Collaborative Selling Models

Selling Enterprise deals is much different than selling transactional deals, and requires unique skills. Here are the 3 main differences: 1. With transactional sales it's all about the pitch. With Enterprise sales, it's all about the plan. The main thing getting in the way of large companies doing business with you is not their "buy-in" to using your product or service or the benefits it may bring. It's their doubts about how they would make it work within their organization. Large Enterprises have lots of tech debt, people, and processes that have been developed over many years that support their current environment. Understanding how your solution fits into what they already own, and where they would need to migrate current systems or processes is top mind when exploring new solutions. So more time must be spent on understanding and developing a plan to implement and deploy your solutions than what's needed for transactional or SMB sales, where there's less complexity in their existing environment. 2. In transactional sales it's all about selling to one key decision maker. In Enterprise Sales, it's about empowering a key mobilizer to sell within their own company. With large companies, there's never one decision maker. But there are Executives with power that can get you in front of all key decision makers, or sell to them when you're not in the room. These Executives are referred to as "change agents" or "mobilizers." When working with change agents, the goal is never to sell to them. The goal is always to help them sell internally, and to ensure that they get you and your team in front of all key decision makers so they don't have to go at it alone. A great book which discusses this process in detail is called The Challenger Customer. 3. With transactional sales, closing and objection handling are key to success. With Enterprise sales, project management and quarterbacking are equally important. Large deals often require a small army to Execute across an extended team of Engineers, product specialists, legal, and BVS team members. Internal selling to to support a large customer is often as challenging as selling to the customer. On the deal execution side, customers have a similar size team that they need to align around executing your deal, including finance, procurement, legal, security, and Senior Execs. The ability to quarterback internal and customer teams is essential to success, and requires leadership skills that many IC's may not have. And the ability to manage parallel work streams in a large, complex deal cycle requires project management, organizational, and follow-up skills that are not needed for transactional selling. Needless to say, it's a whole different ball game. If you've had success as a transactional seller but are struggling in Enterprise sales, you are not alone. If you need help making the transition, comment "Enterprise" and I will DM you a free resource to help.

Your marketing team is guessing what your sales team already knows. I see it every single week: Marketing creates campaigns. Sales talks to customers. Zero collaboration. Wasted opportunity. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺: - Marketing creates personas (guessing) - Sales hears actual pains (knowing) - Marketing writes messaging (guessing) - Sales handles objections (knowing) - No information sharing - No collaboration - No growth 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗰𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘀: Your marketing team creates content, campaigns, and messaging based on assumptions, marketing research, and industry reports. In contrast, your sales team has actual conversations every single day with prospects who share their real pains, objections, and buying criteria. Yet somehow, these valuable insights never make it back to influence marketing strategy. [𝐖𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐛𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐨] One person creates the foundation and the other leverages it to reach new heights. Your sales and marketing teams need to function as a single unit. Sales should provide real-world insights and direct customer language, while marketing should amplify and scale these proven messages through channels that reach more people. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗳𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸: 1. 𝐂𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 Not separate worlds: - Weekly sales-marketing sync - Marketing joins sales calls - Sales reviews all content - Customer language documented 2. 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐨𝐧 𝐆𝐨𝐚𝐥𝐬 Unite the metrics: - Pipeline over MQLs - Revenue over activities - Quality over quantity - Customer success over volume 3. 𝐄𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐅𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 Loop Make it systematic: - Sales validates personas - Marketing tests messages - Results shared transparently - Continuous improvement 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻: 1. Schedule weekly sales-marketing sync 2. Create a shared customer language doc 3. Have marketing join sales calls 4. Build a unified dashboard Remember: Like those wall climbers, Neither one could make it alone. But together, they're unstoppable. ---- ❤️ 𝐈𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬. ♻️ 𝐭𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐧𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤. 🔔 Follow me for more helpful and entertaining videos to improve your go-to-market approach. 🤟

