We’re currently in a challenging economic environment. Look one way and you’ll see positive signs, like 614,000 open tech jobs in North America, 71,000 of which are in software sales, and 88% of public cloud companies beat expectations in Q2. Look another way, and you’ll see rising inflation and 100,000 tech layoffs this year.
There’s a vibrant debate to be had about whether or not we’re in a recession, or if 2023 will be worse than 2022. What’s not debatable, though, is that we’re in an economic downturn that can be difficult to navigate. Getting hired by a great company and selling in the current economic landscape requires salespeople to rethink their approach to be successful.
To discuss how to best navigate this environment, our Chief Executive Officer, Asad Zaman, hosted a live panel with three expert leaders who have built thriving teams in this market: Laura Guerra (VP of Growth at Pavilion), Kyle Norton (SVP of Sales at Owner), and Josh Guttman (Chief Revenue Officer at Altrio). By watching this session, you will learn how to strategically shift your mindset, messaging, and methods to navigate the upcoming quarters and crush your quota.
Key Takeaways:
Takeaway 1: Instead of viewing your obstacles as a challenge, view them as a way to create growth. Then, this environment becomes a set of opportunities where we can thrive. It’ll push us as salespeople, make us hone our craft, and help us sharpen our businesses, which will allow us to create a sustainable advantage in the medium and long term.
Takeaway 2: Leaders should have relentless optimism to inspire their teams to press forward in challenging markets. If you aren’t the best hype person for your business, identify the person on your team who can get people pumped up and excited even in times of chaos and stress.
Takeaway 3: Businesses may need to adjust their targeting in this market. To figure out how, pause and ask yourself key questions, like if you still have the same product market fit or if your buyer has significantly changed. Then, adjust based on the results. You may be surprised about how the environment has changed and what that means for your business.
Takeaway 4: Messaging, tactics, and mediums all evolve over time, and we usually don’t know what’s going to happen. So, when it comes to messaging and cadence, leaders should experiment with their strategy, be data-driven, and track their results to find what’s successful for them.
Takeaway 5: We have so much to learn from other places beyond sales – a great salesperson hasn’t just read all the sales books. Instead, learning how to run smart experiments from a scientist can make you a better salesperson. To draft better sales copy, you can learn from comedians and fiction writers, who have mastered the art of language and conciseness.