 In the (slightly edited) words of Billy Zane in the movie Titanic, “a real [sales]man (or woman) makes his own luck.”
Yes, most good salespeople have natural selling abilities, people skills, and an interest in building relationships. What sets great salespeople apart isn’t that they were lucky enough to get incredible leads or have selling instincts that the average professional lacks. What takes a salesperson from good to great is how they invest their time and energy, and making that change is as simple as a shift in perspective. Quality over Quantity. Many salespeople assume that in order to close more accounts, they need to go after more leads. They think of their closing rate as relatively fixed (perhaps it’s roughly the average closing rate for their team or has been their closing rate for years), so they believe that the more leads they have, the more deals they’ll close and the higher their numbers will be. When they have free time, they sign up for networking events. They make cold call after cold call. They look at the top of the funnel. They ask for more. A great salesperson, however, understands that quality, not quantity, is what will boost their bottom line. Well, of course the quality of the lead matters, you may be thinking. And it does. Some leads that enter the funnel don’t fit the ideal customer profile, aren’t serious about buying in the near future, or have an incumbent vendor who they have no real intention of leaving. But quality doesn’t just refer to the quality of the leads coming in. It also encompasses the quality of the experience the salesperson offers to the prospective customer. A great salesperson realizes this, so they don’t use every spare moment of their day looking for more leads. Instead, they focus their energy on stacking the deck in their favor. This means researching the organization and the customer contact to make sure they uncover every detail that’s readily available so that they can approach an initial discovery meeting or call with tailored questions that position them to get more information. They set themselves up to dive deeper. Get Curious. Once a great salesperson has learned everything they can, they’re able to figure out everything they don’t know that could help them form a relationship with the customer. They realize that the best (and really, only) strategy to start gaining an understanding of what’s going on beneath the surface is by asking questions, not with the intention of selling, but with the intention of learning. The list of questions isn’t a set of boxes to tick. They don’t lead you down one of two selling paths, where your path forward is clearly charted. Instead, each question is merely a starting point. The answers lead to unplanned follow up questions, natural conversations, and seemingly minor details that help the salesperson build a relationship with the customer. When you commit to remaining curious, the discovery process never ends - you’re consistently looking to understand what is going on in the customer’s world so that you can figure out how you fit into the picture. Get Deeper.
These questions are all important and undoubtedly the answers matter, but asking them won’t set a salesperson apart from anyone else the buyer is meeting with. That’s all surface level information - and what you need to know doesn’t necessarily come from asking questions. It comes from having conversations. If you ask a customer what the company values, they’ll likely rattle off the mission statement or core values listed on their website. But if you start talking about different corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs they’ve participated in, you’ll get past the corporate speak and get an idea of what really matters to them. You’ll start to uncover what’s going on in their world, why they care about the things they do, what’s important to the company, what their culture is really like, and what it would mean to be a part of their team or be a vendor that supports them. This type of deeper understanding puts you in a position of discovery, which in turn can help you see clues to different types of opportunities where you may be able to be of service. This may provide you better ideas on how your offerings could be of real value to this customer and put you in a position where you’re a partner instead of a vendor. Learn More. Iceberg Selling is a technique grounded in the understanding that for every person, organization, and situation, you can only see 10% of what’s really going on. By adopting the right mindsets, prioritizing building relationships, and approaching customers with genuine curiosity, you can start to explore the other 90% and improve your sales performance. Get the book to learn more about Iceberg Selling.  We’ve all been there. An RFP comes in with detailed information about an event, the scope of work, and an ask to know more about your process and differentiators. More often than not, one of the final, but most important, parts of the RFP is the ask to include 3-5 references.
This should be the easy part. After all, you likely have a long list of customers you work with regularly and you believe would have great things to say about your team. But which ones are the best to put down? Not only that - are they willing to be a reference? The timeframe for the RFP is quick and the clock is ticking, and suddenly, you feel stressed about how to move forward. Not to mention, asking for a reference can be awkward and uncomfortable. Here’s how you get ahead of it. Before an RFP is even in front of you, create a list of 3-5 customers you believe would be outstanding references for your company. They don’t necessarily need to be your biggest customers, but rather, someone you’ve worked with repeatedly and who you know have great things to say about your team. Next, reach out to your contacts at those companies and ask if they’d be open to being a reference account a few times a year, just in case anybody thinking about hiring an AV company wants to talk to one of your best customers. Odds are, they’ll say yes. But without the looming pressure of a proposal deadline, you won’t feel as stressed about getting an immediate response and the customer won’t feel put on the spot. Having a list like this already built (as well as having your top customers primed on what to say and getting a pre-commitment that they’ll give you a great recommendation) gives you an extra tool in your arsenal. It’ll save you time when an RFP comes in or a lead asks for a referral. And if a lead doesn’t ask? Even better. You can offer the referral as a way to close the deal. In fact, you might find opportunities where you can naturally get your best customers and promising referrals in the same room together. If you’re like most AV companies, there’s probably a non-profit group you work with at a significantly discounted rate. Next time you’re building a contract for one of their events, ask if, in return for that discount, you can have a table to bring some of your clients and prospective clients to the event. You’ll get the opportunity to show prospective clients a really incredible event your team has produced and even give them a backstage tour. Meanwhile, your existing clients get to enjoy a fundraising gala on your dime. And the entire time, all of you will be seated at the same table, allowing your best customers to mingle with your biggest leads. Who knows? Maybe one of them will even bid on an item in an auction or make a donation - making the entire situation a win for everyone.  When we’re given an opportunity, we typically only have access to 10% of the picture. Just like with an iceberg, the majority of the information lies beneath the surface. And, just like when steering a ship, that 90% matters. That 90% tells you what your customer values, how you can build a relationship with them, and what you are uniquely positioned to offer that competitors can’t.