**Maximizing B2B Marketing Success: The Power of Including Channel Partners in Your Strategy** In today’s competitive B2B landscape, a robust marketing strategy is essential. However, one critical element often overlooked is the inclusion of channel partners. Integrating these partners into your marketing plan can significantly amplify your reach, enhance brand credibility, and drive sales growth. Here’s why and how you should include channel partners in your B2B marketing strategy: **1. Amplified Reach and Visibility** Channel partners have established networks and customer bases that you can leverage. By collaborating with them, you can extend your brand’s reach far beyond your direct efforts. Co-branded marketing initiatives, joint webinars, and shared content can introduce your products or services to new, highly relevant audiences. **2. Enhanced Credibility and Trust** Trust is a cornerstone of B2B relationships. Channel partners often have long-standing relationships with their clients, who trust their recommendations. **3. Optimized Resource Utilization** Channel partners can provide additional resources for your marketing efforts. They can contribute to content creation, share insights on customer preferences, and participate in events or campaigns. This not only saves time and costs but also enriches your marketing initiatives with diverse perspectives and expertise. **4. Improved Customer Engagement** Channel partners often have deep insights into their customers’ needs and pain points. Collaborating with them allows you to tailor your marketing messages more effectively, ensuring they resonate with the target audience. **5. Increased Sales and Revenue** Ultimately, the goal of any marketing strategy is to drive sales and revenue. Channel partners can play a pivotal role in this by actively promoting your products or services. Their involvement can accelerate the sales cycle and open up new opportunities, leading to increased revenue growth. **How to Effectively Include Channel Partners in Your Marketing Strategy:** - **Develop a Collaborative Plan:** Work closely with your channel partners to create a joint marketing plan. Align your goals, define roles, and set clear expectations to ensure everyone is on the same page. - **Leverage Joint Marketing Initiatives:** Engage in co-marketing activities such as webinars, whitepapers, and case studies. These initiatives can showcase the combined expertise of both parties and provide valuable content to your audience. - **Provide Marketing Support:** Equip your channel partners with the necessary tools and resources. Offer training, marketing collateral, and access to your marketing platforms to enable them to effectively promote your products. - **Measure and Optimize:** Track the performance of your joint marketing efforts. Analyze the results, gather feedback, and make data-driven adjustments to continuously improve the effectiveness of your strategy.

Refresh and cross-sell are simply THE most neglected revenue engines in vendors and the channel at large. They’re not underperforming because they don’t work. They’re underperforming because leadership doesn’t prioritize them or more often they are simply too hard to launch. Net new logos get the spotlight. Legacy accounts and install bases get ignored. Partners aren’t enabled. Customer data isn’t centralised. And no one is held accountable for driving these motions with urgency. Fact: System refresh is THE low-hanging revenue. Fact: Cross-Sell is a margin multiplier. The effort-to-reward ratio is significantly better than any new logo acquisition, yet it’s treated as an afterthought. Organizations that win here don’t wait for perfect signals. They trap installed base. They assign ownership. They simplify offers. They operationalise partner touchpoints. They launch automated sales campaigns at scale. I’ve seen buried accounts turn into 7-figure wins, just by giving people the mandate and organisations the tools to act. Forget the “new logo” obsession. The real growth is in what you already own. iasset.com

The problem isn't the product or the job you’re offering. What’s costing you is a transactional mindset. Yesterday, I caught up with a two-time founder, and it clicked for both of us—the obsession with transactions creates blinders to opportunities. This founder runs a company in an ultra-competitive space, hitting 150% of his annual goals. He’s a former ATP client and someone I continue to advise and collaborate with closely. He’s thriving in business for the same reason he’s on the ATP dream customer list: he’s intentional, not transactional. He doesn’t have all the answers, and he’s okay with that. He prioritizes feedback, relationships, and meaningful experiences with his team, customers, and candidates in the hiring process. This reminded me why I’ve spent 20+ years mastering sales and hiring: the secret to success isn’t in transactions—it’s in real human connections. We agreed—those who chase efficiency in spite of rooted connections miss out on the biggest opportunities. It's true, people crave simplicity. AND They also need reliability, connection, and trust. They want to feel that what they invest in will deliver. I’ve tested countless PLG products, and most I walk away from the same day. Why? Because I’m bombarded with emails and videos that put the burden on me to figure out the use cases and value. They rely on the hope that I'll magically figure it out and convert. Yet, in reality, I'm confused and frustrated. Talk about a risky bet! Over-marketing isn’t the same as understanding and connecting the dots. The only way to do that? Thoughtful, intentional human intervention. One key to my success in sales and hiring has been ditching the pitch and examining how people think about their goals and problems. Not assuming I know because I’ve uncovered the surface-level issue. That’s the gateway to true alignment. It’s how Avenue Talent Partners has maintained a 98% interview-to-hire ratio: focusing on connecting the dots and alignment, not transactions. It looks like this in practice: "What's important to you?" "What do you want to learn about this?" "What won't work for you? There’s plenty of time for “show and tell” later. This is why our customers tell us we’re different—being different isn’t a big shift. It’s about what happens in practice. Whenever I think I understand the situation, there’s always more to learn. Demoing a product or pitching a role is a tiny part of the process. TL;DR: Our process isn’t the priority—their needs are. Being effective and “easy to work with” doesn’t mean throwing a product, opportunity, or candidate at someone and hoping for the best. Dig deeper. It’s the only way to capture the full opportunity. And where real "value" is built. #BuildWithATP #Business #Startups #Founders

