, trying to create demand and generate net new customers but don’t have enough middle and bottom of funnel suspects in place, you can generate a ton of potential prospects, but you’ll have a hard time converting them to opportunities if you don’t have enough perceived value to help them consider you as an option. (This equals a longer sales cycle and a lower percentage of winning)

Examples of TOFU, MOFU, and BOFU content:

TOFU (Top of Funnel):

– Thought leadership
– Whitepapers
– Tech Briefs
– eBooks
– Social Posts

– Blog Posts

– Manuals

– Events

– Online Demos

– Surveys

MOFU (Middle of Funnel): There is some overlap with both TOFU and BOFU

– Solution/Product/Service pages
– Webex/Teams/Webinars
– Use Case studies
– Company overviews/ capability docs

BOFU (Bottom of Funnel):

– Call to Action to book specific demo, Proof of Concept or Consultation
– Customer Testimonials
– Use cases/Case studies
– Comprehensive comparisons
– Details to differentiate from competitors, stand out as evidently the best choice

Once the lead is considered an opportunity, then it goes into the pipeline. However, if you create opportunities too soon without performing a thorough Discovery Call and Hyper-Qualifying them your pipeline conversion report looks like dung.

Focus efforts on Account Maintenance, creating net new opportunities with your most loyal customers.

Jerry Lang

Story of two Sales Reps: Alpha and Bravo

Story of two Sales Reps: Alpha and Bravo

Alpha focuses on helping the customer see the value of the product or solution and discounts only a small standard amount on the most expensive options or offers no discount at all.

Alpha sees a long-term relationship.

Alpha’s customer standardizes on the higher more expensive option.

Bravo focuses on discounting the product or solution trying to get the customer to purchase on price alone and discounts heavily on the least expensive options.

Bravo only sees a one-time sale or short-term relationship.

Bravo’s customer standardizes on the lower cost option.

Let us do some math:

The cost for the product from Alpha is: $864 or 134% more than the product that Bravo leads with. Alpha sells value and collaborates with the customer to understand pain points and helps the customer solve business challenges while becoming a Trusted Advisor.

The cost for the product from Bravo is: $369 or 134% less than the product that Alpha leads with. Now, Bravo sells strictly on price and heavily discounts the product they lead with by 40%. Bravo is 174% lower than Alpha’s price to the customer. Bravo does not understand the value proposition or selling value and is afraid of losing a sale if they position a higher priced product.

This scenario plays out the entire sales year.

At the end of the year, the results look like this.

Alpha exceeded their quota of $1,800,000 by selling 2,100 licenses and made President’s Club and was rewarded.

Alpha won a nice trip to a tropical island and received recognition, accolades, and prizes.

Bravo, on the other hand did not hit their quota. Bravo also sold 2,100 licenses but for only $469,940.

In some organizations, Bravo’s performance was deemed unacceptable and they were put on a 90-day performance period with strict guidelines.

Best case, Bravo improved performance.

But, many times, someone in Bravo’s position doesn’t know how to sell value or doesn’t want to and they don’t ask for help.

Bravo is replaced by someone who gets it and sells value.

The moral of the story is to ask yourself how you want to sell. Do you want to sell on a value proposition or on price?

Do you want to sell like Bravo or like Alpha? What behaviors will you utilize, and do you want to earn that trip to a Tropical Island?

Jerry Lang

Leadership – Plan To Close The Gap

Plan To Close The Gap

Team,

(The Only Easy Day Was Yesterday! “Krav Maga”)

Please put your name on a word doc with the date and save the doc as your name. These Gap Plans will be sent to our Leaders for review.

We have discussed Goal Setting and Territory Plans over the last four months and these should help to be a guide for the “Closing the Gap” plans.

Review your First Half % to quota. How will you close the Gap for H1? What % to H1 quota are you, work it backwards to determine how much you need to sell to hit it.

Example:

How much license did you sell in Quarter 1?

How much license did you sell so far in Q2?

How much more license will you sell in Q2? What is the total of these 3?

What is your H1 quota? Look at your quota letter to determine your individual metrics.

Subtract the closed total of Q1, Q2 and what else will close in Q2 from your H1 quota and that is your Gap.