But you can’t dive into the deep end before you know how to swim, which is why Iceberg Selling starts with getting a full grasp of what’s going on above the surface and using that information to intentionally learn more. Assume Your Customer Has Done Their Homework. The potential customer has reached out to you or your organization for a reason. Whether they found an ad online, received a referral from a trusted contact, or simply heard good things through word of mouth, something prompted them to contact you. Which likely means that they already like something that you’re putting out into the world. They already have baseline information about your organization and the services you offer, but there is a lot they still need to learn in order to make the decision to work with you. Try to see your company, and yourself, through your customer’s eyes. What do they likely already know about you, your services, and your offerings? What information could they have found online or through social platforms? By figuring out what your customer likely already knows about you, you’ll have a better idea of what they still need to learn in order to move forward. Do Some Preliminary Research. Before you try to explore what’s beneath the surface, you need to have a full grasp of all the surface-level information. In other words, don’t forget to do your homework. While you won’t be able to gather all the necessary information about a prospective customer from their website or an email, digging for clues does give you information on what direction to dig in. The lucky part is that doing this research is easier right now than ever before, for the simple reason that so much information is available at our finger tips. This is true for the organization you may be working with, but it’s also true for the person who contacted you. Research the company What does the company do? Is it a private business or a public company? What can you gather about their performance over the past year? What sector are they in? What would they likely be using your services for? A large pharmaceutical company that’s had a tough few years is going to have vastly different needs than a locally owned diner that’s a popular staple in town. By understanding who you are working with, you’ll have a better idea of how to approach a discovery conversation. Next, think about how your organization and how you personally offer value specific to their industry, market, or company. Perhaps you have specialized knowledge in their industry, which will allow you to make more tailored recommendations. Maybe you have relevant customers who you can share as a reference or as a success story. Finally, try to figure out how the company identifies themselves. Most organizations, even small ones, have their vision, mission, core values, and culture defined. Many will even have it listed directly on their website or social platforms. They may even list who their core customers are. All of these things will give you important context as you consider what kind of person or company they want to work with. A company with a strong growth mission will want to align with like minded people, where a small family business may be more comfortable working with somebody they’ve built a personal connection with. Think about the ways in which your company or your personal values align with theirs so you can figure out how you fit in, not just to serve their needs, but with their culture. In addition to the website, take a look at their LinkedIn page or any other social media platforms they may use. This will give you a good idea of how they want to be seen, both in strictly professional environments, as well as through more casual mediums. Research your contact Let’s say a teacher has a classroom of twenty students. Half of them are average students, about a third of them are high-scoring You want to be a good fit for the organization, but ultimately, the entire company isn’t making the decision to work with or buy from you. There’s likely a small team or even one singular individual making that call. And there’s a good chance it’s the person who contacted you in the first place. Before you start diving deeper, you want to know everything you can about them. Check out their personal LinkedIn profile to learn how long they’ve been with the organization, what their title is, if they’ve had any recent promotions, what experience they have, and where else they’ve worked. If they’ve reposted any articles, check them out to see what interests them. If they’ve written any posts, take note of what their communication style is. You won’t be able to gain everything you need to know from this, but it will give you an idea of what it may be like to work with the individual, not just the company, and help you adapt your process to fit theirs. Adjust Your Focus. There’s a big difference between entering a meeting or dialing into a call with somebody who’s gathered preliminary information and somebody who hasn’t. Those who haven’t can only ask surface level questions. They don’t have enough background to start diving into the details, so instead, they spend the limited time they have with the customer gathering general information. There’s often very little opportunity to ask follow up questions, probe for more information, or pick up on subtle nuances that may give them a lot of useful information. Even worse, they look unprepared and unprofessional when they only ask questions that, realistically, they could have and should have already known the answers to. Meanwhile, those who spend 20-minutes intentionally researching the customer and the organization approach the meeting with a different focus. They may confirm details they discovered, but the majority of the time will be spent gathering information that can’t be found in the RFP, on the internet, or in an email - giving them a significant advantage over their competitors. Learn More Iceberg Selling is a technique grounded in the understanding that for every person, organization, and situation, you can only see 10% of what’s really going on. By adopting the right mindsets, prioritizing building relationships, and approaching customers with genuine curiosity, you can start to explore the other 90% and improve your sales performance. Get the book to learn more about Iceberg Selling.  You nailed the first four steps of the meeting. You did your research, you meticulously scheduled a meeting, you built rapport, you co-created a solution with your customer. You’re almost at the finish line, but you haven’t fully crossed it yet.
If you end the call or leave the building with nothing more than vague promises to chat soon, there’s a good chance you’ll fall off the radar and end up in the place you’ve worked hard to avoid: the check-in zone. But pulling out your calendar and asking to schedule a follow-up feels too forceful or sales-y when you’ve put so much effort into being a guide. Believe it or not, the opposite is true. Trust the work you’ve put in so far. If you’ve truly committed to being a partner to the customer, they already see the value of what you have to offer. They know what you’re working towards. More importantly, they know what they’re working towards with you. You’ve been their guide this entire time. Why would you stop leading them through the process now? Don't lose the sale at the finish line. Let me tell you a little bit about Tim. Tim was (and is) a tech entrepreneur who I met at a workshop. As Tim explained it, he was having a lot of trouble closing deals. He met with several potential customers, had great conversations with naturally flowing dialogue, he answered questions without entering debates to overcome objectives. He’d leave each meeting thinking it went great, but nothing would ever happen. The reason why was obvious to me. Tim was so worried about being seen as a pushy salesman that he never even broached next steps. He forgot what he was trying to do was help his customers with the solutions he was giving them. Remember: you're there to solve somebody's problem. Sales is about learning and understanding people. It’s also about being of service. Once you understand what’s going on in their world and the full scope of the challenges they need a solution for, you can work with them to create a roadmap that solves them. They ultimately will be the one to decide whether or not they want to follow the plan you create together - but you need to give them an invitation to take the next steps.  Most salespeople probably have a list of sentences or phrases they use again and again (and again and again) when they’re communicating with customers.
