B2B Sales Strategies

My client fired their entire SDR team on Tuesday By Friday, their pipeline had grown by 60% This sounds impossible It's not After auditing 50 B2B sales organizations over 10 years, I've uncovered the most expensive myth in modern selling: → The belief that MORE activity at the TOP of your funnel will fix conversion problems at the BOTTOM Let me share what actually happened: This mid-market software company was spending $350,000 annually on their 4-person SDR team - 100+ cold calls per rep daily - 17 meetings booked weekly - "Incredible metrics" according to leadership - But their close rate? A devastating 1.2% The VP of Sales was convinced they needed MORE outreach, MORE automation, MORE top-of-funnel I suggested something different: pause all prospecting for 7 days Instead, we had their account executives do something radical - engage with the 215 prospects already in their pipeline who'd gone cold after initial meetings Using a framework we developed: - 65 prospects responded within 24 hours - 41 booked follow-up meetings - 23 re-entered active buying cycles - 6 closed within 14 days (total value: $212K) The shocking revelation? - Their pipeline wasn't empty - It was overflowing with neglected opportunity. This company didn't have a lead generation problem. They had a lead nurturing catastrophe. By reallocating resources from mindless prospecting to strategic engagement, they've now: - Reduced CAC by 60% - Shortened sales cycles by 30% - 2x their close rate The counterintuitive truth: Sometimes the fastest path to growth is to stop chasing new opportunities and start converting the ones you've already earned. What percentage of your marketing and sales budget is focused on prospects who've already shown interest vs those who haven't? That ratio reveals everything about your future growth trajectory P.S. If you need help with your sales, send me a message

For my first 16 years in tech sales, I averaged 240K/year W2 income. In my last 4 years, I averaged 720K/year. In order to triple my income, I had to change my sales approach entirely. Here's what I changed: I started using a new approach that I now call Yo-yo selling: 🪀 Yo-yo selling emphasizes starting at the executive level, conducting thorough discovery within the organization, and then returning to the executive with a tailored business case. Like holding a yo-yo, you are constantly in communication with the Executive Sponsor and updating them as you collect information and conduct deep discovery lower down in their organization. You are literally going up and down the organization, but always taking everything back to the Executive Sponsor to surface your findings along the way. Here's a breakdown of the framework: 🎯 𝐈𝐚𝐧 𝐊𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐚𝐤’𝐬 “𝐘𝐨-𝐘𝐨 𝐒𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠” 𝐅𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 This strategy involves a three-step process: 1. Start at the Top (Executive Engagement) Initiate contact with a senior executive to understand their most pressing challenges, the reasons behind the need for change, and the consequences of inaction. If your solution aligns with their needs, secure their sponsorship for further discovery within their organization. To secure the Executive Meetings, it's essential to create a tailored POV (point of view) on where you think you may be able to help them based on your initial research of their highest level goals and priorities. Chat GPT has made this research a LOT faster now. 2. Conduct In-Depth Discovery (Middle Management) Engage with department heads and key stakeholders to uncover the day-to-day challenges they face. Focus on understanding their processes, pain points, and the implications of current inefficiencies. Gather direct quotes and insights to build a comprehensive view of the organization's needs. 3. Return to the Executive (Present Findings) Compile the insights gathered into an executive summary and business case. Present this to the executive sponsor, highlighting how your solution addresses the identified challenges. Tailor your demonstration to focus solely on relevant aspects that solve their specific problems. 🚀 Why It Works 1. Accelerates Sales Cycles: Engaging executives early ensures alignment and expedites decision-making. 2. Builds Credibility: Demonstrates a deep understanding of the organization's challenges and showcases a tailored solution. 3. Facilitates Internal Buy-In: By involving various stakeholders, you ensure that the solution meets the needs of all parties, increasing the likelihood of adoption. I'm pleased to share that that Yo-yo selling was recently awarded as a Top 15 Sales Tactic of All Time by 30 Minutes to President's Club, and I received a cool plaque for entering the 30MPC Hall of Fame. Since I have no chance of entering the Hall of Fame for my baseball or golf game, this is a nice consolation prize 😁