Now for the planning to close the gap: Ideas below but feel free to come up with your own:

Pick 2 Term renewal accounts by name – who are they – Add additional licenses.

Pick 2 Term renewal accounts by name – who are they – Upsell Editions.

Pick 2 Term renewal accounts by name – who are they – Add Multi-Years.

Pick 2 Term renewal accounts by name – who are they – Increase YoY cost by 10%+.

Pick 2 Term renewal accounts by name – who are they – Add other products and solutions.

Pick 2 Term renewal accounts by name – who are they – Sales Plays Velocity, Mission Critical.

Pick 2 Term renewal accounts by name – who are they – Offer a Bundled Solution.

Pick 2 Term renewal accounts by name – who are they – Ask if there is end of quarter or end of year money.

Pick 2 Term renewal accounts by name – who are they – Ask if customer if they can finance a larger deal.

Pick 2 Term renewal accounts by name – who are they – Look for ways to proactively save the customer money.

Pick 2 Term renewal accounts by name – who are they – Look for ways to clean up license structure.

Now, in your territory, what campaigns are you running, or will you run? Provide specific measurable details.

For Database Management

For Performance Monitoring

For Cloud Based Performance Monitoring

For Application Management

For Data Migration and Disaster Recovery

For Data Analytics

For Tuning and Optimization with Artificial Intelligence

For Predictive Analytics

Pick a State, enter state name in CRM tool search box, email every contact a short 2 sentence intro to ask if they would like to add additional software licenses or take a look at new technologies. Implement a simple machine-like precision email focus. You should be able to copy/paste/send over 100 emails per day. Schedule a Discovery call with those that show interest.

Call 35+ prospects per day from customer base – same way as email strategy above.

Do a Mail Merge.

Work with other BU’s.

Additional targets:

Whitespace Report:

Trial & Freeware Download Report:

Territory Asset Report:

Closed Lost Opportunities Report:

Every booked deal in the last 5 years starting with the most recent wins and working backwards to add more licenses.

Perpetual maintenance to Term Subscription or Enterprise License Agreement for unlimited use (ELA), past audits for SaaS.

Sales is an all-season sport and we are going to need to work harder, longer and smarter to hit our individual and Team H1 Quotas.

Those that put the time, effort, and hard work in will see the rewards just like in sports…

Ask yourself:

How much time do you spend prospecting, calling/emailing customers every day? Is it enough?

How many customers do you reach every day? Is it enough?

How many hours do you work every day? Is it enough?

Do you wait because a customer is not getting back to you? Why do you wait? What can you do instead of hoping they’ll get back to you? (Hope isn’t a Strategy)

Can you turn up the clock speed, turn up the intensity, increase the sense of urgency, email/call the CIO? – Don’t be scared – they are people just like all of us… Have Confidence in yourself! Ask for help as needed to learn what to say and what to write.

Do not be a lone wolf, we are a team!

Ask for help and Adapt!

Jerry Lang

Sales Play – Mission Critical

Sales Play – Mission Critical

Process that must function continuously for an organization to be successful.

Market – Target Top 10 largest customers and ask which databases are essential to the operation of the organization. What platform are they? Who manages them? What happens if they go down?

What are their Pain Points? What are their Preferences and why? Who in the account can be your champion or influencer? What are the critical business functions of this Database?

Trigger – Identify by “asking” – what would it take to get you to switch to our solution?

What is their trigger to switch?

Will they spend time on a demo, proof of concept or evaluate a trial? Are they open to product bundles?

Value Prop – Discuss, describe, present how Mission Critical Software can ease customer Pain Points and solve Business Issues. Explain the innovation differentiation behind your product as a preferred vendor.

Tell the story of your products leadership in the Market and how it helps customers just like them.

Explain – Why the customer should buy the Software. Present proof that it is a Category King?

Extrapolate on what they gain and what they lose by changing or staying business as usual.

Use a customer use case as an example to tell a story.

Sales Methodology – Map your sales cycle to customer buying cycle understanding “What it takes to Win” Utilize – 5 W’s – Who, What, Where, Why, When type questions.

Understand – MANIACT – Money, Authority, Need, Impending Event, Application, Competition, Timeframe.

SWOTT – Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats, Trends.