I shared some thoughts last week from my co-selling roadshow on tips for scaling co-sell with AWS. TL:DR it was about focusing where you are already strong in your GTM for any cloud co-sell. This week, I want to talk to you about teaching your sales team how to sell with cloud providers. Co-sell deals live and die in the field, between your sellers and cloud sellers. Don't leave this delicate dance to chance. If you are an Alliance Leader, learn all you can about the partner cloud sales team and incentives. You are the translator between your sellers and the partner cloud sellers. Dive deep. Be the expert. But that isn't enough. You need your sellers to know what to expect and be ready for a co-sell call with a cloud seller. We are different than your other partners. We aren't a reseller, our sales team is large, and every cloud provider has tons of native services and solutions they are selling (AWS has more than 200). We also think differently, we are customer obsessed, work backwards from customer problems and are long-term focused (a cloud transformation is a long journey). Your sellers need to understand: - who they may run into on the call - demystify the roles at a cloud seller - how they are paid on co-sell deals, what's in it for each seller - how big the cloud seller patch is and how it aligns to your field team territories - what they can ask for from a cloud seller (and what to avoid) - what expectations to have going in to a co-sell call If you are early in your co-sell journey, you need to babysit all these co-sell calls. You may not have the right to educate and enable your whole sales team right now, so instead, focus on just-in-time prep of a seller before a co-sell call and YOU run the call for maximum outcomes. As you gain mindshare and wins with the cloud partner, use your sellers as your PR team, have them share their wins with their peers at every sales team call. Once the co-sell flywheel starts spinning, survey your sellers on what they know and don't about cloud co-sell and build a solid training and enablement plan. Every new hire needs to learn the ropes, each seller should be able to understand the co-sell strategy and mechanism at your company and how we help each other. Are you thinking about your cloud co-sell session at Sales Kick off? You should be. Call to action: End the year strong with a few key co-sell wins, some sellers who have drunk the cool-aid (and made money), and earn the right to take the stage at SKO to talk about cloud co-sell for 2025. Need to learn more about co-sell with AWS? Link in the comments is to a co-sell foundation course with AWS. Great for alliance leaders and sellers to take (all types of partners: consulting or ISV partners). Want to learn more? Let's talk.

40-60% of deals end with no decision. Want to change that? Here’s why this happens—and how you can fix it. Most deals stall because buyers feel overwhelmed. They’re anxious about: → Making mistakes → Budget constraints → Implementation complexity But here’s what many salespeople miss: Buyers don’t wake up thinking, “I need this product.” They feel symptoms first: → Frustration from missed goals → Stress over inefficiencies → Pressure from their team If you don’t speak their language, they won’t listen. Here’s how to break through: ✅ Start with their symptoms Talk about their daily struggles and emotional pain points. Show them you understand their reality. ✅ Use open-ended questions Ask things like: “What’s your biggest challenge right now?” or “How does that problem impact your team’s performance?” ✅ Summarizing builds trust Reflect back what you’ve heard. For example: “So what I’m hearing is that you’re spending too much time on manual tasks, and that’s causing delays for your team?” ✅ Co-develop value Instead of pitch mode, invite buyers to explore solutions with you. Ask: “If we could solve this, what would success look like?” ✅ Shift from features to impact Focus on how your solution makes their life better. For example: “Here’s how we’ve helped teams cut manual work by 50%—free up time for strategy and growth.” ✅ Show proof Use case studies, testimonials, and data to build credibility. People trust results, not words. ✅ Offer low-risk steps Demo your solution or give them something they can experience firsthand. Let them see how it works for their unique situation. By address buyer anxieties early and speaking to symptoms, you’ll move deals forward—with confidence. What’s your go-to strategy for help buyers feel understood? Share your thoughts below. #SalesTips #EmpathyDrivenSelling #BuyerAnxieties #SalesPipeline

Muddy and misaligned expectations between sales and partnerships is the quickest way to the Partnerships Death Cycle. To create a seamless relationship between sales and partnerships, you need to establish shared goals early even before the first lead even hits the pipeline. It's critical to define roles, responsibilities, and what success looks like together. Here’s how to make it happen: 1. Start by aligning on specific, measurable goals. Ask questions like: • How many partner-sourced leads does the sales team aim to close each quarter? • What role do sales reps play in partner engagement, from initial outreach to co-selling? • How will success be measured—partner deal velocity, win rates, or total revenue? 2. Avoid the “it’s not my job” trap by clearly defining responsibilities. For example: • Partnerships manage the relationships and bring qualified leads to the table. • Sales ensures timely follow-up and integrates partner insights into the customer journey. A joint kickoff meeting is the perfect way to ensure both teams are rowing in the same direction. Use this time to: • Share the partnership strategy and how it supports sales goals. • Walk through the sales process for partner-sourced leads. • Address potential friction points (like lead ownership or attribution) before they arise. 3 .Keep this alignment ongoing. Regular check-ins help adjust goals, track progress, and ensure everyone stays on the same page. When sales and partnerships work in sync, the whole organization benefits.