Sales isn’t magic. It’s math. But if your revenue isn’t growing, chance are... It’s not your product. It’s your system. Let me explain. The fastest-growing companies don’t have “better closers.” They have better processes. Here’s what top 1% sales teams do differently: 1. They multiply, not guess. Revenue = Leads × Conversion Rate × Deal Size × Retention Change one variable → growth. Change all four → rocket fuel. That’s not a hack. That’s math. 2. They stop pitching and start listening. The best reps talk 30% of the time. The rest? They listen for gold. People don’t buy when they understand. They buy when they feel understood. 3. They don’t chase. They qualify fast. 🚫 Endless demos 🚫 Chasing low-fit leads ✅ Score prospects early ✅ Cut the dead weight ✅ Focus on buyers who are ready now Time is your most expensive resource. Guard it. 4. They don’t sell the product. They sell the cost of inaction. A great pitch isn’t about what you do. It’s about what your buyer loses by doing nothing. Paint the pain. Then make your offer the obvious solution. 5. They follow up with purpose. 80% of deals close after follow-up #5. But most reps quit after #2. Win the deal by staying in the game. And bring value every time you follow up. If you want sales that scale without burning out your team: • Stop relying on heroics. • Start building systems. • Track the right KPIs. • Make it easy for buyers to say yes. Revenue isn’t a mystery. It’s a repeatable machine. If you build it right. Want your team to sell smarter, faster, and at scale? Let’s make that happen. I'm hosting a free training for founders & CEOs. "How to Accelerate Sales Growth For Your Business" Thu June 26th, 12 noon Eastern / 5pm UK time Join me: https://lnkd.in/dnjfFDuF ♻️ Repost to help a founder in your network. Follow Eric Partaker for more sales growth strategies. P.S. Want a PDF of my Sales Growth Cheat Sheet? Get it free: https://lnkd.in/dcgvWeMv 📌 Our next cohort of The CEO Accelerator starts July 23rd. 20+ Founders & CEOs have already enrolled. Learn more and apply: https://lnkd.in/dRwv7nJF

There is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to GTM. Maja Voje and I studied 12 leading B2B SaaS companies. (including interviews with their teams) Here’s what we learned: 1. PLG is eating the world >80% of the companies in our study employ PLG in some fashion. Even enterprise companies like Snowflake and Salesforce are adding free trials & freemium. It’s the new normal. Why is this working for them? In 2024, the best marketing is often your product. Users rarely want to lock in a $500K+ contract without trying the product first. But you do need to layer on a strong product-led sales motion to make enterprise work. 2. Dominate one at first, then layer on many Every company we studied got one GTM motion massively right. And, in each case, they still use that GTM motion in some form today. But, they layer on other motions over time. The ideal way to layer is symbiotically: • ABM couples nicely with outbound • Inbound supports outbound • Partnerships amplify PLG For instance: Dropbox grew at first massively on referrals. Now, other channels are much more important. 3. ABM and Outbound are pillars of enterprise For 5- and 6-figure deals, it’s difficult to rely on inbound or PLG alone. The buyer is used to a different process. They want to be hand-held. This is where motions like ABM and outbound shine. That’s why you still see the Snowflake’s and Salesforce’s of the world focusing on them. They’re the bread and butter of enterprise. So… bringing it all together, here’s where to start based on your buyer. If you’re selling to consumers or prosumers: • Lean into PLG, community, and partnerships early on • Layer in paid marketing as you find product-market fit and have budget to scale If you're selling to SMBs: • Blend inbound and outbound motions to build awareness and relationships • Paid digital can accelerate pipeline generation as you dial in your ICP If you're selling to enterprises: • Focus on targeted ABM and partner ecosystems • Inbound is great for air cover, but outbound is crucial for landing large accounts If you have a complex or technical product: • Make sure you have developer docs, free tooling, and community support from day one • Don’t underrate channels like partnerships & paid digital; they can still be crucial support And above all: 1. Remember what works at one stage may not work another 2. Remember the law of diminishing returns 3. Be willing to pivot when necessary