Objection Handling – HEPICC – Hear the customer out, Empathize, Probe, Isolate objections, Clarify, Close.

Repeat for the next 10 customers.

Jerry Lang

Sales Play – Velocity

Sales Play – Velocity

Focus on upselling to a higher edition or version.

Market – Target Top 10 largest customers and ask how many people are using older editions or versions.

Who are they? What are their Pain Points? What are their Preferences and why?

Who in the account can be your champion or influencer?

What are the critical business issues these users are trying to solve?

Trigger – Identify by “asking” – what would it take to get you to switch to a higher edition or version?

What is their trigger to switch?

Will they spend time on a demo, proof of concept or evaluate a trial? Are they open to product bundles?

Value Prop – Discuss, describe, present how higher edition/version can ease customer Pain Points and solve Business Issues. Explain the innovation differentiation behind your product as a preferred vendor.

Tell the story of your products leadership in the Market and how it helps customers just like them.

Explain – Why the customer should buy the higher edition/version. Is it a Category King?

Extrapolate on what they gain and what they lose by staying with a lower edition/version.

Use a customer use case as an example to tell a story.

Sales Methodology – Map your sales cycle to customer buying cycle understanding “What it takes to Win” Utilize – 5 W’s – Who, What, Where, Why, When type questions.

Understand – MANIACT – Money, Authority, Need, Impending Event, Application, Competition, Timeframe.

SWOTT – Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats, Trends.

Objection Handling – HEPICC – Hear the customer out, Empathize, Probe, Isolate objections, Clarify, Close.

Repeat for the next 10 customers.

Jerry Lang

“Success is not born, it is created!” Jerry M. Lang

$100,000,000 Million Dollars

I’ve closed over a $100 million dollars in sales earning millions in compensation and lived a life that most people only dream of including traveling to the best beaches, eating the best food, drinking the best wine, staying at the best hotels and so on…

My success can be learned and implemented by you if you are willing to do the hard work.

Start with reading my book “Secrets To Selling Software “ and learn how to sell technology to create your own success in life. My book can be found on Amazon in all global locations.

Bio Credentials:

Closed over $100,000,000 million dollars in technology sales.

International Author – Secrets To Selling Software

Several Presidents Club awards.

Several first place awards in selling including MVP and Global achievement awards.

Master of Science in Global Leadership.

Bachelor of Science in Business Management.

Certificate in Project Management.

Certificate in Global Business Strategy.

Certificate in Leadership.

Certificate in Military Leadership.

Numerous first place awards for Best Athlete.

Several Presidential Physical Fitness awards.

Certified USA Wrestling Coach.

Founder/Co-founder of several corporations.

Jerry Lang

Work With Me

Work with Me

The only site you’ll ever need to learn the secrets of money!

Everything is FUNNY when you’re making MONEY!

Be Obsessed, create a new version of you, visualize your future self, what would your successful future self tell you to do and do it, visualize it, believe it, act on it, make those dreams come true, make it a reality.

Change the way you think about money, earn more, save more, invest more, splurge more. Stop living at the BOP, Base of the Pyramid and start THRIVING at the TOP, Top of the Pyramid!

What you get: The wisdom and experience of selling over $100,000,000 Million Dollars of complex Technology Solutions all across the country, the world and across all verticals of organizations.

PRIVATE TRAINING with Jerry Lang: With a passion for Success, becoming your BEST Self, Jerry is the guy to coach you to help you reach your goals! His knowledge combined with extensive training and research will prove to be exactly what you need…

Venmo accepted.

Included – Signed copy of my paperback “Secrets To Selling Software”

Inspirational sales wisdom! As a sales professional, your income potential is endless! Dreams don’t work unless you do! Get started, Buy Now!

Jerry Lang

Puppy Dogs

Once, I heard a story about puppy dogs and how to choose the most laid back puppy for small children. When you want to buy a puppy for a child you should put all the puppies together and then release them to the food bowl and the first one to the food bowl is going to be the most ambitious the most aggressive and you don’t want that one for a child. Get the last one to the food bowl as they are more calm, relaxed and passive. However, if you want to be successful and make money…

– Don’t be the last one to the food bowl!

Don’t make excuses, make shit happen!