Exclusive Resource: The Rocket Demo Builder™ - Never give a boring software demo again and close up to TWICE as many deals by this time next week - http://bit.ly/2JZJaQ0
--
If you’re in sales, you never want to come off like this:
“Listen here, pal… This is the product you need and it will definitely solve all your problems! 100%! If you don’t buy this today, you and your company will regret it for the rest of your life!”
I call this having “Commission Breath”.
Every time I hire a salesperson, at some point this happens.
They might follow the Talk Tracks we’ve outlined for the product demo, but many times they will be too eager to get that commission signed off by finance and force the prospects to run.
In this episode of the SaaS Growth Stacking show, I show you how to build an awesome sales team by teaching them the 5 decisions your prospects make before buying your product.
Here are your prospect’s 5 questions at a glance:
1. Are you trustworthy?
2. Does the product solve the problem?
3. Is it affordable?
4. Is the company dependable?
5. Is it a now thing?
Have you heard something like this before?
“Hey… We looked into your product but it doesn’t feel like something we should do now?!” – there are a ton of versions of that objection.
It’s not something you want to hear. Especially, when you are certain that you are not only solving a current issue, but can be solving future problems as well.
Well… Then talk with your sales representatives, see if they are quantifying the pain or the lack of results and relaying it clearly to the prospect. Are they PUSHING THE PAIN?
The moment you help someone realize that your product is a NOW thing and understand the whole sequence of success that follows after implementing it…
That it will not only help them achieve their business outcome, but will be a driving force to achieve their personal goals – getting the recognition, getting the promotion – then you will have it!
You will have their credit card… and the SALE!
Check the top 5 questions your sales process should have an answer for on the latest episode of the SaaS Growth Stacking Show. Leave a comment below if you can’t find your pain listed. Let’s crack it and get you IN ORBIT TO SUCCESS!
It might also be good to take a look at my Rocket Demo Builder, because it can easily solve some of the issues mentioned above and create the sense of urgency you need to be selling your SaaS product.
--
Dan Martell has advised more startups than his hometown has people and teaches startup founders like you how to scale. He previously created, raised venture funding for and successfully exited two tech startups: Flowtown and Clarity.fm. You should follow him on twitter @danmartell for tweets that are actually awesome.
+ Instagram (behind the scenes): http://instagram.com/danmartell
+ Facebook (live trainings + Q&A): http://FB.com/DanMartell
+ Twitter (what I'm reading): http://twitter.com/danmartell
Exclusive Resource: The Rocket Demo Builder™ - Never give a boring software demo again and close up to TWICE as many deals by this time next week - http://bit.ly/2JZJaQ0
Exclusive Resource: Fundraising Like a Pro - Learn the 3 phases of fundraising and a 7 week process for starting & closing your next round of funding - http://bit.ly/2JZWAdP
--
Imagine the following…
You’re growing fast and you need to hire a new biz dev guy.
He’s convinced that he’s going to add a lot of value to your company, and asked for 1% of your startup, so you give it to him.
After a few months, you pivot the business and he’s no longer needed (plus he didn’t actually do anything while he was around).
Next thing you know, you are just about to raise the first round of funding for a different product and you realize he’s still got 1%.
What do you do…?
You jump on a plane, waste time trying to convince them to sell you their equity share before you close…
This is a true story that happened to me while I was building Flowtown.
Equity is a great way to keep your employees motivated to scale your company, but it’s important to do it right or it can backfire against bigtime.
In today’s video, I cover the 7 steps to ensure the right equity allocation that will make the most sense for your company.
Here are the 7 steps:
1. Build your dream team
2. Carve out your equity pool
3. Research compensation
4. Vesting schedule
5. Stock options vs other options
6. Plan for grants and promotions
7. Set an expiration timeline
Each of these steps is crucial when it comes to doing equity right, but researching compensation is especially important for tying salary with equity for your employees.
It all basically boils down to offering compensation and equity opportunities that are relevant for the region of your business.