Cold Calling Is Dying. Here’s What’s Replacing It. The numbers don’t lie: • Cold call success rates have dropped to 2.3% in 2025, down from 4.8% last year (Cognism). • 72% of sales calls never reach a person, and it takes 8+ dials to connect with just one prospect. • Only 28% of reps still view cold calling as effective. Meanwhile, high-performing teams are doing something different. Research-Driven, Insight-Led Outreach Wins: • Reps who thoroughly research their prospects are 3x more likely to succeed (Clevenio). • Prospect-specific research can lift conversions by ~30%. • Insight-led outreach builds trust before a call is ever placed. Email and Social Are Outpacing Phone-First Approaches: • Personalized cold emails outperform generic ones by 32%; average reply rates are 8–9%. • 78% of social sellers outsell peers, and social-enabled teams hit quota 66% more often. Takeaway: 1. The call is no longer the first touchpoint. It’s the third or maybe the fourth; it’s only viable once you have demonstrable engagement via other channels. 2. Buyers start with research—so should you. Start with research. Deliver value. Leverage email and social. Then—and only then—call with context. You’re no longer the teacher like when you were knocking on doors. 3. This is how modern sales works. And this is how trust is built at scale. Welcome to the future, my friends. 🙌🏾 #NervousSystemsStrategist #SalesLeadership #ModernSelling #ColdCalling #SalesDevelopment #InsightSelling #SalesStrategy #SalesEnablement

Enterprise Sales is a different beast. You’re thinking about it all wrong. The difference between a $50K and a $500K deal is NOT fancy Negotiation skills or Disco tactics. You need to learn BUSINESS ACUMEN like a VP. I’ve worked 100s of $6-7 fig deals. Here are the 5 hardest lessons I wish I knew before going upmarket: 1. AEs Don’t Close Deals—They Rally The Troops Lone wolves don't close 7-fig deals. Enterprise AEs are like film directors—connecting champions, execs, and influencers across both companies, so the deal feels inevitable. It’s never about one hero; it's about orchestrating every player: CEO who shares the vision, VP Product who tackles tough questions, Exec Sponsor who secures buy-in. High-stakes deals demand the best your company can offer. Great AEs know how to get it. 2. Complex Sales = World Class Project Management In enterprise deals, you’re more PM than a seller. Big deals die in the details: missed tasks, unaligned stakeholders, and endless email threads. New people jump in mid-cycle, each needing context. Your job: bring order to chaos. Protect momentum, keep everyone aligned, and ensure nothing slips. Top AEs co-create timelines, organize materials in Deal Rooms and tailor every detail. 3. AEs Master Buying (not Selling) My biggest breakthroughs came not from sales training but from buying software and interviewing CXOs. That’s when I realized: If you understand how budgets, approvals, and internal priorities work, you don't need sales tactics. Empathy becomes your superpower because you know what each stakeholder needs (financially and politically) to say YES. Want to excel at enterprise? Study how companies justify ROI, CFOs think, and champions navigate approvals. 4. There’s No Sales Process—Only a Buying Process Your buyer doesn’t care if you’ve hit Stage 3 in your CRM. They care about their own maze of priorities, budgets, and internal politics. Top AEs ‘dance’ around the sales stages. They choreograph moves based on what the deal needs next—like looping in a board member to champion them behind the scenes or going after end-users to outshine a competitor who started at the top. 5. AEs Think Transformation, Not Pain Points Execs won’t write $1M checks to fix a clunky spreadsheet workflow. They need to see a solution driving company-wide impact—like a strategic pivot or entering a new market. If you’re only uncovering small headaches, expect a small deal. But connect those symptoms to a transformation—and the CFO listens. —— Enterprise sellers think and act like business leaders. Not salespeople who want to close deals. Yes, they know the fancy sales tactics. But that's not the point… When buyers see you think like them. When you work a deal like it’s their internal project. You unlock trust that deserves 6-7fig budgets. P.S. We built Aligned to help manage the complexity of Enterprise Sales. A 100% FREE Deal Room used by 40K sellers. Try it https://lnkd.in/dwX_Zizk

