Sales Strategies That Outperform Conventional Methods

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 😁

Outbound isn’t dead. Old-school outbound is. In B2B today, success doesn’t come from sending more emails or making more calls. It comes from knowing when to engage — and why. 👉 Signals beat sequences 👉 Timing beats volume 👉 Intent + AI beats lead lists Why? → 70% of B2B buyers do deep research before ever speaking to sales (Forrester). → Cold calls convert at just 2.3% — unless hyper-targeted, they kill ROI. → WhatsApp and SMS open rates hit 98%, but mistimed outreach burns trust instantly. Here’s what works in 2025: 1️⃣ Layering 3 types of signals: → Public: job postings, funding rounds, PR announcements. → 3rd-party intent: Bombora, 6sense, ZoomInfo. → 1st-party: pricing page visits, product downloads, high-intent behaviors. 2️⃣ AI-led prioritization: → AI filters noise → surfaces the top 5% of leads who are truly in-market. 3️⃣ Precision outreach at the moment of intent: → No mass emails. → No spammy sequences. → Thoughtful, highly personalized outreach — when the buyer is ready. A real example: Deel (global payroll / HR SaaS, fastest SaaS to $400M ARR): → Deel built an AI-driven GTM engine monitoring 3K+ signals globally: → New funding → hiring ramp → global payroll need. → Job postings in new markets → expansion signal. → PR on new market launches → likely fit for Deel. Results: → SDRs contact prospects within 24h of the trigger. → Win rate = 4x higher than traditional cold outbound. → Sales cycle 35% faster vs legacy approaches. Why this works: → You meet the buyer at the moment of need. → Your message matches what’s top of mind. → Personalization + timing builds trust fast. Bottom line: Mass outbound is no longer a competitive edge. Intent-driven, signal-based, AI-powered sales is what scales today. If I were building a GTM stack in 2025: → I’d start with intent + AI + orchestration. → I’d cut 90% of legacy outbound. Because in sales today — first to the signal wins the deal.

Traditional book launches obsess over launch week sales. We focused on enterprise pipeline instead. The distribution strategy for my latest two books "Behind The Click" and "Opting in to Optimization" ignored conventional wisdom: ↳ No bookstore tours ↳ No Amazon ads ↳ No launch party Here's what actually worked: 1. Strategic podcast guesting became our primary channel. ↳ We targeted shows focused on enterprise ecommerce growth, avoiding solopreneurs and Amazon sellers. Quality over quantity. 2. LinkedIn thought leadership drove organic reach. ↳ Top-performing posts became webinar topics. Webinar attendees became qualified leads. 3. Industry conference speaking created authority. ↳ Presenting at Google and Autodesk positioned me alongside the brands we wanted as clients. 4. Partnership referrals accelerated trust. ↳ Instead of cold outreach, warm introductions from mutual connections opened enterprise doors. 5. Direct email as the primary CTA. ↳ I offered my personal email instead of complex funnels. This simple approach built immediate credibility. Results after six months were pretty impressive: ↳ Twelve qualified enterprise leads ↳ Increased website traffic ↳ Email list growth ↳ Amazon bestseller status without paid advertising ↳ Speaking invitations at YouTube HQ and other Fortune 500 companies The breakthrough was simple: ↳ We distributed through channels where our buyers already gathered. Not where marketing blogs (or *gasp* publishers) said we should be. Your best distribution strategy already exists... It's wherever your ideal customers are actively learning. Stop following the playbook. Start following your buyer.