3 Out of 4 Projects Fail Due to Misdiagnosis... here’s how to change that. The Doctor Framework: In a consulting world crowded with “solutions,” what if the secret to true client impact was a shift to diagnosis first? The Doctor Framework is designed to help senior executives-turned-consultants leverage their expertise in a solutions-based sales approach. Here’s why this method is a game-changer for creating long-term client relationships and real outcomes: 1. Diagnose the Pain 🩺 Much like a doctor would with a patient, this phase is about identifying core issues... not just symptoms. Research shows that 80% of s uccessful client interactions hinge on active listening (HubSpot, 2021). For consultants, that means asking pointed questions and focusing on what the client’s really saying... often between the lines. This phase sets the tone for trust and accurate problem-solving. 2. Verify & Prioritize 📋 Too often, consultants jump to solutions without fully verifying the core problem. In fact, 75% of misaligned projects stem from a misunderstanding in the initial discovery phase (PMI, 2022). Encourage clients to prioritize their biggest hurdles and validate the diagnosis before prescribing. This ensures they’re bought into the process, which paves the way for collaborative solutions. 3. Co-Create the Solution 🤝 People support what they help create. Rather than prescribing a one-size-fits-all answer... work with clients to co-create their roadmap, personalizing it to their needs. This consultative approach builds trust and client ownership, leading to better buy-in and outcomes. According to LinkedIn, solutions tailored with client collaboration improve client retention by 42%. 4. Start with Small Wins 🏆 Quick wins build momentum. In fact, research from McKinsey shows that starting with small but impactful projects leads to a 30% higher likelihood of client re-engagement. The goal is to: - secure initial buy-in - build credibility - set the stage for longer-term partnerships. Propose a quick-hit project to deliver immediate results, reinforcing the client’s confidence in both the process and the partnership. 5. Become the Trusted Advisor 🔗 Once the foundation is laid, follow-up and deepen the relationship. Check-in regularly, provide added value, and actively look for new opportunities to expand your impact. By positioning yourself as a long-term ally, not just a vendor, you’ll move from “consultant” to “advisor.” Statistics reveal that 90% of clients who see consistent value are more likely to refer additional business. Ready to level up your consulting approach? Implement the Doctor Framework and start creating meaningful, lasting relationships. Anything you'd add?

To Every Executive and Mid-Level Manager: 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤. Here’s my Mistake #3 while building a 100+ CR Brand: I thought every decision had to come from the top. Here’s what happened because of it: 1/ Delays: Centralizing all decision-making at the top delayed routine decisions and slowed execution. 2/ Disconnected Teams: While I focused on bigger goals, I missed out on the immediate challenges employees were facing daily. 3/ Fragmented Priorities: Teams started running in different directions, focusing on individual projects rather than a shared goal. 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐈𝐧: ❌ Slower Execution: Delays became a norm because approvals couldn’t move fast enough. ❌ Lower Engagement: Employees and agents didn’t feel valued enough to lead initiatives. ❌ Missed Opportunities: Great ideas from those closest to the action went unheard. ❌ Lack of Alignment and Customer-First Thinking. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐏𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭: Customer NPS was dropping. While the team was working hard, they weren’t working for the customers. Instead, they were focused on meeting the daily targets set for them. I realized we were solving for metrics, not people. This misalignment between goals and customer needs became clear. 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐝: ✔️ Mid-Level Employees Are the Backbone of the Business: They know the company’s pulse better than anyone else. ✔️ Open Communication Is Non-Negotiable: Ground-level insights often carry the answers to our biggest challenges. Actively listening to entry-level and mid-level employees brings fresh perspectives to key decisions. ✔️ Cross-Functional Collaboration Is Essential: Breaking silos between teams helps align efforts and creates a stronger, more connected workflow. 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐝? To fix these gaps, we introduced key changes: 1/ Decentralized Decisions: We provided clear frameworks so teams could take ownership without waiting for constant approvals. 2/ Cross-Team Discussions: Sales, Content, and Performance Marketing teams joined forces to solve problems with fresh ideas in a bi-weekly meet. 3/ No Hierarchy: Anyone could reach out to anyone to collaborate or seek help without involving senior team members. 4/ Single Vision and Goal: I finally understood why companies write mission statements on their walls and talk about them constantly. I started emphasizing Fitelo’s mission and priorities in meetings across layers. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐬? ✅ Improved Operational Efficiency: Decision-making speed increased, processes became more streamlined, boosting productivity. ✅ More Ownership: Mid-level managers and employees are stepping up and thriving. They consistently delivered more than expected and grew faster. ✅ Unified and Aligned Team: We were solving for the end customer again. What’s one thing your manager or company could’ve done to make you feel more empowered, aligned, or valued? Share below—I’m listening.