We’re not referring to a fully fleshed out script that they launch into during meetings with customers (in fact, we’re pretty sure we’ve extensively warned against this in previous blogs). This list is much less formal. It may involve words or phrases they use to introduce themselves or the company they work for. It could be how they explain specific products, services, or differentiators that their team offers. Maybe it includes phrases they use when transitioning from one part of the meeting to the next or what they say when the meeting is coming to a close and they’re trying to schedule a follow up call. These phrases are likely short and sweet. After all, they aren’t pulling out a notebook and reading them verbatim during a meeting. It’s more of a reference - something they can quickly review before a meeting as a refresher so they can communicate as clearly as possible. Some old school sales folks might have it jotted down in their notebooks, but for most people, it will exist in a note on their phone, saved as an email draft, or on their clipboard. Really, it could exist on any device that is easily accessible and can be pulled out at a moment's notice. If you’re a salesperson without one of these personal banks, make one! It’s easier than you might think. Go through past communications, think of frequent questions customers have and the best ways you’ve answered them, and jot down some phrases you felt represented you or your company well or that you got a positive response from. But here’s the best practice: instead of each salesperson having their own individual list that nobody else in the company has access to, create a shared resource that the entire team can use. Creating this resource won’t take a long time, especially if you don’t overcomplicate it. Prior to your next sales meeting, ask everyone to come prepared with a list of phrases in their personal library. Then, go around the room and have each person share some of their favorite or most used phrases and add them to a master list that the whole team can access and use as a resource. The idea isn’t that each person will start using each other’s talk track verbatim. Instead, it gives them a resource that they can draw inspiration from, but can be easily adjusted to sound more authentic to their own voice and selling style. Another great resource to share is how individual salespeople are finding prospective new customers that fit their ideal profile, are likely to be in need of the team’s services, and that come with a higher chance of conversion. One of the AV companies Karl worked with was able develop a great strategy with this method of idea sharing. Somebody on the team had started doing venue based research. Essentially, they’d look into events being held at one of their favorite venues, as they knew those events were typically the ideal size and scope for their team based on the space they were using. After learning this, the team developed a process where they would look into upcoming events at their top venues, Google the organization hosting the event, find contact information for the event organizer or somebody else working at the company. They’d reach out to them as quickly as possible. As they talked about outreach techniques (and, yes, used shared resources, like introductory email templates), somebody mentioned what a disappointment it was that they couldn’t find any contact information online for an upcoming event they’d be a really great fit for. Karl thought for a moment. “Do they have a contact form on their website?” “Probably,” the salesperson answered. “But I’m not sure that’s what it’s really for.” “So what?” Karl said with a shrug. “The worst they can do is not respond.” The very first form they filled out resulted in a response. Within a few days, the president of the AV company was on the phone with the organization’s CEO to talk about the event. The best part? No AV partner had been contracted yet. Suddenly, the AV team, which had done nothing more than fill out a contact form, was first in line. When sales teams share resources and build processes together, we often find that all the pieces of the puzzle are already there - they just need a little intentional collaboration to see the whole picture.  .At first glance, we only know about 10% of what’s going on in any given situation.
A toddler is crying because they don’t want to put on their pajamas, your spouse is annoyed that you didn’t load the dishwasher correctly, your boss is in a bad mood because there was traffic on the way to work. And while all those things may be technically true, they don’t give you the full picture. Odds are, the toddler has put on their pajamas without argument 100s of times before, you’ve incorrectly loaded the dishwasher in the past with no reaction from your spouse, and your boss is probably no stranger to traffic, but usually shakes it off when they get out of the car. It’s when we dig beneath the surface that we start to see that there is more going on. The toddler is getting molars, making them uncomfortable. Your spouse had an argument with a friend, which put them in a bad mood. Your boss is dealing with a family health emergency, and the traffic was the last straw. The same is true of your customers. A good salesperson is aware that every customer is a bit different. They have different communication styles, different inter-office politics to navigate, different stressors that require them to need your services, and different goals. They may be at wildly different places in their careers, which comes with different experiences and connections. The list goes on and on. Why does this matter to you? Because each of these factors affect what they’re looking for from the salespeople they partner with. That’s why it’s important to look beneath the surface - and the first step of doing that is using the four Iceberg Selling Mindsets. Mindset 1: Lifetime Value. It’s easy to get tunnel vision about closing a sale (or every sale). As we get closer to the end of the month, salespeople get more obsessive about hitting their sales targets and start seeing each customer as a deal that needs to be closed. But that doesn’t set you up for a long-term relationship with the customer. Imagine you meet your ideal customer on paper. They’re the right demographic, have the right budget, can bring you referrals, may bring in new business, and are in the industry your organization is targeting. They’re in need of services right now, but there is potential to use a variety of your services or products on a long-term, regular basis. You have, what you think, is a great conversation with them. You send them a proposal and then… crickets. Your emails go unanswered. Your follow up calls go to voicemail. You worry that you’re irritating the customer with the constant check-ins, but there isn’t much else you can do. Right? Well, with a transactional mindset, that may be true. But when you reframe your mindset and start thinking less about the deal in front of you and more about creating an ongoing partnership, your approach may start to shift. Instead of thinking about one deal, start focusing on providing value. Perhaps during your initial discovery call, the customer mentioned wanting to meet other people in the industry. Are there any introductions you can help facilitate? If so, send an email offering to connect them. Maybe the conversation dug even deeper beneath the surface and they mentioned being new to the area. Is there a favorite restaurant or activity you can recommend to them? It may not boost your numbers for the month or increase your commission. It may be too late to earn the business you originally bid on. However, your professionalism, kindness, and willingness to go above and beyond to provide value will make a lasting impression. Next time they’re