New to SaaS Sales? Here are 16 Success Tips, Part 1

As a new SaaS sales rep you may have already gone through the onboarding process. If not, check out this article to help you navigate that initial learning phase. You’re probably wondering what you can do to become a better rep, strengthen your position with your current employer, and expand your advancement options.  Here are the first eight of sixteen success tips to help you accomplish that and take you from good to great.

1. Persistence

The Bridge Group found that SDR’s make an average of 46 dials per day to achieve 5.8 quality conversations. Their research also revealed there are an average of 8.2 attempts per prospect while working 265 leads per month. And these are just a few stats. Consistently reaching this level of activity requires a high level of persistence and the drive to succeed.

2. Sales team growth is not a threat

Many sales reps feel threatened by a growing team and don’t like the idea of competing with their new colleagues. Successful sales reps understand that a growing team and a growing company are a good thing. They know that the bigger the sales team, the more business partners they have. These partnerships help all team members get closer to their quotas because they learn from each other by sharing successes and best practices. This also raises the value of the company as a whole.

3. Don’t get caught up in sales tactics

When striving to be the best rep you can be, you will be exposed to many different sales tactics such as the Challenger Sales Model and the Sandler Method. There are many different methods out there and many more always being developed. Regardless of which tactics you find to be most effective, you must never forget that you’re a person selling to another person. For optimum results, learn as much as you can about your prospects before you call them. Do your homework by researching things like their industry, their history with your company, the individual you’re calling, and more. This will allow you to have a more intelligent conversation and know what questions to ask once you get them on the phone. Plus, when you don’t focus on tactics, you’ll allow the prospect to regulate the pace of the selling process so they don’t feel rushed. You’ll have more confidence and the prospect will be more comfortable, making it easier to qualify or disqualify them.

4. Learn from your experiences

Throughout your days in sales you will experience successes and failures, plus various degrees of highs and lows. Regardless of what happens, always learn from your experiences. You’ll learn how to deal with rejection as you hear variations of the word “no,” and you’ll figure out what works best for you and what not to repeat. Never stop learning from what happens in your day to day, so you’ll continue to grow and improve without repeating the same mistakes.

5. Always be honest

It may be tempting at times to stretch the truth, over-promise, or tell a white lie to fill the pipeline or schedule a demo. However, in SaaS sales it’s important to focus on the long-term success of a new customer. The best reps recognize that each deal is not a one-time payout. They understand that the payback period for the investment of onboarding each new customer can have a major impact on the future success of the company. So, remember that it’s not just about hitting quota, it’s about being honest so you have a happy customer for a long time.

6. Know your ideal customer profile inside & out

A poor match between customer and product can result in an unhappy customer who is more likely to churn. This means wasted time and resources used to sell and onboard them that could have been invested in a better match. This is why it is so important to be intimately familiar with your ideal customer, so you recognize them on your first encounter. When you connect with an ideal prospect, be sure that you have done your research. You’ll want to know how to speak with them about business challenges in their terms. Plus, if they don’t match the ideal profile, you can save everyone a lot of time and effort by disqualifying them to focus on the highly qualified ones.

7. Be fluent in technology

SaaS sales, more than any other type, requires a firm understanding and ability to discuss technology. You need to know your product and how it fits in with other technologies in the software stack. A familiarity with compatibilities and issues relating to these software relationships is advantageous. You also need to stay current with trends and developments in technology as it relates to your industry.  And, if you are able to easily understand new technology and learn how to use it quickly, this will be to your advantage. Although you don’t need to memorize everything that you learn about technology, you should be able to find the answer and access it quickly when needed.

8. Be a master of your time and your schedule

For maximum efficiency, create a daily schedule for yourself. Know your goals and objectives. Have a plan and stick to it. Be sure to streamline processes, eliminate inefficiencies, and continually make adjustments. You want to make the most of your time. This will help you accomplish more and meet or exceed your goals.

Start applying these first eight success tips to improve your performance, become more valuable to your employer, and elevate your sales career. In the next article, I’ll discuss the other eight success tips to take you from good to great.