A CTO in San Francisco does not get the same compensation as a CTO in Nebraska, so make sure you do your research by consulting glassdoor.com or similar resources.
The industry baseline in the region will give you a ballpark figure, which you can then combine with equity at different risk levels.
Give your hires the ability to choose between small, medium, and larger amounts of high-risk equity.
The option will give them a higher salary but lower amount of equity, while the high-risk option will give them the opposite (more equity).
This strategy will help you recognize the highly motivated and long-term committed hires which will drive your company forward.
Watch the full video to learn my other equity tips, and be sure to leave a comment below.
--
Dan Martell has advised more startups than his hometown has people and teaches startup founders like you how to scale. He previously created, raised venture funding for and successfully exited two tech startups: Flowtown and Clarity.fm. You should follow him on twitter @danmartell for tweets that are actually awesome.
+ Instagram (behind the scenes): http://instagram.com/danmartell
+ Facebook (live trainings + Q&A): http://FB.com/DanMartell
+ Twitter (what I'm reading): http://twitter.com/danmartell
Exclusive Resource: Fundraising Like a Pro - Learn the 3 phases of fundraising and a 7 week process for starting & closing your next round of funding - http://bit.ly/2JZWAdP
Exclusive Download: The Winning Webinar Method™ – How To Conduct A Webinar That Delivers Paying Customers - http://bit.ly/2XPQ0eA
--
When I started Flowtown, a marketing Saas product I built in San Francisco, over a decade ago… there was one thing I knew we had to do right:
Content marketing.
So I built out this epic content strategy that grew to 350,000 unique views per month. What a difference that made! Then I did it all over again with Clarity.fm… and again with my current coaching business.
After doing it so many times – from scratch – I’ve learned a lot about what to do… and what not to do.
I see business owners getting this wrong all the time… They pump out content that just doesn’t work to drive sales, because the strategy is broken.
I want to fix that. So I’ve recorded a new episode to show you a whole new 5-step framework for getting the biggest results out of your content even when spending the least amount of time.
It seems simple… but the best strategies are. That’s why they work! Just focus on these 5 steps to sharpen your content marketing game:
1. Start with your ICP
2. Five Frustrations
3. Teach to Solve
4. Offer a Bribe
5. Write for You
I know marketers who repeat the phrase “Content is king” like it’s their mantra. It’s true, but it’s only painting half the picture.
Content is king because it builds brand awareness, provides value upfront, can rank in Google, gets shared online, and provides visitors an entry point to your business.
But just because content is king, that doesn’t mean it’s your solution.
More than 75% of blog visitors leave and never return. Building an effective strategy is what keeps those visitors coming back for more and turns them into high-quality leads.
Once you have this strategy in place, then the content can convert. But without the strategy, you’re just providing free entertainment for the world.
You’ve got to cut through the noise.
Check out the latest episode, and don’t forget to drop a comment to let me know which of the 5 steps resonated with you most.
--
Dan Martell has advised more startups than his hometown has people and teaches startup founders like you how to scale. He previously created, raised venture funding for and successfully exited two tech startups: Flowtown and Clarity.fm. You should follow him on twitter @danmartell for tweets that are actually awesome.
+ Instagram (behind the scenes): http://instagram.com/danmartell
+ Facebook (live trainings + Q&A): http://FB.com/DanMartell
+ Twitter (what I'm reading): http://twitter.com/danmartell
Exclusive Download: The Winning Webinar Method™ – How To Conduct A Webinar That Delivers Paying Customers - http://bit.ly/2XPQ0eA
Exclusive Resource: Future Living™ Framework - Play a Bigger Game and Enhance the Way You Communicate Your Vision to Everyone You Interact With - http://bit.ly/2YIRYyS
--
A few months ago I gave a talk at a local high school here in Moncton.
I shared my journey, went deep in the challenges I overcame, and gave my ALL to help inspire these kids live a bigger life.
But during the Q&A, the tables got turned.
And it was this kid in the front row. Someone I’ve never met before. Who with ONE question, hit me right at my core.
