Exclusive Download: The Rocket Demo Builder™Never give a boring software demo again and close up to TWICE as many deals by this time next week - https://bit.ly/2wPzdAR
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At 17 years old, I learned to code. It was the skill that helped me out of a pretty dark place, and I actually got pretty good at it.
But after 10 years of writing code for my own companies, I had to confront a difficult truth:
I was the bottleneck in my own company.
I realised that writing code wasn’t enough. I had to be a leader. I had to learn how to hire, train, retain and manage different teams.
Including sales people.
Over the years, I’ve had to hire and work with lots of sales teams for myself and for other companies that I’ve helped including Udemy, ClickFunnels, Proposify and Carrot.
These were companies that grew fast.
It became 100% necessary to ramp up new sales people as quickly as possible so they could be closing deals ASAP.
In a B2B business, your sales teams are THE people who turn your product into revenue. They are the voice of your business and convince new customers to sign up.
So if you could create an environment that onboards new hires and gets them closing deals sooner… You’ll directly affect your bottom line.
After years of experience and consulting in this field, I’ve made a video with the exact strategies I use with my coaching clients to get new sales people selling more and selling sooner.
Even if you have a sales team you can trust, I recommend you hear these 4 strategies:
1. Filter ← the questions you need to ask first
2. Training
3. Measure (Got your benchmarks?)
4. Coaching
I can now get a new sales rep up to 80% of a sales quota within 60 days of hiring… or less.
I’ve even seen 60% win rates on sales calls executed by brand new sales teams.
That’s the value of a good system.
It means I can safely know that my entire team could fall apart and I could have a new team converting customers less than 2 months later.
Don’t be the bottleneck in your business.
Become the leader you need to be and your business will grow.
Got any questions? Would love it if you left me a comment on the video here.
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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 Rocket Demo Builder™Never give a boring software demo again and close up to TWICE as many deals by this time next week - https://bit.ly/2wPzdAR
Today, the tables have turned and the microphone is being flipped.
Instead of interviewing a SaaS founder…
…a SaaS founder is interviewing me!
I’m pleased to share with you a special interview hosted by Liam Martin, co-founder of Time Doctor and co-organizer of Running Remote.
Liam is a successful entrepreneur that helps remote businesses manage their teams efficiently. A service that couldn’t come at a better time with remote work taking precedence in today’s world of economic uncertainty.
He’s also one of my coaching clients 🙂
It was Liam’s idea to interview me for the Running Remote YouTube Channel with his topic of choice: How to Find a Business Coach.
With everything that’s going on right now, everybody needs someone, a coach, a mentor, an advisor, to help them navigate these unprecedented times.
I’ve been through two major economic downfalls, 2001 and 2008, and I’ve come out the other side better than before. (hint: I’ve always had a coach)
This week’s video is all about finding that coach to guide you through the daily struggles of a software founder.. Check it out.
Look, I know there’s a lot of B.S. in the coaching industry… So much so that I resisted using the word ‘coach’ for years.
So, I appreciate Liam giving me the chance to vent and provide some suggestions for you. In the interview we talk about:
What you should look for in a coach ← The 2 key factors
What a coach can do to make you a more successful entrepreneur
Do you even need a coach to help you through your struggles?
What I would change in the coaching industry
When I was 23 years old, I hired my first business coach.
I didn’t even have a business yet… but I wanted to align myself and start out moving in the right direction.
Today, I have several coaches (strategy, kiteboarding, triathlon, nutrition, etc.) that I pay every month to help me.
Maybe that surprises you, but I think there is no better way to optimize your life.
Or, as I say it in the interview:
“If you’re the type of person that wants to move quickly, you need a coach.”
I am.
If you are too, remember you can always hop on a free strategy call with my team and we’ll figure out if we can help nudge you in the right direction during good AND bad times, like we did with so many of our clients.
Big thanks to Liam for the interview. Tune into it here and I’ll answer any questions in the comments.
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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: Idea to Exit Mini-Course – Learn How To Build a Product Without Spending Money & True Customer Validation - http://bit.ly/3cZqcpc
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Today, I’m going to give you the 5 most profitable business ideas that you can start in 2020.
Yes, THIS YEAR.
Profitable meaning:
- Low risk
- High reward
- Great return on investment
- Quick to take to market
- Capable of growing and scaling
Not all business ideas are equal. An idea is only valuable if it’s actionable and profitable.
These ideas I’m about to show you? They’re the good ones.
Yes, it’s my opinion.
But my opinion comes from 20 years of building and growing companies, investing in 40+ startups, becoming a multi-millionaire, and working closely with many successful businesses.