in need of a service your team provides, they’ll remember that. In this way, your focus isn’t on closing one deal, but on creating the potential to gain a lifelong client with more business, revenue, and impact over time. Mindset 2: Being of Service. This mindset can be summed up with the phrase “go above and beyond.” Really, it’s about being a true resource for your customer, outside of what will make you money or boost your sales. Most sales professionals aren’t in the business just because they like to compete (well, that may be part of it, but not the whole reason). It’s because they like building relationships and genuinely enjoy making a difference for their customers. They’re wired to give. If you want to create value in the relationships you build, it’s important to recognize that sometimes that value doesn’t strictly fall within the boundaries of your contract or your pay. This doesn’t mean that you should throw in free products or services, but rather to dig beneath the surface and figure out what they might need that they aren’t vocalizing. Is there something they want to accomplish? Are they going through something personally and professionally? Is there something you can do to make a difference in their life right now? Even if you’re simply offering to share industry knowledge with newcomers to their team, you’re making an effort to give them something that will benefit them, provide them value, and build more trust in the relationship. Mindset 3: Ownership. Oftentimes, we ask for permission that we don’t really need. Permission to attend a networking event, permission to take a client out to dinner, permission to reach out to stale leads… the list goes on. Most of the time, what we’re asking permission to do are things that a sales manager would easily approve of, but instead of trusting our instincts, we ask for permission to take action. So many salespeople get into the profession because they want to be in control of their destiny. And, as a salesperson, it’s quite literally your job to take charge of situations. And yet, when push comes to shove, we hesitate to take ownership. An ownership mindset simply means that you’re taking responsibility for your actions and whatever outcomes they lead to. You decide how you show up for your customers, whether they be new or existing. You choose how to manage your accounts. You design an experience and you bring it to life. Perhaps most importantly, once you’ve built a relationship with somebody, you trust your instincts on how to close the deal or grow their account. This applies to more than making sales, but in how you approach your goals. Are you defining your goals, or following milestones set by somebody else. Are you taking ownership of your journey to get there? Be proactive. Nobody can take you from a good salesperson to a great salesperson except for you. Mindset 4: Drivership. Are you a driver or a passenger? Do you let things happen to you… or do you make them happen? When a new customer (let’s say that it’s that ideal customer on paper, in fact), comes into your sales pipeline at 5:05pm as you’re getting ready to sign off for the day, what do you do about it? Do you immediately reach out and start building a connection, or do you wait until the next morning? Great salespeople are in constant motion. They move from one activity to the next, quickly adapt to the circumstances in front of them, and approach challenges calmly but boldly. Yes, they take time to think through their course of action and come up with a plan, but they don’t get paralyzed in day-to-day details. Their focus is moving forward. When a new opportunity comes in, they grab it. When a customer reaches out, they respond right away, even if it’s just to say they’re working on finding an answer. They come up with ideas to generate more sales. They share those ideas. They put them into action. They don’t forfeit responsibility for gaining a deeper understanding of their customers. They claim it. They take charge. They make things happen. Learn More Iceberg Selling is a technique grounded in the understanding that for every person, organization, and situation, you can only see 10% of what’s really going on. By adopting the right mindsets, prioritizing building relationships, and approaching customers with genuine curiosity, you can start to explore the other 90% and improve your sales performance. Get the book to learn more about Iceberg Selling.  We’ve all been stuck in the dreaded “check-in” zone.
An idea is shared with a customer. You shake hands or hang up the phone with promises to speak soon. The weeks that follow are filled with seemingly endless emails and phone calls “just checking in!” where most likely you receive no responses, but the ones you do receive are non-committal and uninformative. It’s a frustrating place to be, especially when you know just how often the “check-in” zone turns into the “ghosted” one. It’s even more troubling when you’re not quite sure how you got there. And the truth is, there are a lot of ways to wind up in no-man’s-land, waiting and hoping you get a response - and the first starts with how you present solutions. Telling the customer what to do by why of a solution they didn't help create is a one-way ticket to the check-in zone. Many salespeople simply provide a solution. They essentially hand their client a packet and say, “here’s what you need, any questions?” without inviting them to be a part of the conversation at any point along the way. Yes, you are the expert on what you offer, so it’s only natural that you have some idea of what will help the customer. But when you share it, it should be with the expectation that the customer will jump in, will ask questions, will have adjustments, and will be excited to share their thoughts, too. Ultimately, all of that feedback is a good thing. It allows both of you to course correct and arrive at the final destination together. I call this co-creation, and it’s very powerful. Your customer will be more invested in a solution they helped create. Being told what to do does not, and never has, inspired action. Implementing a solution that you were a part of creating and are excited to see come to life does. When a customer leaves a collaborative meeting, they may not have signed on the dotted line, but they are already picturing what comes next. They’re excited about the proposal, and it will be on their mind as they go about their day. The next time you talk, they’ll probably have more ideas, have realized a need that wasn’t addressed, thought of new follow-up questions, and even gathered input from their team. All of it gets you closer to the perfect shared solution. Co-creation takes more than one meeting. We all want to close a deal as soon as the customer starts to agree with the plan. We all worry that the end of a really great brainstorming session will turn into endless check-ins. But you don’t need to. Just because a contract isn’t signed immediately doesn’t mean your customer hasn’t 100% bought in. In fact, when you take a collaborative approach, the first meeting is just a conversation starter. The goal isn’t an immediate answer, but to lay the groundwork to continue the conversation. It’s the first step at creating a solution that is uniquely suited to the customers needs and a conclusion that is much more satisfying for both of you. And remember, the more you work together before you sign a contract, the more you’re patterning what it will be like to work together once you have. You’re, in essence, developing a working relationship and demonstrating to them what it will be like to work with you. And that shows them your real value. One morning, as Karl was packing up some gear for a day of sailing, he asked his (at the time) 16-year-old son if he wanted to come with him that afternoon.