Forget the $32B exit, Wiz’s meteoric rise to $500M+ ARR is a masterclass in enterprise GTM blitzscaling👇 Wiz entered a very crowded Cloud Security market in 2020 after a pivot. Then they flipped conventional wisdom, rewrote the playbook, and built a juggernaut in record time 📈 I dug into the Go-To-Market engine behind Wiz’s rise—here’s what stood out: 👉 Product-market fit is obvious when it hits. In the early days, Wiz spoke to 10-15 customers daily. They heard polite feedback at first, but the game changed when prospects asked for pricing and sent POs. Founders and early leaders closed millions in ARR themselves—leaning on their industry credibility. 👉 Top-down sales, done right, can scale fast. No freemium. No self-serve. Wiz sold directly to CISOs—high stakes, high-touch, and high ACVs. The kind of enterprise motion everyone assumes takes years. Wiz broke that rule. 👉 They avoided the mid-market-first trap. Straight to the Fortune 100—who bought, fast. That’s remarkable in cybersec, known for 12-18 month sales cycles and endless POCs. Their ACVs? Into the seven figures. When the pain is urgent and the product hits right, big fish don’t nibble. They bite. 👉 Time-to-value became their superpower. Agentless. Minutes-to-deploy. Immediate visibility across risks. A rare enterprise product that promised to deliver impact from Day 1. That’s not luck—it’s intentional design. Founders - find a critical, underserved pain point, and deliver value lightning-quick 👉 They blitzscaled—with precision. Once solid PMF was clear, Wiz didn’t tiptoe. They hired CXOs, numerous sellers, sales ops fast—before the revenue caught up. Many GTM hires came from outside the usual playbook—creativity and fresh thinking followed. 👉 They went where the customers buy. Wiz went to cloud marketplaces and resellers and made them allies. 99% of Wiz sellers closed at least one deal through AWS, Azure, or GCP marketplaces. That’s not just channel strategy—it’s budget strategy. By aligning with cloud hyperscalers, they unlocked enterprise dollars already earmarked for cloud. 👉 Great enterprise marketing can manufacture momentum. Wiz proved that in enterprise tech, savvy marketing and PR can create an outsized lead. They masterfully created an aura through ARR announcements, weekly threat research publications, and even quirky CISO meditation apps. Marketing was a strategic weapon that generated FOMO among buyers and competitors alike. 💡 Timing, of course, was perfect. Cloud security turned into a boardroom priority post-2020. Wiz showed up with the right product, right GTM, and right team—at exactly the right moment. $32B is a wild number. But what’s rarer is how they got there: speed, scale, and ruthless focus. Hats off to the Wiz team! For enterprise founders, the message is clear: when a large market’s ready, the only ceiling is how hard you’re willing to lean on the GTM throttle.