These are the 5 growth areas that are already taking off, whether you’re riding the wave or not.
Check it out.
I’m willing to bet you’ve heard of some of these. Probably even thought about starting them.
Isn’t it time to take action?
These are what I would recommend to myself if I was starting again. And they are what I’d recommend to you or to anyone I care about and want to see succeed.
But it’s all about execution.
A shortlist of ideas isn’t going to get you millions in revenue… Choosing something, committing to it and making it happen – that’s what makes the difference.
Make it your year. Make it your life.
Just make something great out of it, yeah?
Don’t forget, if you’re going with the SaaS option, then I’m here to coach you through all the difficult stages of growing and scaling.
Tune in to the video here, take some notes, and start taking steps towards that goal.
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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: Idea to Exit Mini-Course – Learn How To Build a Product Without Spending Money & True Customer Validation - http://bit.ly/3cZqcpc
Exclusive Resource: Idea to Exit Mini-Course – Learn How To Build a Product Without Spending Money & True Customer Validation - http://bit.ly/3cG8TJz
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“How do I find a problem that would be perfect to solve with a SaaS?”
YES! Now that’s a good question.
I come in contact with a lot of SaaS founders and business owners (or the wannabes) that ask the wrong questions. You can tell when their mindset isn’t in the right place.
Fixating on bad questions means pouring your mental energy down the drain and wondering why your business is flushing itself out to sea.
So when I hear someone ask an AWESOME question like this one, it makes me want to celebrate.
As a business coach and investor in 40+ startups, I’ve learned to spot the red flags of a business that’s going to struggle versus one that’ll take off like a rocket to the moon.
And without a doubt…
The size of the problem you solve determines your potential for growth.
(Ok, there’s a bit more to it than that.)
I want to help you choose a good business idea from the start, so let me show you my process for finding SaaS-solvable problems in this week’s video.
These are the 4 places you should start when hunting down the right problems:
1. Spreadsheets – They’re an absolute gold-mine
2. Your Own Pains
3. Custom Built Solutions (Just turn it into a SaaS)
4. Trends – ride that wave.
The money is in the problem you solve.
Over 2 years ago, I published a video on building a $100 MIL+ company in 3 years and my first point was: you’ve got to solve a really big problem.
Months ago I interviewed Toby from Shopify who became a billionaire because he found a really big problem and created a fantastic solution.
So if you want to get good at business…
Get good at finding problems first.
Fire up the video right here and learn how to tap into pain points that people will pay for. Drop me a comment while you’re there. I love hearing from you
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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: Idea to Exit Mini-Course – Learn How To Build a Product Without Spending Money & True Customer Validation - http://bit.ly/3cG8TJz
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/2vxAuvJ
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Bzzzt. Bzzzt.
“Hello?”
“Hi Dan, I’m calling from Google. We’re interested in potentially buying your company…”
Ok, it didn’t go quite like that, but it’s true – my first call with a potential acquirer was with Google.
I was super excited! I mean… Google?! They’ve got money to burn, and I was ready to take it!
…then I proceeded to make some big mistakes.
On that phone call, I did everything wrong. I gave them SO much information about my business that I sent them away with a step-by-step on how to do it all themselves.
I even told them how our code worked! What was I thinking…?
I was trying to sell them on my company but ended up with no offer, no callback, and nothing to show for all the answers I gave.
I let my excitement get in the way of my strategy.
So please don’t make the mistake I did. This week’s video is all about how to conduct your first call with a potential acquirer… without all the mistakes I made:
As an investor, I now know a lot more about this than I used to. You’ve got to follow these 5 steps to CRUSH that phone call:
1. Fit, Price, Motivation
2. Get Them Talking
3. Prepare Talk Tracks
4. Role Play
5. Stick To The Time
Imagine if that call goes wrong. What does that mean for you?
It’s the difference between a multi-million dollar sale… or convincing an acquirer to become your direct competitor and drive you out of the market.
All because of the words that came out of your mouth.
When the stakes are THAT high, you can’t just wing it.
One of my coaching clients, Adii from Conversio, had a call from a potential acquirer recently. I coached Adii on how to use this exact framework to make that call.
And it worked.
His company was acquired by Campaign Monitor for millions. That’s a massive exit that most SaaS founders could only DREAM of.
In the past 12 months I’ve coached 7 of my clients to exit and they used this first conversion process to ensure they didn’t mess it up :).
Even if you’re in the early stages of growing your SaaS, plant this seed in your mind now by watching the video here.
You never know when a casual chat with a new contact will turn into the business meeting that defines your future.
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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/2vxAuvJ