I’ve worked with hundreds of world-class coaches and mentors throughout my life.
But for whatever reason, this was the first time the question truly landed and inspired a 15-minute, on-the-spot examination of what matters most to me.
His question?
What does success mean to you?
And in this super important episode I go deep into the six ways I’ve come to understand success both in my own life and the lives of those around me.
Sure, the financial outcomes you generate in your business matter. But what it really comes down to (for me, at least) is the following:
1. Better today than yesterday
2. Create experiences
3. Serving others
4. Work matters
5. Be remembered
6.Gratitude and hunger
Each one of these is worth fully exploring.
But what I want you to really focus on is how both gratitude and hunger can, and ultimately must, co-exist.
Being hungry and driven doesn’t mean you don’t appreciate what you’ve already accomplished and what you have in front of you. It’s quite the opposite.
If you’re TRULY grateful for the opportunities, resources and abilities in your life, there’s also an underlying agreement and responsibility to make good on those gifts and turn them into something even greater for yourself, your family, and your community.
Watch the full episode here, and then drop me a comment letting me know what you’re grateful for right now… and how you plan to channel that appreciation into an even bigger vision for both yourself and those around you.
--
Dan Martell has advised more startups than his hometown has people and teaches startup founders like you how to scale. He previously created, raised venture funding for and successfully exited two tech startups: Flowtown and Clarity.fm. You should follow him on twitter @danmartell for tweets that are actually awesome.
+ Instagram (behind the scenes): http://instagram.com/danmartell
+ Facebook (live trainings + Q&A): http://FB.com/DanMartell
+ Twitter (what I'm reading): http://twitter.com/danmartell
Exclusive Resource: Future Living™ Framework - Play a Bigger Game and Enhance the Way You Communicate Your Vision to Everyone You Interact With - http://bit.ly/2YIRYyS
Exclusive Download: Idea to Exit Mini-Course - Learn How To Build a Product Without Spending Money & True Customer Validation - http://bit.ly/2xn6os6
--
I recently shared an uber with my buddy, Kevin, when the topic of naming his new startup came up.
And when you think about it…
There’s SO much pressure in getting this right.
Not only is the name of your startup gonna be front and center for the next few years (or decades) of your life...
… but it’s gonna be one of the FIRST things that potential customers use to judge you and your company. Meaning, before you even have a real conversation with a customer or investor, your company name will have either created a favorable perception… or a crappy one you’re gonna have to work extra hard to overcome.
And while there are consultants and naming experts who will literally charge tens of thousands of dollars to help you get it right…
In this week’s episode, I’m gonna share the criteria I’ve used to name every one my companies (as well as hundreds of companies I’ve had the privilege of advising).
At a high level, here are the five major (and slightly unconventional) things to keep in mind when naming your startup:
1. Align with your customer
2. Don’t be too specific
3. Outcome driven
4. Don’t buy the .com
5. Have meaning
Not many people know this, but the name for clarity.fm was born out of a late night coding sesh.
I was mentally cycling through the feedback we were getting from our beta users when it suddenly clicked that the OUTCOME our technology was providing all came down to clarity.
If you’re stuck in your naming process, I invite you to do the same.
Go through your case studies, interviews, surveys, etc. and try to single out any common benefit or outcome that keeps coming up.
You might be shocked by how the perfect name was right in front of you all along.
Give the full episode a watch here, and then drop a comment letting me know how you arrived at your own company’s name.
--
Dan Martell has advised more startups than his hometown has people and teaches startup founders like you how to scale. He previously created, raised venture funding for and successfully exited two tech startups: Flowtown and Clarity.fm. You should follow him on twitter @danmartell for tweets that are actually awesome.
+ Instagram (behind the scenes): http://instagram.com/danmartell
+ Facebook (live trainings + Q&A): http://FB.com/DanMartell
+ Twitter (what I'm reading): http://twitter.com/danmartell
Exclusive Download: Idea to Exit Mini-Course - Learn How To Build a Product Without Spending Money & True Customer Validation - http://bit.ly/2xn6os6