He knew his son would say no for one simple reason. His son always said no. Karl was so sure, in fact, that he almost didn’t ask. But to his surprise, his son shrugged. “Sure, Dad, what time?” As he made lunch and packed an extra towel, Karl couldn’t help but to smile to himself. He had an idea in his mind about what his afternoon was going to look like, and with one small shrug, it had taken on a completely different shape. “Hey, Dad, we have extra life jackets, right?” his son asked. “I invited the guys to come with.” Karl knew who his son was referring to. His son’s three best friends who he (and Karl) had known since they were in pre-school. Before he knew it, Karl was driving four teenagers who didn’t seem entirely clear on what the plan was. “Where are we going again?” One of them asked. “We’re going sailing,” Karl reminded him. “But I have to warn you guys, it’s a bit windy, so it’s possible we’ll get up there and we won’t be able to do much sailing.” The boy thought for a moment. “If we can’t sail, can we swim?” As the day went on, Karl felt less and less like he was hanging out with his son’s friends and more and more like he was one of the guys, just hanging out on a regular Sunday afternoon, which quickly turned into an adventure. It was windy, but they were still able to sail for a while, until a few of the boys wanted to swim. Karl navigated to a calmer cove and anchored the boat, and they all jumped in the water. They swam to the shore, explored the sand, found shells and cool looking rocks. They joked around, teased each other, and made up games. On the way home, they even stopped for ice cream. The entire day, which Karl thought would include him having a calm, relaxing few hours on his sail boat, turned into a free flowing adventure where suggestions were immediately accepted and everybody laughed freely. As they pulled into the driveway, one of the boys spoke up. “This was so much fun. Why don’t we do this all the time?” Once again, Karl’s perception turned on a dime. He never thought his son, never mind a crew of his son’s friends, would want to come along with him sailing on a random weekend afternoon. They probably didn’t think it was their idea of a good time, either. And yet, when all of them let go of their expectations and let the magic of spontaneity happen, they had an incredibly memorable experience. On the Embracing Unexpected Encounters episode of the Leadership Circle Podcast, Karl shares how many of the best outcomes, from the beginnings of Karl’s business to the lessons learned from working with customers to a spontaneous adventure with his son and his friends, are entirely unexpected. Listen to the podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts for the full conversation.  Have you ever heard the phrase “fish where the fish are?”
“Of course,” you’re probably thinking. “But what does that have to do with increasing my sales?” Your community is likely ripe with potential new customers you’ve never connected with, but you’ll never find them if you’re looking in the wrong places. That being said, finding the right places can be challenging, especially if your new customer strategy has largely relied on organic growth and word of mouth until now. Here’s a good place to start: picture your ideal customer. What is the problem they’re looking to solve? What industry or industries are they in? What will they be buying from you? How often might they buy your solution? Are your cultures and values aligned? What type of budget or investment might they have to put towards the solution? Hopefully the picture you’re painting represents or mirrors some of the best customers you’ve had. Next, figure out if there are any local networking groups or associations that cater to that demographic. This part will take a little digging, but most of the information will be available at the tip of your fingers, if you know what you’re looking for. Look up networking groups and associations specific to their industry, the size of the company, or the job titles you’d like to connect with. Find websites for these associations and reach out to any members that are in charge of new membership or events. Introduce yourself, share what you do, and why you were interested in the group. Most importantly, explain how you believe you can bring value to the group, and ask if there is an opportunity to get involved. The purpose of groups like these are to help members build connections, share their knowledge, and bring people with common interests together. If you show up to any of their events in the spirit of doing those things - especially when it’s clear you’re looking to give to the other members of the group just as much (if not more) as you’re hoping to get from them, you’ll become somebody that they want to have in their group. Business will naturally follow. It oftentimes can feel like a big leap to get involved in associations or networking groups, but remember, you miss every shot you don’t take. Besides, joining a group where everybody has common goals, namely, meeting other industry professionals they can form a relationship with, means you both need each other to succeed. It also means that, as the group grows, new members will join, and you’ll consistently be presented with the opportunity to meet new people who could become new customers. Each of these people may have connections that could help you, too, and when you support them, they’ll want to do the same for you. Just as importantly, regardless of the size of your community, word travels fast and reputations are often built quickly. When you show up to networking events with a smile, a handshake, and an eagerness to share resources that support other event professionals, you’ll develop a reputation that benefits your entire organization.  Let’s start with the obvious. The point of investing in a new salesperson or team is to increase your revenue by growing your business.