💬 𝗜'𝘃𝗲 𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗸𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝟱𝟬𝟬 𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗲𝘀, 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗲𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗱/𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀. Here are 𝟳 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝗽 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗱𝗼 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱—and what’s no longer working. 𝟭. 𝗥𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗼𝗺 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 → 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗲𝗱 𝗚𝗧𝗠 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝘆 ❌ 𝗢𝗹𝗱 𝗪𝗮𝘆: Run disconnected campaigns with no clear connection to sales goals. ✅ 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗪𝗮𝘆: Align sales, marketing, and client services under one go-to-market strategy. 𝟮. 𝗥𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗱𝗲𝘅 𝗥𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗿𝘀 → 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗕𝗗 𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗲 ❌ 𝗢𝗹𝗱 𝗪𝗮𝘆: Hire “rainmakers” who rely on their personal network but lack a structured process. ✅ 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗪𝗮𝘆: Build a business development system with repeatable, measurable processes that don’t depend on any one individual. 𝟯. 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗩𝗶𝗲𝘄𝘀 → 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁-𝗕𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗡𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 ❌ 𝗢𝗹𝗱 𝗪𝗮𝘆: Measure success by podcast downloads, webinar attendance, or social impressions—focused on mass reach over strategic relationships. ✅ 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗪𝗮𝘆: Use content formats to reverse-engineer relationships with your dream clients—inviting them as guests, collaborators, or contributors to create value and start conversations, regardless of reach. 𝟰. 𝗦𝗽𝗿𝗮𝘆 & 𝗣𝗿𝗮𝘆 𝗢𝘂𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 → 𝗦𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗮𝗹-𝗕𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗦𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 ❌ 𝗢𝗹𝗱 𝗪𝗮𝘆: Send mass emails to a wide, unfiltered audience. ✅ 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗪𝗮𝘆: Use buying signals and intent data to target the right people at the right time. 𝟱. 𝗦𝗲𝗹𝗳-𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁 → 𝗘𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹, 𝗩𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲-𝗗𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁 ❌ 𝗢𝗹𝗱 𝗪𝗮𝘆: Talk about your company, people, and awards. ✅ 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗪𝗮𝘆: Act like a media company—educate your audience and help them solve real problems. 𝟲. 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗜𝘀 𝗮 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁 → 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗠𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘀𝗲𝘁 ❌ 𝗢𝗹𝗱 𝗪𝗮𝘆: Treat everyone in your database as a potential sale. ✅ 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗪𝗮𝘆: Build a loyal community that follows, engages, and advocates for you over time. 𝟳. 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲-𝗢𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝗙𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀 → 𝗕𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱 + 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗠𝗶𝘅 ❌ 𝗢𝗹𝗱 𝗪𝗮𝘆: Invest solely in short-term performance marketing for lead generation. ✅ 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗪𝗮𝘆: Build brand awareness while driving performance for sustainable growth. ⚠️ 𝗦𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝗹𝗱 𝗿𝘂𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝘄𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘀. 𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙙𝙤 𝙙𝙞𝙛𝙛𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙡𝙮 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙧𝙤𝙬?

Early in my sales career, I took my daughter to a car dealership. She was happily enjoying her ice cream, and the salesman suggested I get a car with leather seats. When I asked, "So what?" he pointed out that it would make cleaning up the ice cream easier. That moment taught me the power of selling through features and benefits. Recently, on a podcast, the host asked whether my sales approach was product-focused or sales-focused. My answer? Neither. I use a buyer-first approach. Here are the three key approaches: 1️⃣ Product Approach: This is all about features and benefits, like the car salesman explaining the practicality of leather seats. 2️⃣ Sales Approach: This involves following a structured sales framework like SPIN Selling or The Challenger Sale. 3️⃣ Buyer-First Approach: This is my preferred method. It's about making deep and wide connections with your clients across their organization, building relationships, and practicing empathetic listening. ➡️ The data supports this approach: - According to Salesforce's State of Sales Report 2022, 87% of buyers expect sellers to act as trusted advisors. - The 2024 report discovered that 59% of business buyers feel sales professionals don't listen to them or truly understand their needs. - Recent insights from LinkedIn’s Deep Sales 2024 Report, revealed that only 17% of professional sellers follow the three habits that lead to success: building relationships, focusing on the right accounts, and immersing themselves in their clients' world. In today's market, a buyer-first approach isn't just effective—it's essential. Prioritizes the needs, preferences, and experiences of the buyer above all else. Share how you are connecting deeply with your clients? Links to learn more: Salesforce State of Sales Report https://lnkd.in/d6zTp2QQ LinkedIn’s Deep Sales 2024 Report. https://lnkd.in/insiders 

Throughout my sales career, I’ve worn many hats, including sales rep, sales coach, new hire trainer, and manager. One thing I’ve noticed is that sales methods are stagnant, even though they may not always be effective. These methods may seem polished and are often taught in training materials, but after two decades in sales, I can say with certainty that they seldom yield the best results. Since what we sell is constantly evolving, it’s puzzling why training materials and tactics don’t keep up. Traditional Sales Methods Still in Use: - “Always be closing.” - “The product sells itself.” - “The more calls, the better.”  What Delivers Results in Today’s Sales Environment: - Get to know your prospects early and often. - Focus on small wins and relationships, instead of random calls. - Use tools that help you manage your time better, not worse. Old Methods vs Modern Strategies: - "Always be closing." The best reps are always qualifying.  - "The product sells itself." If that were true, we wouldn’t have jobs. - "The more calls, the better." Volume without targeting is just noise. - "Follow the process." The process is a baseline, not a strategy.  - " Buyers care about your story." They care about their own. Help them tell it better. - "The best reps have natural ability." The best reps are obsessed with practice. - "Every deal just takes time." Time kills momentum. Know the difference between urgency and pushiness. Quality over quantity will consistently yield more favorable outcomes. 