Selling to leadership is tough. Learn to speak finance, and everything changes. (This works for both B2B sales and internal pitches.) Speak the language of financial metrics and business impact, and you’ll earn buy-in. Whether you’re pitching a product, service, or internal idea, this skill makes you a trusted partner to decision-makers. Want to dive deeper? Download my free guide “10 Levels of Profitability” here: https://bit.ly/40pY3CQ Here’s why: Executives don’t want fluff. They need to know *how* your solution or proposal will impact their business financially. Here’s how to make your pitch resonate: 1️⃣ Talk Margins, Not Just Savings ↳ Show how your solution improves gross, operating, or net profit margins. Make it clear how it improves topline or streamlines processes to ultimately add value to the bottom line. 2️⃣ Connect to Cash Flow ↳ Highlight how your solution will boost cash flow, not just the bottom-line. Smart executives prioritize cash flow over simple revenue increases or cost savings because it keeps the business stable and flexible. 3️⃣ Show ROI and Payback Period ↳ Present clear numbers on return on investment (ROI) and how quickly they’ll see a payback. Executives need to know when their investment will yield results. 4️⃣ Impact Key Financial Ratios ↳ Explain how your proposal enhances key metrics like ROE (Return on Equity), ROA (Return on Assets), or EBITDA. This demonstrates that you understand their financial framework and how your solution strengthens it. 5️⃣ Talk Risk Management ↳ Show that you’ve considered potential downsides. Demonstrate how your proposal mitigates financial risk and supports long-term stability—not just quick gains. Why this matters: 1️⃣ You Stand Out ↳ Most sales pitches and internal proposals focus on benefits. When you speak in terms of financial strategy and impact, you differentiate yourself. 2️⃣ You Build Trust ↳ Speaking their language shows you understand their challenges, priorities, and goals. 3️⃣ You Become Indispensable ↳ When you can prove your solution impacts key business metrics, you shift from being just another vendor or team member to a trusted advisor. If you want to learn finance strategy to elevate your pitch and proposals, join 3,000 learning with me here: https://bit.ly/famcol Remember: Learn to speak finance, and you’ll open doors that most can’t. ♻️ 𝐋𝐢𝐤𝐞, 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭, 𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭 to help someone else. And follow Oana Labes, MBA, CPA for more  

"We're moving forward with another vendor." Every rep's nightmare sentence. I pressed for details. "Their approach felt more open. We actually knew what we were buying into." That stung. I'd shared: ••• Exhaustive feature documentation ••• Dozens of success stories   ••• Complete pricing breakdowns Where'd I go wrong? Days later, I got access to our competitor's sales process. The difference hit instantly: They didn't preach transparency. They lived it. Their follow-up wasn't an email avalanche. It was one collaborative hub where buyers could: ••• Monitor which stakeholders engaged with what ••• See their exact position in the evaluation journey ••• Find materials curated for their unique pain points ••• Manage internal distribution seamlessly My revelation: I was buried in PDFs. They were cultivating partnership. Next prospect, new approach: I built a shared workspace exposing EVERYTHING: → Which team members on our side viewed their data → Critical docs they'd missed → Realistic implementation expectations → Where we excel AND where we don't The buyer's response: "Finally, someone not playing games." Ink on paper in 10 days. Here's what's real: Today's buyers aren't starved for data. They're starved for authenticity. Yesterday's strategy: Bombard with polished assets that sidestep weaknesses. Tomorrow's strategy: Build transparent environments that tackle doubts directly. Your buyers know when something's off. Even when nothing is. Quit running sales like a shell game. Start running it like a glass house. You with me?

Being “known” on LinkedIn doesn’t pay the bills. You don’t need more content. You need better positioning. If visibility alone drove revenue, then: -> That founder posting daily to 100,000 followers would be closing deals. -> That startup spending thousands on LinkedIn ads would have a pipeline full of inbound leads. -> Every B2B leader with a “personal brand” would be scaling beyond referrals. But they’re not. Because attention isn’t enough. You need to be known well, by the right buyers. Here’s how to make LinkedIn work for revenue, not just reach: ↳ Positioning that sells If your LinkedIn profile reads like a resumé, you’re losing deals before you even know they exist. Your profile should work like a landing page, instantly signaling who you help and why they need you. ↳ Strategic content, not just noise Posting random thoughts and hoping for inbound leads isn’t a strategy. Every post should pull your buyers deeper into the journey, creating demand instead of just engagement. ↳ Revenue leadership > Thought leadership You don’t need to be “famous” on LinkedIn. You need buyers to think of you first when they’re ready to solve their problem. That means consistent, high-impact content that builds trust and urgency. ↳ Engagement that converts If you’re only posting and never interacting, you’re leaving deals on the table. Commenting strategically on ICP posts and engaging in the right conversations turns passive content into active demand. ↳ A system for turning attention into revenue Profile views, likes, and comments don’t pay the bills, conversations do. If you don’t have a process to move engaged prospects into pipeline, LinkedIn is just a vanity metric. Remember: Most founders don’t need more content. They need a brand that sells.