Here’s another seemingly obvious statement: good hires in a well-structured machine lead to revenue growth. It’s a simple, effective equation. However, it’s one that relies heavily on a few modifiers:
A great hunter may be a “good” salesperson, but they won’t be a good hire if your team needs somebody to farm existing accounts. And even the perfect salesperson to fill the needs of your team will struggle to be successful if there is no process in place to teach, no designated onboarding plan, and unclear expectations. So how can you make sure that you’re looking for the right additions to your team and have the right processes in place to set them, and you, up for success? Keep reading to find out. Set the Intention. You don’t build a bookshelf by opening up a box and slapping pieces together while hoping for the best. You read the instructions, follow the steps, and piece-by-piece, the furniture is assembled. Just like when you’re building IKEA furniture, you need a plan (and patience). A well-defined sales process needs to be created before you can build the team to run it. A good process doesn’t just tick imaginary boxes and move leads through a funnel. It should be scalable to plan for future growth, stable, and easily replicable. Once your process is defined, note what the different parts of the process are and what or who you’ll need to run each step. More likely than not, you’ll need:
As you create this plan, keep in mind that no part of your funnel or process should be entirely reliant on one single person. When one (or several) steps of the process become the sole responsibility of one person, you end up with three things: a bottle neck, when the person inevitably falls behind, stalling the rest of the team; burn out as the one person tries to stay on top of their role; and a lot of liability. If that one person unexpectedly leaves, your entire process will be in jeopardy and your entire team will be in a very tight spot. One way to determine if any tasks rely too heavily on one person is to think about your current team. If any of those salespeople left today, how bad of a hit would it be? Would your business be able to recover, and how much time would it take? The right sales structure protects your team from unexpected departures, in addition to helping you find the right hires. Once you’ve set the intention for how your sales processes should run, you’ll understand how your existing team fits into it and where you have gaps. The best part? As you continue to grow, you’ll already have a roadmap to continue expanding the team. What Kind of Salesperson Do You Need? Your funnel is outlined, you know where your current personnel slot in, and you’ve identified your gaps. By now, you should have a pretty good idea of what selling personalities your team needs. Ask yourself:
The answers to these questions will help you craft your job description, or several job descriptions if you’re trying to fill several different kinds of gaps. Even better, there will already be a clearly defined set of responsibilities for each salesperson you do hire. Set Your Sales Team Up for Success. This may not need to be said, but just in case: even a good salesperson can’t be parked in front of a phone, told to sell, and be expected to achieve supreme success. It may be a common model in d-list telemarketing operations, but for most businesses, a chair, phone, and script won’t magically give you customers. Especially not long-term ones. Your sales team needs to be provided with a few things. Namely, resources, tools, and clear objectives. Before you start interviewing candidates, make sure you define a few important things internally. Think about what the hire will be doing on a day-to-day basis. Will they be finding new leads, building connections, or working with existing customers to grow their accounts? Next, determine what part of the funnel they will be responsible for. Do you expect the new hire to be the first point of contact for a new prospective customer, help reactivate stale leads, or be the one who closes the sale? Consider what resources are available to support their primary functions. Are they using tools, like a CRM to track progress and share information with the broader team? Is there somebody they can go to with questions? It’s also important to define who their manager will be. You’ll also want to make sure there is a clear roadmap for onboarding and training them, as well as who will be responsible each step of the way. Make sure you have a clearly defined compensation structure, including any factors that their compensation may be tied to. Note that most of the factors that influence their compensation should be within their control, rather than ones determined by external circumstances. Finally, make sure you, and they, know how their performance will be evaluated. “I already have a great process in place. I don’t need to come up with answers to all of these questions!” It’s an easy trap to fall into. Of course, if your process is as good as you think it is and all of the details are already in place, answering these questions will be a very quick exercise. An equally easy (and possibly more dangerous) trap is thinking you’ll figure it out as you go. You might, but it’ll take a lot of trial and error that doesn’t set any part of your team up for success in the short-term, which will make it even harder to identify what hires will be most beneficial for your team and how you’ll be able to evaluate if they’re the right fit. Get Guidance. If you’re first starting to build a dedicated sales organization or approaching the first big expansion, you may not be familiar with the ins and outs of sales and marketing organizations, how they run, or how they need to work together to be successful. You may have gotten by just fine “winging it”. Many groups do when their sales team consists of one or two people. But now that you’re building a larger team, you need structure. What you don’t need is to go about creating it blindly. Reading books, attending webinars, listening to podcasts featuring sales professionals, talking to experts, and working with a sales consultant are all great ways to assess what your team really needs to reach your growth goals and set yourself up for long-term success. Learn More A healthy relationship between sales and marketing is vital to an organization’s success. Dive deep into this effective strategy in our book Sales & Marketing Alignment. If you'd like more insights on how you can improve your sales leadership, contact us. “I’m not here to fire anybody.” It was the elephant in the room when Karl started working with a new organization. More specifically, when he started talking to somebody who the team was considering letting go. “I don’t know what’s going to happen, but my goal is to improve things.”
During their first meeting, Karl made a commitment to that sales person. “I’m going to find out what your world is like right now. I’m going to learn why you’re with this company, what you wish it was like, how you would improve it. Everything. And I’m going to show you, through my actions, that you can trust me. That I’m here to support you.” The salesperson was, rightfully, skeptical, but she gave Karl a chance. Over the next several weeks, they’d meet at least twice a week, and Karl learned a few things very quickly. The saleswoman didn’t feel like she was respected. She felt like she was often treated poorly. She didn’t feel heard. One big point of contention was that she wanted to have longer meetings than the standard 30-minute ones her team was expected to do. She felt she needed at least 45-minutes to get to know people and really be effective. “I’m tired of being told I can only do 30-minute calls so that I can do as many as possible. Give me an hour. Give me 45-minutes, even. I’ll take less calls, but I know I’ll be able to close more than anyone else.” Karl met with the leadership team and told them he wanted to do a 30 day experiment. During those 30 days, he’d make decisions he felt would best elevate the sales team and the leadership team would refrain from making any personnel changes. They agreed. The biggest change was a simple one: the sales team was in charge of their own schedules. They could set meetings for the amount of time they felt they needed. By the end of the 30 days, the average sales price had increased by about 30%, the whole team’s close rate had gone up, and the person who was initially on the chopping block had the highest closing rate of the entire team. An interesting follow up fact: she maintained the lead 80% of the time for the next 3 years while Karl was there. The salesperson wasn’t being difficult by insisting that she needed to have longer calls with potential customers. She was trying to take the time to get to know them so she could sell more effectively. Had the sales leaders fired her, as they thought they needed to do, the entire team would’ve not only lost her great sales record, but never improved as a whole. On the How to Drive Growth Through Empathy episode of the Predictable B2B Success Podcast, Karl shares how digging beneath the surface helps you learn better ways to motivate your sales team in addition to improving your business, why lack of foundation can hold back even successful sales organizations, and more. Listen on Apple Podcasts Listen on Spotfiy  One of your past clients reaches out to give you a referral that could lead to new business. You talk on the phone or email back and forth with this new connection for a while when they ask an important question: Can I connect with you on LinkedIn?