7 proven ways to increase FMCG sales without discounts Discounts might seem like the easiest way to increase sales, but they’re also the fastest way to lose profits and damage your brand. There’s a better way. In 2013 when I started as a sales team lead in FMCG, I struggled. I relied on price discounts as the only way to increase my sales in stores, but this was unsustainable. Over time I learnt these 7 strategies and I’ve used them to double sales of established brands in retail outlets in 6 - 12 months. It is more sustainable for the company and your Bosses will love you. 1. Product visibility and placement. Shoppers buy what they see. Make sure your products are in the right place, such as eye-level shelves, hotspots, and checkout zones. 2. Strong retailer relationships. Retailers will champion your products if they feel valued and are incentivized. Offer quarterly rewards, better margins, or recognition programs to win their loyalty. 3. In-store communication. Your communication material in the store is your silent salesperson. Use clear, benefit-focused messages on materials like wobblers, banners, posters and shelf talkers to educate shoppers. 4. Right pricing. Help retailers stick to recommended prices. Educate them on their margins and how fair pricing improves volume and profits. 5. Product distribution. If it’s not on the shelf, it can’t sell. Fix stock outs, prioritize key outlets, and close distribution gaps to keep shelves full. 6. Shopper engagement through sampling. Sampling builds trust. Let shoppers experience your product firsthand through demos or activations in high-traffic stores. 7. Effective sales team execution. Your sales team is the engine. Train them, set clear KPIs, and give them juicy incentives to ensure great execution. Which strategy will you focus on first?

How effective are different client acquisition tactics? Our research reveals a fascinating disconnect between what advisors think works and what actually drives effective marketing. https://kitc.es/3Y4E3Uf While 58% of advisors experienced success - i.e., gained at least 1 new client - across the various marketing tactics surveyed, the most effective approaches aren't always the most popular. Client referrals dominate with a 95% success rate, followed by centers of influence at 85%. But here's the surprise: cold calling and door-knocking also rank in the top four for success rates, despite being used by less than 10% of advisors. The common thread among these high-performing tactics is direct, personal interaction—whether warm referrals or cold outreach, face-to-face communication remains critical for building trust. However, success rates only tell part of the story. When measuring revenue per new client, the picture shifts dramatically. In-person events like client appreciation gatherings and seminars generate the highest revenue per client at $10,000 and $7,679 respectively, compared to an average of $5,827 across all tactics. Meanwhile, cold calling—despite its high success rate—ranks last in revenue per client. This suggests advisors need to balance two metrics: the probability of winning clients and the quality of clients attracted. The most efficient marketing strategies optimize for both success rates and revenue potential.

I've delivered ₹100Cr+ in revenue. The secret? Saying less. In sales, people think the best talkers win. They don’t. The best closers? They listen more, talk less. Most salespeople make the same mistake: • They pitch too much. • They over-explain their product. • They think more words = more persuasion. But here’s what really happens: • The buyer gets confused. • The buyer gets overwhelmed. • The buyer hears things they don’t need. And confused buyers don’t buy. Here’s an alternate approach instead: "Bugs found late in development are costly to fix and delay releases. How are you detecting issues early?" Poke the bear. Then shut up and listen. The more you talk, the more objections you create. The more you listen, the more reasons they find to buy. The best salespeople don’t convince. They create a reason for the buyer to say yes. Try this today: Ask one question. Then stop talking. Let them do the selling.

CSMs are borrowing techniques from psychotherapy to save renewals. And it's working. The OARS framework comes from therapeutic counseling, but it's perfect for discovery calls. It builds trust faster than any sales technique because it makes prospects feel heard instead of sold to. Here's how it breaks down: - Open Questions. Stop asking "Do you like our product?" Start asking "What's the #1 thing being discussed in your boardroom right now?" Open questions force prospects to think and share real information. Closed questions get you yes/no answers that lead nowhere. - Affirmations. When customers hit milestones, acknowledge it. "You increased automation by 30% ahead of schedule" builds momentum better than moving straight to the next agenda item. - Reflections. This is the secret weapon. Repeat back what they said in your own words: Prospect: "We're drowning in support tickets and need better analysis." You: "So it sounds like you want to extract more insights from your current support system, and you're looking for solutions to do that. Did I get that right?" Reflections prove you're listening and give them a chance to clarify. Even when you're wrong, they'll correct you - which gives you better information. - Summary. End calls by pulling together everything they said, then ask: "What's the next step you think we should take?" When THEY suggest the next step instead of you telling them what to do, they're more likely to follow through. The framework works because it changes us the traditional sales approach that your clients might be used to. Instead of pitching and pushing, you're reflecting and guiding. Most reps ask a question, then immediately ask three more questions because they panic in silence. That turns discovery into an interrogation. OARS teaches you to ask one question, shut up, and let them talk. Then reflect what you heard before moving forward. Chad shared how he used this to save a six-figure renewal during a Sales Assembly session on Customer Discovery last week. The customer had been ghosting emails for weeks. Instead of pitching harder, he asked: "Is there something I should have asked you that maybe I didn't?" The response was a novel about losing faith in the product roadmap and feeling left behind by competitors. That one reflective question uncovered the real issue and saved the deal. Therapists know that people need to feel understood before they'll change their behavior. Customers need to feel understood before they'll renew their contracts.