Of course, you’re thinking. Why wouldn’t I be willing to? And, of course, the answer to that question is yes. But before you send over your profile or find them and request to connect, pause and think about when the last time you updated your profile was. Better yet - when was the last time you critically looked at it from the lens of a potential client? What will they find when they look at your profile? Is the picture professional, polished, and current, or is it blurry and so dated, they won’t be 100% positive it’s actually you? Is your background picture something that represents you, or is it a gray box? Does the title you have listed match the one they have for you? What about your job description? Your LinkedIn profile is one of the first ways new connections learn more about you and the value you can bring to them. So before you send that invite, make sure you’re being intentional about the message yours sends. And after that? Take a minute to thank the person who gave you the referral. This is an important step that a lot of us miss. If you’re like a lot of businesses, the growth of your company relies heavily on referrals. From friends and family telling their network about you to happy customers sharing your information, word of mouth is one of the best forms of marketing there is. And when somebody provides you with that (free!) marketing, they deserve some recognition, not only in the moment, but years after the fact. If there’s somebody who gave you a referral in the past, especially if that referral resulted in regular business over time, following up years later to thank them will show the ongoing positive impact their referral had on your business. Why is this important? It could re-energize your relationship with the connection and lead to them working with you again. It could lead to another referral that turns into a long-term customer. And it could give you an opportunity to return the favor. Regardless of the immediate or long-term impact, it starts a conversation with somebody who’s helped you in the past and opens up the door to support somebody who’s previously done the same for you. Not sure what to say? Copy and paste the email template below and add your personalization! Hello [NAME], I just wanted to drop you a note with an update! A few years ago, you referred, [insert name] to me, and they’ve been a wonderful customer ever since. It’s been a really great experience for our team, and it wouldn’t have been possible without your referral. I just wanted to say thanks again! Let me know if you’d like to touch base or have time to catch up sometime in the next couple of months. I’d love to have the opportunity to return the favor. I really value our relationship, and if there is anything I can do to support you or your business, please let me know! Best, [NAME] The potential return on investment from this quick note is huge - and it’ll feel good to send.  One of the first things organizations do when looking to uplevel, grow, or build their sales team is appoint a capable leader.
It’s a good instinct. A sales team, especially a growing or not-yet established one, needs a point person. They need somebody to provide structure to the team, make judgment calls, assign leads and work, assess challenges for team members, and help the group grow as individuals and as a selling organization. They are the primary resource for the sales team, which makes hiring the right one high stakes. One of the Most Common Mistakes. For many organizations with a superstar on the sales team, the solution to finding a sales leader seems obvious: promote the star. They’ll be able to share their wisdom and their tricks and create a team full of their clones who are similarly gifted at selling. Right? More often than not, no. Being good at selling and being good at management don’t typically require the same skills or interests. In fact, a sales superstar might have no interest in managing people, or might not enjoy the day-to-day aspects of managing a team. Not to mention, your sales superstar is bringing in business and growing it. When you transition them into a manager role, you’re adding a significant number of responsibilities to their plate and reducing how much time they have to do what they do best. You’re taking your best player off the court to see if they’d make a good coach, or even enjoy being a coach, when a much more reliable solution is to hire somebody who knows how to lead. The Right Type of Candidate. So, if a sales superstar isn’t usually the right candidate, then who is? The answer is simple: somebody who knows how to motivate and uplift salespeople and understands how sales organizations should function to be effective. There may be somebody on your team - in sales or an adjacent function - who fits the bill. There also may not be. The right candidate may come from within your organization, but, depending on how your team functions and who is available, interested, and qualified to step into a leadership role, looking for a fresh face may be the best course of action. A fractional sales team leader is also the right solution sometimes. Based on the needs and size of your company and your team, you might not need a full-time person to lead them. A seasoned veteran that knows how to motivate and lead at a fractional level can go a long way in decreasing the financial risk of bringing on a new sales leader and creating a lot of value for the team. This especially comes into play when a team is looking to build their organization and add processes, but fractionals can also help to lead your team without requiring your organization to make a full-time hire. It all depends on what your team needs. You Need to Understand Where Your Team Stands. What process does your team currently have in place? What needs to be developed? Does your team need some fine tuning and day-to-day management, or is the entire selling organization being built from the ground up? In short, do you need somebody to lead the processes and teams that are already there, or are you looking for someone to help you develop the entire system and team? Just as some salespeople are great at hunting and some are great at farming, some leaders are great builders and others are great operators. A great builder is skilled at taking a very small or nonexistent sales organization and building one. They get to know your organization, your current team, what has worked in the past, and what challenges you have. They take the time to understand where it is you’re looking to go in the future. Then they create a team structure, processes, and protocols to help you get there. They don’t just hire a team - they create everything it needs to run. Meanwhile, a great operator takes a fully built machine and keeps it running at maximum capacity. As your team grows, they’ll likely find some opportunities for improvement and make minor changes. They’ll fill roles as needed, work to develop the skills of individual team members, and make sure everybody is given the tools they need to reach their goals and potential. Both of these types of leaders are incredibly beneficial to the teams they serve, but only when they’re in the right role. The best operator in the world will be set up to fail if you’re expecting them to develop the entire selling organization. As for a great builder doing an operator’s role… have you ever heard the phrase, “if it’s not broken, don’t fix it?” a builder will have trouble working within somebody else’s vision which could lead to unnecessary (and costly) overhauls of a system that really just needs to be managed and facilitated. That’s why, before you hire a sales leader, it’s important to understand what you need. Pro Tip: If you want to know how to build the foundation for a great sales organization, check out Set Up to Win. The book shares three frameworks to help you leverage the power of your team to stabilize and grow your company’s revenue long term. Promoting From Within the Organization. Even though turning your sales star into a manager is typically a mistake, there are times when somebody on your sales team does have the potential to be a great leader. These are typically team members who have solid sales, but are more notably known for being dedicated members of their team. They’re always engaged, are willing to be a resource for others, are happy to answer questions, and always eager to learn. Even without a managerial title, they’re happy to take on leadership responsibilities and find themselves being the “go-to” person that people look to for help and advice. Of course, hiring from within your company can work only if you have the right person on your team, and when personal bias clouds your judgement, it can be tricky to tell. Here’s how you can make sure your internal candidate is actually a good fit for the job:
If it turns out that nobody on your team fits the bill, that’s okay, too! Now you already have the job description ready to go and know what you’re looking for from an external hire, too. Hiring a sales leader is one of the most important decisions you’ll make for your sales team. As the person who crafts or executes the vision for the future of the team and is responsible for the growth of your business, they’re instrumental in not only their team’s success, but the success of the entire organization. Before you jump into the hiring process, make sure you know what your organization really needs from a sales leader in order to be successful. Learn More A healthy relationship between sales and marketing is vital to an organization’s success. Dive deep into this effective strategy in our book Sales & Marketing Alignment. If you'd like more insights on how you can improve your sales leadership, contact us.  You’ve planned a meeting meticulously to set yourself up for success. You’ve built rapport. You’ve started to dig beneath the surface to get at the heart of your customer’s needs.
Now it’s time for my personal favorite part of any sales call - the part where you get to share your ideas and create solutions that will turn prospective customers into signed ones. It’s also the place where, if you aren’t careful, all of the work you’ve done up until this point can quickly unravel. And if you’re entering this stage thinking about how you can “win” the customer’s business, you might alienate them before you even get started. Don't Lose the Sale with the Wrong Opening Line. “What’s your budget?” is an opening line that some salespeople swear by. “Everybody has a budget,” they’d likely argue. “Why waste time beating around the bush?” They aren’t necessarily wrong, and yet, it’s an opening line that typically kills sales (and the relationship) before the conversation can really begin. Yes, money is important. Yes, your client likely has a budget in mind. But starting there won’t help you continue to build a relationship with your client. Why? It puts them on the defensive. Clients worry that if they name a number that’s too low, they’ll be judged or offered a subpar experience. On the other hand, if they name a number that’s unnecessarily high, will you inflate your prices so that they get taken advantage of? Suddenly your entire interaction - the one that was carefully built with curiosity and authenticity - has become transactional. And that’s not a feeling that’s easy to come back from. Your Sales Pitch Should Feel Like a Collaboration, Not a Confrontation. The whole process so far, from planning each stage of the meeting to building a rapport, has centered around including the customer. Now that it’s time to start sharing solutions, that shouldn’t change. Instead of viewing the presentation of ideas as your moment, think of it as a collaborative brainstorming session where you create a roadmap with the customer. Start by ignoring the financial elephant in the room. Think big. Offer solutions that would solve their problems, share creative ideas, and take their feedback into account as you go. Share any exciting and relevant possibility during this conversation without placing limitations on either of you. Create a Safe Space to Tackle the Details. The budget does, inevitably, have to come up. But by brainstorming first, you’re showing the client that your goal, first and foremost, is helping them find the right solutions. When the time does come to discuss their budget, it will be clear that your goal is modifying the plans you created together to match their financial needs. Once again, you’re working with them to provide a solution - not asking a trick question. You're Playing for the Same Team. If One of You Wins, You Both Do. Your customer is investing one of their most valuable resources with you: their time. And they’re doing it because they’ve been happy with the rapport you’ve built so far and the direction your relationship is heading in. They believe you could be a good partner for them. They want this partnership to work. Instead of thinking of winning their business, consider that a successful sales call means both of your teams get to win. Several years ago, Karl was asked to consult with a company he’d worked with before.
“Things have been going great,” a member of the leadership team told him. “But we’ve grown a lot over the past several years, we have new team members, and I think we could use a refresh.” Karl was excited to get started and meet the new team. One of the newest members was their director of marketing. Driven, smart, personable, Karl knew he had a lot of potential. In fact, the new director of marketing’s biggest challenge was his age and subsequent lack of experience. There was a lot he didn’t know, but he was aware of it and incredibly eager to learn. Karl immediately thought about a different client of his who had an upcoming marketing conference and workshop. He knew it was the kind of experience that would benefit the new director of marketing. “Hey,” he told the guy the next day. “One of my other clients is hosting this workshop. I think you’d really like it.” Karl watched as the director of marketing’s facial expression moved from excitement to disappointment before he even spoke. “That sounds awesome, and I appreciate you thinking of me. But I just don’t think we have room in the budget right now.” Karl couldn’t let it go, especially after seeing the young director’s reaction. So he called his client and asked for a favor. “This guy really wants to attend,” he told his friend. “But he doesn’t have any wiggle room. Could you let him come free of charge?” “No worries,” the client told Karl. “Just send me his info and I’ll register him.” It was a win for everybody. There was an extra attendee at the conference networking and building connections, the new director of marketing was able to attend workshops he was really excited about, and Karl was able to help his client. When it came down to it, this moment wasn’t about selling for Karl – it was about providing value that went beyond the services he was paid to provide. None of it would’ve been possible without Iceberg Selling. Karl had to get to know the director of marketing well enough to understand that this opportunity was one he’d be excited about. He had to have a strong enough relationship with his other clients to ask for a favor. And he had to not just be professionally invested, but personally invested enough to find extra opportunities to provide value. During his appearance on the Leaving Nothing to Chance podcast, Karl does a mock sales call with host John Solleder, shares how most salespeople have the potential to go from good to great with a few small shifts in their mindset, and discusses why knowing what’s going on in the worlds of your team members and customers makes you a more valuable and successful salesperson. Listen on Spotify Listen on Apple Podcasts |
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